Hero of the Times
Hero of the Times | |
---|---|
Poster | |
Also known as | 'New Fong Sai-yuk' |
Genre | Wuxia drama |
Written by | Jun Yinglü |
Directed by | Hu Mingkai |
Starring |
Vincent Zhao Leanne Liu Vincent Ng Yvonne Lim Ix Shen May Phua |
Theme music composer |
Chen Lei Wen Jinhua |
Opening theme | Wuming Xiaozu (无名小卒) performed by Dick and Cowboy |
Ending theme | Haohao Aiguo (好好爱过) performed by Yvonne Lim |
Country of origin |
Singapore Taiwan |
Original language(s) | Mandarin |
No. of episodes | 30 |
Production | |
Producer(s) | Yuan Zaixian |
Location(s) |
Singapore Taiwan |
Cinematography |
Pan Wenhui Chen Daoquan Zhao Weixian Tang Rongliang |
Editor(s) | Zhang Bifang |
Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
Production company(s) | |
Release | |
Original network | |
Original release | 1999 – 2000 |
External links | |
Website |
Hero of the Times (Chinese: 新方世玉; pinyin: Xīn Fāng Shìyù) is a Singaporean-Taiwanese wuxia television series based on legends about Fong Sai-yuk (Mandarin: Fang Shiyu), a Chinese folk hero and martial artist who lived in the Qing dynasty. It was co-produced by the Television Corporation of Singapore (now MediaCorp) and Taiwan's China Television, directed by Hu Mingkai, and starred mainland Chinese actor Vincent Zhao as Fang Shiyu. It was first aired in Singapore on TCS Eighth Frequency (now MediaCorp Channel 8) from late 1999 to early 2000.
Plot
The series is set in China during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor in the Manchu-led Qing dynasty. The emperor orders Nalan Degang, a Manchu bannerman, to organise a secret death squad to eliminate the Great Ming Society, an underground movement based in Yangzhou which seeks to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the fallen Ming dynasty. The death squad is named "Flying Guillotines" after the highly dreaded weapon used by its members.
Fang Shiyu is the son of Fang De, the governor of Yangzhou. He spends his time enjoying life with his best friend, Nalan Dekai, who is Nalan Degang's younger brother. Zhu Lingce, the Black Guardian of the Great Ming Society, is a descendant of the imperial family of the Ming dynasty. In the past, he had a romantic affair with Miao Cuihua, Fang Shiyu's mother, but chose to give up on Miao to pursue his quest to overthrow the Qing dynasty. Miao Cuihua later married Fang De and gave birth to Fang Shiyu, but she still has romantic feelings for Zhu Lingce. Fang De appears to be an official of the Qing government, but is actually the White Guardian of the Great Ming Society. He secretly helps the society in their anti-Qing activities.
Fang Shiyu and Nalan Dekai travel to Shaolin Monastery to learn martial arts and end up mastering the Yijin Jing. Their companion, Song Tiezhu, succumbs to the temptation of glory and chooses to join Nalan Degang and serve the Qing government. When Zhu Lingce is captured by Nalan Degang, Fang Shiyu and his friends rescue him and provide him with shelter, but Song Tiezhu betrays them and Zhu loses his life. Fang De is arrested and taken back to the capital after his true identity as the White Guardian of the Great Ming Society is exposed. Fang Shiyu manages to escape and brings Nalan Dekai, who was injured while helping him, to Shaolin Monastery for treatment. However, they are betrayed by Song Tiezhu again and Shaolin is burnt down by Qing forces. Fang Shiyu defeats Song Tiezhu in a fight and permanently disables him to prevent him from harming others again.
The Yongzheng Emperor employs a scheme to create a misunderstanding between Fang De and the Great Ming Society and trick the society into believing that Fang has betrayed them. Fang De has no choice but to commit suicide to prove his innocence. In the meantime, Fang Shiyu trains hard in martial arts with the aim of seeking justice and avenging his father. He breaks into the palace and tries to assassinate the Yongzheng Emperor, but ultimately gives up on his quest for vengeance when he realises the best option is to spare the emperor's life because there will be further chaos and bloodshed if the emperor is killed.
Cast
- Vincent Zhao as Fang Shiyu
- Leanne Liu as Miao Cuihua
- Vincent Ng as Nalan Dekai
- Yvonne Lim as Lei Xiaoti
- Ix Shen as Nalan Degang
- May Phua as Princess Fulu
- Chunyu Shanshan as Song Tiezhu
- Shirley He as You Hongxiu
- Rayson Tan as Zhu Lingce
- Li Wenhai as Fang De
- Wang Huichun as the Yongzheng Emperor
- Chen Guohua as Murong Yixiao
- Xiang Yun as Wu Huaniang
- Lin Meijiao as Abbess Babao
- Qian Zhigang as Lei Xiaohu
- Huang Chung-kun as the Fourteenth Prince
- Elvis Tsui as Ao Tianwei
See also
- Fong Sai-yuk, the main character in the television series.
- Fong Sai-yuk (film), a 1993 Hong Kong film starring Jet Li as Fong Sai-yuk.
- Fong Sai-yuk II, a sequel to Fong Sai-yuk (1993).
External links
- Hero of the Times on MediaCorp's website