#ding xiaoying

DING XIAOYING 丁笑滢 | hanfu photoshoot

I've binged the first half of the new Tencent drama Vengeance of the Mountain God (山神异闻录: "Tales of the Mountain God") which stars Huang Junjie and Ding Xiaoying in the main roles and has a total of 24 episodes à 15–20 minutes.

Vengeance of the Mountain God is based on the novel Mountain Deity (山神) by Tian Xia Ba Chang, who also wrote River God (which was later adapted as Tientsin Mystic) and Ghost Blows Out the Light (which was adapted as a series of interconnected dramas called Candle in the Tomb).

This drama takes place in the Changbai Mountains during the Republican era. It tells the story of Jin Shisan (Huang Junjie), an adopted son of the influential Jin family.

The Jin family, as well as a lot of other famous families in that area, are experts at finding and hunting high-quality ginseng, which is about as valuable as gold. Shisan has also learned the proper way of finding and capturing wild ginseng without angering the mountain god from his adoptive father, and he's able to detect things with his eyes that other people can't see.

One tragic night, he becomes the witness—and only survivor—of the massacre of his entire family. Shisan swears revenge for the sudden murders and returns three years later to take the lives of those who killed his family.

So with the help of a ragtag group of friends he takes not only revenge but also reestablishes his family's name and honor in the area.

My impression so far:

This is not a high-budget drama and it shows, especially when it comes to costumes: they are often too modern in a way that sometimes breaks the immersion for me. But as a whole this is still a solid production. The acting is quite good for a mini-drama (I especially enjoy the two leads) and the drama absolutely captures the spirit of Tian Xia Ba Chang's other works.

There's mystery, horror, creepy murders, gang fights and a lot of really weird supernatural stuff going on. There's also shamanism, geomancy and intricate rituals (for example the ritual for capturing ginseng literally capturing it because it can run away if you're not careful enough), which are a common theme in his works.

I'm enjoying this a lot so far; the pacing is great, considering how short the episodes are, and the characters are likeable, with the support characters being memorable and interesting enough to keep me invested. Also, I know a lot more about ginseng now than I knew yesterday.