| A Weaver on the Horizon | |
|---|---|
TV series' intertitle (Traditional Chinese version) |
|
| Also known as | 1. Clothing the World (衣被天下) 2. The Legend of a Weaver (神話織女) 3. The Tale of the Royal Seamstress |
| Genre | Historical fiction, inspirational fiction, feminist fiction, war drama, costume drama, romance, wuxia |
| Format | Serial |
| Directed by | Lee Kwok-lap |
| Starring | Janine Chang Cecilia Liu Justin Yuan Edwin Siu Amy Chan Damian Lau |
| Opening theme | Yongyuan Xiangxin (永遠相信) performed by Kelly Chen |
| Composer(s) | Mak Jan-hung |
| Country of origin | China |
| Language(s) | Mandarin |
| No. of episodes | 36 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Karen Tsai |
| Location(s) | China |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company(s) | Chinese Entertainment Shanghai |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Nanning Television |
| First shown in | August 14, 2010 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| A Weaver on the Horizon | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official poster | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 天涯織女 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 天涯织女 | ||||||
|
|||||||
A Weaver on the Horizon is a Chinese television series based on the life story of Huang Daopo, an historical figure in China who revolutionized the textile industry during the Mongol conquest of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. The story is considered to be historical fiction, as the plot deviates from factual accounts and contains elements of wuxia and romance. A central theme of feminism is present, as more focus is placed on the female protagonists than their male counterparts.
Contents |
Huang Qiao'er was born to a poverty-stricken family. She lost her parents at an early age and was raised by her aunt, who taught her textile arts. While growing up in a weaving mill, Huang developed a close bond with the neighboring dyehouse owner's son, Fang Ning, who fell in love with her. Eventually, the outstanding results produced by Splendid Mill's weavers earn them an opportunity to work in the palace. Through Huang's friendship with the emperor's niece, Zhao Jiayi, Huang is able to gain access to the palace's study, deepening her knowledge of weaving from its collection. But the Splendid Mill's weavers also become embroiled in a power struggle among the emperor's concubines, and a rivalry with the Iridescent Cloud Mill's weavers, who also work at the palace.
While in the palace, Huang falls in love with a young general, Lin Mufei, at the expense of her friendship with the princess. Lin also rejects the princess' affections, due to his prejudice against imperial family members for their corruption, and in spites his vows to defend the Song Dynasty. However, Fang Ning has his legs crippled while saving Huang from the corrupt members of the imperial court during Lin's absence. Feeling guilt for Fang's plight and hearing rumors that Lin had been killed in battle at the city of Chuzhou (present day Huai'an), Huang decides to marry Fang out of pity. In reality, Lin has survived, and he is heartbroken when he sees Huang marry Fang. This complicates the love triangle between Lin, Huang, and Zhao Jiayi.
Despite Huang Qiao'er's awareness that she cannot be with the man she still loves due to her marriage to another, she recognizes that being Fang Ning's wife also has its benefits, as Huang's mother-in-law imparts the family's dyeing secrets, which helps her hone her textile skills. However, Fang is aware that his wife still has some feelings towards Lin Mufei. This prompts Fang to succumb to alcoholism, leading to repeated abuse of his wife after drinking. As for Zhao Jiayi, she remains devoted in her affection for Lin, and eventually sneaks away from the palace in search of him after learning that Lin did not die. With the help of Lin's mother, Zhao locates Lin in the city of Changzhou. Zhao claims that she only wishes to be with Lin Mufei in battle, regardless of whether he would ultimately love her or not.
Not long afterwards, the Song Dynasty is conquered by the Mongols, who establish the Yuan Dynasty under the leadership of Kublai Khan. Lin is traumatized after experiencing a series of personal misfortunes and tragedies, and he decides to focus on protecting Zhao Jiayi and her surviving family members as well as liberating China from the Mongols' tyranny. For four years, while battling their enemies, Lin and Zhao begin to develop a close bond and mutual understanding while taking care of one another. As Zhao helps Lin nurse his emotional wound resulting from Huang's marriage to Fang Ning and later his mother's execution by one of their adversaries, Lin starts to develop affection towards the princess when he realizes that there is more to her than her unruly and wayward behavior.
While fleeing from the Mongols' conquest, Huang has a chance encounter with an extraordinary woodwork instructor, Feng Jiujin, and becomes his apprentice. She ultimately wanders to Yazhou (present day Hainan), where she learns the arts of cotton farming and weaving, and helps the natives improve their textile technology.
