Liu Xiaoqing Acts the Only Woman Ruler in Chinese History Again

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Chinese historical drama TV series depicting the life of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history is being shot in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.

Liu Xiaoqing, former actress-turned tycoon plays the leading role. It was her second time to act Wu Zetian and the TV series at the time won over the hearts of almost every Chinese household.

Liu Xiaoqing was one of the most famous actresses in the last twenty years in China. She spent the eighties performing in numerous movies and winning every top acting award of China.

Starting in 1990, Liu Xiaoqing set up her own business in real estate, food industry, cosmetics, advertising and film production. She became a billionaire, but she was involved the scandal of tax evasion in 2002 and imprisoned for over one year.


In August 2003 Liu came out of the prison and began to work as actress again for the payment of the penalty. With an investment of more than 40 million yuan and a capable producing team the director and Liu are confident in the success of the play. The making up in the play is stressed as a key factor for the success, but the script and the plot, director, costume and acting skills are also very important as 55-year-old Liu said.


The drama is planned to be played this year.




Wu Zetian, Only Woman Ruler in Chinese History:


Wu Zetian was the only woman to rule in China as an emperor in name. She entered the Chinese imperial court at the age of thirteen as a lowly ranked concubine to Emperor Taizong (reigned 626–649) of the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), but when he died she became concubine and later empress to her stepson, Emperor Gaozong (reigned 650–683). When Gaozong died, she declared herself emperor after deposing her sons and attempting to found her own dynasty.


Wu Zetian was a decisive, capable ruler in the roles of empress, empress dowager, and emperor. She was allegedly cruel in her personal life, murdering two sons, a daughter, and other relatives who opposed her. As a woman ruler, she challenged the traditional patriarchal dominance of power, state, sovereignty, monarchy, and political ideology.

Her experience reflected a reversal of the gender roles and restrictions that her society and government had constructed for her as appropriate to women. While surviving in the male-ruled and power-focused domain, she showed strengths usually attributed to men, including political ambition, long-range vision, talented organization, and hard work. Later historians have been hostile to her, describing her as a despotic usurper of the throne.

According to these historians, the reign of Wu Zetian ended in corruption, drinking, and the elderly ruler delighting in sexual relations with young men who enjoyed all imaginable favors and honors. In 705, she was forced to abdicate, her son Zhongzong was again enthroned, and the Tang was restored.


Taken from www.womenofchina.cn


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