Qiao's Grand Courtyard (TV series)

Qiao's Grand Courtyard
International DVD cover
Genre	Historical drama
Written by	Zhu Qiuhai
Directed by	Hu Mei
Starring	Chen Jianbin Jiang Qinqin Ma Yili
Theme music composer	Chinese Symphony Suite – Qiao's Grand Courtyard (乔家大院交响组曲) by Zhao Jiping
Opening theme	Chinese Symphony Suite – Qiao's Grand Courtyard (乔家大院交响组曲) by Zhao Jiping
Ending theme	Yuan Qing (远情) performed by Tan Jing
Composer(s)	Zhao Jiping
Country of origin	China
Original language(s)	Mandarin
No. of episodes	45
Production
Producer(s)	Meng Fanyao
Location(s)	Qiao's Compound
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Production company(s)	Shanxi Radio TV Station China Wencai Audio-Visual Publishing Corporation Beijing China Visual Culture Corporation
Release
Original network	CCTV-1
First shown in	February 13, 2006

Qiao's Grand Courtyard is a 2006 Chinese historical television series. The series is set during the late Qing Dynasty and chronicles the life of Shanxi financier, businessman and philanthropist Qiao Zhiyong (1818―1907), with artistic license applied. Part of the series was shot at Qiao's Compound, which was Qiao Zhiyong's ancestral home at Qi County, Shanxi (it was also the locale for Zhang Yimou's 1991 film Raise the Red Lantern).

The series debuted on CCTV-1 on February 13, 2006 and comprises 45 episodes. It was directed by Hu Mei, known for her historical dramas Yongzheng Dynasty (1997) and The Emperor in Han Dynasty (2005).

Lead actor and actress Chen Jianbin and Jiang Qinqin won the Audience's Favorite Actor/Actress Awards at the 2006 Golden Eagle TV Art Festival for their roles in this series. The pair was married in 2006.Qiao's Grand Courtyard clinched Best Drama Series at the 1st Seoul Drama Awards.

The series chronicles the life of late Qing Dynasty financier and businessman Qiao Zhiyong, the most famous member of the Qiao Family from Qi County, Shanxi. The series start during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor when Qiao Zhiyong, a young scholar, leaves for Beijing for the imperial examination. The death of his sick elder brother Qiao Zhiguang forces Zhiyong to return home without sitting for the papers. His sister-in-law, Madam Cao, compels Qiao to take on the family's business, although he is initially reluctant to do so because he prefers academic studies. But with the Qiao's family business in arrears, Qiao marries Lu Yuhan, daughter of the wealthy Shanxi merchant Lu Dake, against his will, to save his family from bankruptcy. As a result, he forgoes marrying his childhood sweetheart, maternal cousin Jiang Xueying.