April Rhapsody

April Rhapsody is a 2000 TV series written by Wang Hui-ling, based on the romantic life of Xu Zhimo, one of China's most renowned poets in the 20th century.

April Rhapsody
DVD cover
Traditional Chinese	人間四月天
Simplified Chinese	人间四月天
Literal meaning	April in This World
Hanyu Pinyin	Rénjiān Sìyuè Tiān
Written by	Wang Hui-ling
Starring	Huang Lei Rene Liu Zhou Xun Annie Yi
Country of origin	Taiwan China
Original languages	Mandarin, English
No. of episodes	20
Production
Running time	45 minutes
Original release
Network	TTV PTS CCTV ATV
Release	January 10 (2000-01-10) – January 16, 2000 (2000-01-16)

Virtually all characters in the story are historical, but the plot deviates from history somewhat. After the series' broadcast, historian Liang Congjie blasted the show and denied his mother Lin Huiyin's relationship with Xu was anything other than platonic.^[1]

Cast

Main

• Huang Lei as Xu Zhimo
• Rene Liu as Zhang Youyi (Chang Yu-i), Xu Zhimo's first wife
• Zhou Xun as Lin Huiyin, Xu Zhimo's close female friend
• Annie Yi as Lu Xiaoman, Xu Zhimo's illicit lover who became his second wife

Supporting

• Zhou Zheng as Xu Zhimo's father
• Mou Yun as Xu Zhimo's mother
• Li Jian as Amah in Xu household
• Sun Bin as Shen Shuwei, Xu Zhimo's cousin
• Wang Gui'e as Lin Huiyin's mother
• Wu Jun as Liang Sicheng, Lin Huiyin's husband
• Sihung Lung as Liang Qichao, Liang Sicheng's father
• Guo Chunxiang as Liang Sicheng's mother
• Ma Yue as Wang Geng, Lu Xiaoman's husband
• Wang Ban as Carsun Chang, Zhang Youyi's brother
• Tien Peng as Chang Kia-ngau, Zhang Youyi's brother
• Li Liansheng as Zhang Youyi's father
• Zhao Xiaonan as Zhang Youyi's mother
• Feng Lei as Weng Ruiwu, Lu Xiaoman's lover
• Shao Wanlin as Lu Xiaoman's father
• Gao Fang as Lu Xiaoman's mother
• Li Jie as Shen Congwen
• Li Hongwei as Jin Yuelin
• Ma Jie as Hu Shih