The Legend of Chu Liuxiang (2007 TV series)

The Legend of Chu Liuxiang is a Chinese television series adapted from the three novels in the Chu Liuxiang Chuanqi segment of Gu Long's Chu Liuxiang novel series.^[1] The series was first broadcast on CCTV-8 in December 2007 in China.^[2]

The Legend of Chu Liuxiang
DVD box art
Also known as	The Legendary Knight Chu Liuxiang Chuanqi
Traditional Chinese	楚留香傳奇
Simplified Chinese	楚留香传奇
Hanyu Pinyin	Chǔ Liúxiāng Chuánqí
Genre	Wuxia
Based on	Chu Liuxiang Series by Gu Long
Screenplay by	Yu Zheng Liu Qi Sha Lang
Directed by	Liu Fengsheng Kuk Kwok-leung
Presented by	You Jiaming
Starring	Ken Chu Hu Jing Sun Feifei Liu Jia Cui Peng Benny Chan Choo Ja-hyun Stephanie Hsiao Kingone Wang Sammul Chan Mu Tingting
Opening theme	"Song of the Fragrant Sword" (香剑吟) performed by Li Fei and Tian Yi
Ending theme	"Wild and Carefree" (任逍遥) performed by Wu Pinchun "A Hero Gets Angry for a Beauty" (英雄一怒为红颜) performed by Xiaozhuang and She Manni
Country of origin	China
Original language	Mandarin
No. of episodes	43
Production
Producer	You Jianming
Production location	China
Cinematography	Shao Jinghui Jiang Jicheng
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Production companies	China Central Television Guangdong CHS Media Southern Television Guangdong Joy Media
Original release
Network	CCTV-8
Release	7 December 2007 (2007-12-07)
Related
The Legend of Chu Liuxiang (2012)

Plot

Part 1: Fragrance in the Sea of Blood (血海飘香)

Chu Liuxiang is a highly skilled martial artist who steals from the rich to help the poor. Once, he attempts to steal from a courtesan who cheats unsuspecting men of their money. However, all the occupants of the brothel, including three famous martial artists, are mysteriously killed overnight by a deadly potion known as the "Heaven's One Holy Water". The potion is the secret weapon of the Holy Water Palace, a martial arts school whose members are all female. The Holy Water Palace suspects Chu Liuxiang of stealing the potion and committing the murders, so they attack him. However, Chu Liuxiang negotiates with them and they agree to give him three months to investigate the case. With help from Song Tian'er, Su Rongrong, Zhongyuan Yidianhong and others, Chu Liuxiang succeeds in clearing his name and exposing the true identity of the perpetrator, who turns out to be actually his friend Wuhua. Chu Liuxiang defeats Wuhua in a fight and Wuhua commits suicide by drinking poisoned wine.^[3]

Part 2: The Vast Desert (大沙漠)

Chu Liuxiang's adventures lead him to the desert, where he encounters his old friend Hu Tiehua. At the same time, he meets Linlang, a beautiful maiden, whom he saves from a kidnapper, and falls in love with her. However, he discovers later that Linlang is actually Shiguanyin, a mysterious and highly feared female martial artist. Shiguanyin and Wuhua (who actually survived) are behind a plot to take over the Moon City, a desert kingdom ruled by an incompetent king. With the aid of his friends, Chu Liuxiang foils Shiguanyin and Wuhua's plans and helps the king regain control of the Moon City. Chu Liuxiang defeats Shiguanyin in a fight and apparently kills her.^[4]

Part 3: The Thrush (画眉鸟)

Chu Liuxiang gets into conflict with the Holy Water Palace once more. The palace's members kidnap Song Tian'er and Hu Tiehua. The palace ruler, Shuimu Yinji, mistakes Song Tian'er for her long-lost daughter and showers her with love and care. Chu Liuxiang arrives at the palace with Li Hongxiu and Zhongyuan Yidianhong to rescue his friends, and engages Shuimu Yinji and her followers in a fight. He uncovers a plot by Liu Hongmei and Wuhua to seize the rulership of the palace. Shuimu Yinji dies as she has been poisoned by the conspirators. Song Tian'er eventually succeeds Shuimu Yinji as the ruler of the palace.^[5]

Cast

• Ken Chu as Chu Liuxiang
• Hu Jing as Su Rongrong
• Sun Feifei as Li Hongxiu
• Liu Jia as Song Tian'er
• Cui Peng as Wuhua
  • Sun Xinyu as Wuhua (young)
• Benny Chan as Hu Tiehua
• Choo Ja-hyun as Shiguanyin
  • Zhang Yijing as Shiguanyin (young)
• Stephanie Hsiao as Shuimu Yinji / Yu Chisu
• Kingone Wang as Zhongyuan Yidianhong
• Sammul Chan as the King of Moon City
• Mu Tingting as Liu Wumei
• Wang Jing as Gong Nanyan
• Deng Jiajia as Zhangsun Hong
• Xiu Qing as Tianfeng Shisilang
• Wang Bowen as Xue Yiren
• Wang Gang as Xue Xiaoren
• Nan Ji as Qiu Lingsu
• Tian Zhenwei as Li Yuhan
• Wang Jing as Jiao Yu
• Jin Song as Desert Fox
• Liu Yong as Xiaopan
• Wan Ni'en as Situ Jing
• Tong Tong as Cuihua
• Wu Yuejin as Lianggu
• Wang Huiqiao as Fenggu
• Shi Ting as Cai Qiao
• Yang Haiquan as Ren Ci
• Ye Erjiang as Wei Huo
• Zheng Yue as Yueya'er
• Lin Jiajun as Shuyan
• Li Qingxiang as Zhamuhe
• Guo Qiming as Ximen Qian
• Yu Jianguo as Zuo Youzheng
• Li Yuan as Bai Yumo
• Zhou Dehua as Tuying
• Zong Fengyan as Sun Xuepu
• Yuan Ming as Jin Banhua
• Xu Ming as the Shaolin abbot
• Tan Jianchang as Wuyazi
• Han Zhi as Song Gang
• Tian Zhong as Shi Tuo
• Lou Yajiang as Ping Fan
• Wang Jingluan as Wumei
• Liu Jianwei as Leng Qiuhun

Reception

CCTV reviewer Xiangshuai commented on the series's "luxurious cast" and "amazing script". She said the script captured the feeling written by Gu Long four decades ago about internal human disputes. She praised the actors and actresses for their performance, which "enhanced" the script to give viewers a sense of what the characters were feeling.^[1]

The Legend of Chu Liuxiang received honours on CCTV-8 for being the third-top rated series of 2007, as well as receiving the third-highest viewership of all television series broadcast in 2007 on CCTV-8, even though it was released in December.^[6][7]

International broadcast

Country	Network	Airing dates
China	CCTV-8	December 5, 2007 - (00:00)
Taiwan	CTV	December 12, 2011 – February 21, 2012 (Monday to Friday from 16:00 to 17:00)
Thailand	MCOT Family Number 14 (เอ็มคอตแฟมิลี่ หมายเลข 14)	July 3, 2018 - January 29, 2018 (Every Tuesday from 20:15 - 21:00)
Thailand	MCOT Family Number 14 (เอ็มคอตแฟมิลี่ หมายเลข 14)	February 4, 2018 -, 2018 (Every Monday to Wednesday at 14.00 - 15.00 hrs. And from 21.00 to 22.00 hrs.)