During this year's Spring Festival, Taiwan's eight major TV stations will broadcast the mainland TV series "The Legend of Zhen Huan" non-stop.

The five live broadcast marathons had a cumulative number of views of 7.219 million, and a total of more than 2.27 million messages in the chat room.

Among them, the classic scene of "The Emperor's Death" in the drama attracted 61,000 online viewers at the same time.

During this year's Spring Festival, Taiwan's eight major TV stations will broadcast the mainland TV series "The Legend of Zhen Huan" non-stop.

Image source: Taiwan’s eight major TV stations

　　“It doesn’t feel like the New Year if you don’t watch it during the Chinese New Year.”

　　This year is the third consecutive year that "The Legend of Zhen Huan" has been marathon broadcast on Taiwan's eight major TV stations, and the number of viewers has reached a new high.

With the show being a hit for many years, the TV station even responded to the requests of netizens this year and specially skipped part of the plot of Ganlu Temple in the last live broadcast to satisfy the audience's wish to "return to the palace with one click".

　　In addition to watching the live broadcast, the message area for Wanqifa is also quite exciting.

When the emperor died, with the powerful cry of "Empress", netizens from all over Taiwan left messages, "Representatives from Daxi, Taoyuan offered incense", "Representatives from Taichung's daughter-in-law offered incense", "Representatives from Zhonghe District, please help" "Assist in recitation", "Zhubei representatives offer incense" and "Send congratulations to the Emperor"!

It was jokingly called an online large-scale public memorial scene by netizens.

The final episode of the marathon live broadcast of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" attracted 61,000 people to watch online at the same time.

Image source: Taiwan’s eight major TV stations

　　Following updates late at night, discussing the plot, relaying messages, and forwarding memes, the Spring Festival marathon of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" has become a new year's ritual for Taiwanese netizens.

Some fans called out, "A blood test is a must-have for the Chinese New Year."

Of course, there are also Taiwanese media who closely follow the plot of the play, seriously popularize history, and use the power of knowledge to contribute to the ceremony. For example, they examine whether the "blood recognition" is true, and reveal why Yong Zheng violently pulled the head of the bed before his death in the play. Yellow Belt" etc.

　　Taiwanese host Tsai Kang-yong recently revealed on social media that people on the island must watch "The Legend of Zhen Huan" during the Chinese New Year, and even the star Sun Li knows about it.

He also joked, "Zhen Huan was found to have size M on the collar of her robe at Ganlu Temple. I haven't told her yet..."

"Cultural commonality"

　　"Is the Legend of Zhen Huan marathon a kind of united front?" asked a Taiwanese netizen on social media.

　　However, many local netizens below said that what all the fuss is about!

"It's just a small event. If you don't say that the entire New Year is a kind of united front," "It would be too weak to be unified just by watching a show."

Someone also replied, "The chat room is the real thing."

　　After 13 years of broadcasting, why does the mainland drama "The Legend of Zhen Huan" continue to be popular in Taiwan and is often watched again and again?

Taiwanese media analyzed that people now gather in groups to watch dramas online mainly to chat online and reminisce with others.

　　According to Taiwanese sociologist Wang Shisi, "The Legend of Zhen Huan" provides a happy occasion for everyone to get together. There are many common opinions and memories in the plot, and people can find something in common from it. "This is cultural commonality."

　　In fact, not only "The Legend of Zhen Huan", more and more mainland film and television dramas are now popular in Taiwan.

"Nirvana in Fire", "Chen Qing Ling", "East Palace", "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" and other costume dramas or fairy tale dramas have captured the support of many loyal fans; "Go Where the Wind Is", "In the Name of Family" and "You Are My Glory" Modern dramas such as "Shan Shan Is Here" are also popular among Taiwanese people.

　　As early as February 1996, mainland TV dramas were officially introduced to Taiwan and have continued to develop since then.

Around 2010, mainland dramas surged in Taiwan, and in 2012 they even surpassed the number of Korean dramas broadcast in Taiwan.

In 2020, the number of broadcasting hours of mainland dramas surpassed that of local Taiwanese dramas for the first time, becoming the longest-running drama series in Taiwan among all genres.

　　Why are films and TV shows produced in the mainland, especially historical dramas and court dramas, so successful on the island?

Tang Hua, director of the Institute of Cross-Strait Relations at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, said that the grand story structure, rigorous detailed research, excellent quality based on high production fees, and the superb acting skills of the actors have created the popularity of relevant dramas in Taiwan. success.

　　"Chinese culture is inherently connected on both sides of the Taiwan Strait." Tang Hua pointed out that it is natural for Taiwanese people to love mainland films and TV shows given the same cultural background.

At the same time, in the era of digital culture, the cultural estrangement between the two sides caused by the strait barrier continues to dissolve through new media, and the two sides of the strait are increasingly living in the same cultural circle.

　　Ren Dongmei, an associate researcher at the Taiwan Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, once wrote in the magazine "Taiwan Strait Studies" that with the growth of mainland power in recent years, especially the improvement of cultural soft power, more and more young people on the island have begun to understand the real mainland. , will undoubtedly have a huge role in promoting the integration and development of both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the spiritual harmony of compatriots.

　　Just as Taiwanese netizens left a message "See you all next year" at the last moment of the live broadcast of "The Legend of Zhen Huan", tens of thousands of people are following Chinese dramas online during the Spring Festival, which may be a grand occasion again.

A strait can hardly hinder the connection of souls, and only integration and development can lead to a bright future.