Li Wei the Magistrate
| Li Wei the Magistrate | |
|---|---|
Taiwan DVD cover
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| Also known as | ''Li Wei Becomes an Official The Legend of Li Wei |
| Traditional | |
| Simplified | |
| Mandarin | Lǐ Wèi Dāng Guān |
| Written by | Yuyue |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language(s) | Mandarin |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Jiang Xuerou |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Li Wei the Magistrate II (2004) |
| Related shows | Yongzheng Dynasty (1997) |
Li Wei the Magistrate, also known as Li Wei Becomes an Official, is a 2001 Chinese television historical comedy-drama starring Xu Zheng as a young Li Wei, an illiterate who would become a county magistrate and one of the most prominent officials during 18th-century Qing dynasty.
A great commercial success, the series was followed by a 2004 sequel Li Wei the Magistrate II, also starring Xu, and a 2005 sequel Li Wei Resigns from Office, starring Paul Chun as an older Li. The trilogy takes place during the reigns of the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng Emperor, and Qianlong Emperor respectively.
The drama is usually considered the sidequel of the 1997 epic TV series Yongzheng Dynasty, returning most of its main cast in their iconic roles. However, whereas Yongzheng Dynasty is mostly based on history, Li Wei the Magistrate is almost completely fictional and includes a significant amount of comedy.
Filming began in October 2000 in Beijing. The series was first broadcast in Taiwan in August 2001. In mainland China, copyrights were sold to many TV stations, which began broadcasting it variously from September 2001 to 2002.
During the series' run in Beijing, Xu Zheng began to be known as "Rookie Comedy King" (喜剧新人王). In Taiwan, he was given the nickname "mainland China's Dicky Cheung". Lead actress Chen Hao, then still a college student and relative unknown, saw her popularity skyrocket with the drama's airing.
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