The Legend of Dugu

The Legend of Dugu (Chinese: 独孤天下) is a 2018 Chinese television series starring Hu Bingqing, Zhang Danfeng, Ady An, Jeremy Tsui and Li Yixiao. The series chronicles the life of the Dugu Sisters. It premiered on Tencent on February 21, 2018.

The Legend of Dugu
Promotional image
Genre
Written byZhang Wei
Directed by
  • Hou Shu-pei
  • Lan Zhiwei
Starring
Country of originChina
Original languageMandarin
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes55
Production
Executive producers
Running time45 minutes
Production companies
  • Orient Star
  • Beijing Hope Century Motion PIctures Co.,Ltd
  • Ledo Entertainment
  • Younger Culture
Release
Original networkTencent
First shown inChina
Original releaseFebruary 21, 2018 (2018-02-21)

Synopsis

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Dugu family was the focus of world attention to the well-known "Dugu prophecy" given to Yuwen Tai that states the true king is not yet set and the Dugu family will be the key to ruling the world. The head of the Dugu family, Dugu Xin was concerned. Two of the Dugu sisters thought they would be the ones to fulfill the prophecy.

The eldest sister Dugu Banruo is wise and ambitious. She loves the fierce general Yuwen Hu, but marries the weak Emperor Yuwen Yu to fulfill the prophecy. Banruo dies while giving birth to her son with Yuwen Yu. She previously had a daughter whom she entrusts to her sister, Dugu Jialuo. Her daughter is raised as Yang Lihua and marries Emperor Xuan. She and her daughter Lihua were both Empresses of Northern Zhou.

The second daughter Dugu Mantuo is greedy and also ambitious. She yearns to become Empress too just like her older sister because of her low status. Mantuo refuses the advances of Yang Jian and wanted to instead wed her younger sister's fiancé. Unexpectedly, she ends up marrying the father of her sister's fiancé, Li Bing. Her son with Li Bing would later become Li Yuan, the founding Emperor of the Tang dynasty. Mantuo would be honored as Empress Yuanzhen after her death.

The youngest daughter Dugu Jialuo is gentle and virtuous. She originally had feelings for Yuwen Yong, but their relationship doesn't last. She becomes the fiancée of Li Cheng, but their arrangement is broken off after Mantuo is married to Li Cheng's father. Jialuo marries Yang Jian and eventually falls in love with him. He swore to only love her, and they have several children together. Despite Jialuo's dislike for politics, they founded the Sui Dynasty together. She would become Empress Dugu of Sui.

All three marry into royalty, but each have a different destiny and fate. All of them end up becoming Empresses or Empress Dowagers of three different dynasties. In the end, the Dugu prophecy didn't only mean a person, but instead meant Dugu blood would rule the world.

Cast

Dugu family
  • Hu Bingqing as Dugu Jialuo (Qieluo), Empress Wenxian of Sui.
    • Youngest daughter of the Dugu family. A valiant but gentle, virtuous and learned woman who wants nothing but peace. She has an unclear relationship with Yuwen Yong but later married Yang Jian due to political reasons and as her father's last wish. She eventually falls in love with him and commits her life to building a country with him even though she never wanted him to become emperor. She takes in Lihua (her sister Banruo and Yuwen Hu's daughter) as her and Yang Jian's daughter and also gives birth to two sons to Yang Jian.
  • Ady An as Dugu Banruo, Empress Mingjing of Northern Zhou.
    • Eldest daughter of the Dugu family. A wise, ambitious woman who yearns for power and authority. Despite her love for Yuwen Hu, she marries Yuwen Yu in order to become the most powerful woman. However, because her husband lacks power, she ended up giving herself to Yuwen Hu to save her sister Jialuo and as a result became pregnant with their daughter, Lihua. Lihua ends up inheriting her father's one-sided blue eye so Banruo is forced to part with her daughter. She later becomes pregnant with Yuwen Yu's child, but because Geshu poisoned her during her pregnancy, they both die shortly after childbirth.
  • Li Yixiao as Dugu Mantuo / Yuchi Fanye, Empress Yuanzhen of Tang.
    • Second daughter of the Dugu family. Due to her mother's status as a concubine, she is burdened by her lowly status since young and yearns for wealth and power. She refuses to marry her original fiancé, Yang Jian, and instead tried to snatch her younger sister (Jialuo)'s fiancé, Li Cheng. However, due to a miscalculation, she ended up marrying Li Cheng's father, Li Bing instead. Her first daughter with Li Bing is killed by Lady Feng's servant. She ends up having a twin boy and girl with Li Bing years later.
  • Huang Wenhao as Dugu Xin
    • Minister of Northern Zhou. Head of the Dugu family.
  • Tian Bo as Dugu Shun
    • State minister of Northern Zhou. Fifth son of the Dugu family.

Production

The series was filmed at Hengdian World Studios from August to December 2016.

Soundtrack
The Legend of Dugu - Original Television Soundtrack (独孤天下电视剧原声音乐大碟)
No.TitleMusicLength
1."The Legend of Dugu (独孤天下)" (Opening theme song)Li Yugang 
2."Bodhi verse (菩提偈)" (Ending theme song)Liu Xijun 
3."Dugu (独孤)" (Insert song)Kym 
4."Red Dust (红尘辗)" (Insert song)Tracy (Xiaomin) Wang & Well Lee4:03

Awards and nominations
AwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
Influence of Recreational Responsibilities Awards Web Drama of the Year Won [1]

References
  1. "2019文娱责任影响力获奖名单出炉". Sina (in Chinese). March 28, 2019.
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