Knowing Some Old School Chinese Celebrities Through Contemporary Chinese Series...


It can be amazing how a newer generation viewer like me would know of the classics like Qin Han, Andy Lau, Liu Xue Hua, Aaron Kwok, and so on (aside from the household names Jackie Chan and Jet Li) but here's how I got introduced to some of the other legends.  Here they are:


The first classic Chinese actress I knew through contemporary entertainment was Zhen Xiu Zhen in Meteor Garden.  Judging her appearance, I really suspected she was one of those classic leading ladies in the series that late paternal grandmother used to watch.  I only knew she was also a singer when I heard the interview from Meteor Garden II's Behind the Scenes.


I knew classic actress Liu Xue Hua through Girls Marching On.  I used to think she was Zhen Xiu Zhen until I saw the series "Emerald on the Roof" where she was the leading lady's mean-spirited mother.  I'm more used to seeing her in her later years.  Later, I realized that she was actually one of those leading ladies in the Chinese series my late paternal grandmother watched... which I didn't care about back then!


I knew Andy Lau first through Magic Kitchen.  His later roles I saw were "House of Flying Daggers" and "Future Cop" which were all contemporary.  I find his pairing with Barbie Xu just overly odd with an age gap of 15 years.


Aaron Kwok was a classic star I knew through Pepsi Nine Stars.  He's the oldest in the bunch!  I personally was shocked to realize Aaron Kwok was already 40 by the time the commercial was filmed and he was the only old school guy in the bunch.


For Qin Han, I knew him first through "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" as the Jade Emperor.  I did know about him and Liu Xue Hua were an on-screen couple only through reading a review of the 2001 version of "Romance in the Rain". Back then, I didn't realize I already saw him and Liu Xue Hua acting as a couple since I barely watched those Mandarin series my late paternal grandmother used to watch.

I will probably update this list soon.

Comments