After Fang Ning's death, Huang finally resolves the entanglement with Lin and Zhao by reuniting with them in the city of Hangzhou (former Song capital Lin'an). Huang remorsefully realizes that she has inadvertently brought two men who loved her nothing but heartbreak, instead of happiness. She consents her blessing to Lin and Zhao of their newfound love. Huang also realizes her dream of revolutionizing the art of textile weaving and manufacturing, for the benefit of her people. With support from her family and friends, Huang becomes a pioneer of the Chinese textile industry. After numerous battles against the Yuan forces with Song remnants, the Battle of Yamen officially brings an end to the Song Dynasty. Lin and Zhao, after enduring these defeats, realize that the enemy is too powerful, and is not yet for the resistance to overthrow. Desiring to get away from the violence and tragedies in their lives, they choose to retire and go into seclusion together.
Lin Mufei and Zhao Jiayi are happily married and return to Hangzhou after spending three years in hiding. By this time, the Splendid Mill and Fang Family Dyehouse have brought in many apprentices and achieved business success, with Huang Qiao'er fulfilling her purpose in life.
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Janine Chang | Huang Qiao'er (黃巧兒) |
An orphaned weaver from Songjiang Town. Huang Qiao'er's works revolutionize the textile industry and help to save many people from poverty after the rise of the Yuan Dynasty. She becomes known as Huang Daopo (黃道婆) later. |
| Ivy Lu | young Huang Qiao'er | |
| Amy Chan | Rong Xiuman (容秀滿) |
The senior and sworn sister of Huang's mother. Rong Xiuman teaches Huang textile arts. |
| Zhao Yue | Nanny Yuan (袁姥姥) |
The weavers' nanny |
| Amber Xu | Hu Xiaomei (胡小梅) |
Huang's neighbor and childhood friend |
| Chen Manyuan | young Hu Xiaomei | |
| Han Xiao | Cheng Nianxiang (程念湘) |
Huang's eldest senior |
| Shi Jiahe | young Cheng Nianxiang | |
| Li Jinming | He Xiaoyi (賀小薏) |
Huang's friend. She has a handicapped leg. |
| He Siying | young He Xiaoyi | |
| Li Qian | Tao Qianqian (陶芊芊) |
Huang's friend. She is married to the Mongol prince Eerde Borjigin in Zhao Jiayi's place, and becomes known as Princess Jiashan (嘉善公主). |
| Li Chen | young Tao Qianqian | |
| Tao Huimin | Wen Ruolan (文若蘭) |
Huang's mother. Wen Ruolan entrusts her daughter to Rong Xiuman before her death. |
| Huang Shijia | Xiaoqing (小青) |
One of Huang's students |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Cecilia Liu | Zhao Jiayi (趙嘉儀) |
An orphaned daughter of the late Emperor Lizong, Zhao Jiayi was raised by Emperor Duzong and is known as Princess Jiayi (嘉儀公主). Zhao becomes a chivalrous heroine and a member of the resistance against the Yuan Dynasty after the fall of her family's empire. |
| Wang Gang | Emperor Duzong of Song (宋度宗) |
Song's incompetent and promiscuous ruler, who is Zhao Jiayi's paternal uncle and adoptive father. |
| Chen Ting | Concubine E Ling'er (鄂靈兒) |
Zhao Jiayi's maternal aunt and adoptive mother |
| Tang Yifei | Concubine Han (韓貴妃) |
Concubine E Ling'er's rival |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Justin Yuan | Lin Mufei (林幕飛) |
A patriotic general from a family of military personnel. Lin becomes a leader of the resistance against the Yuan Dynasty after the fall of the Song Dynasty. |
| Guo Jun | Li Ao (李敖) |
A former subordinate of Lin Mufei and arch enemy of Lin and Zhao Jiayi. He defects to the Mongols. |
| Zhao Yi | Han Tong (韓通) |
A subordinate of Lin Mufei and a member of the resistance. |
| Ma Fei | Wu Qingtong (武青同) |
A subordinate of Lin Mufei and a member of the resistance. |
| Zhang Lei | Zhao Zhe (趙喆) |
A corrupt official who lusts for Huang Qiao'er. He works for the Yuan governments after the fall of the Song Dynasty. |
| Niu Ben | Eunuch Wang (王公公) |
An attendant who works at the imperial kitchen and befriends Lin Mufei and Huang Qiao'er. |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Edwin Siu | Fang Ning (方甯) |
A close friend of Huang Qiao'er. Fang Ning has been in love with Huang for a long time and marries her eventually. |
| Cheng Pei-pei | Mrs. Fang (方戴氏) |
The mother of Fang Ning, Fang Po, and Fang Jing. Mrs. Fang is the owner of the Fang Family Dyehouse (大方染坊). She instructs Huang in dyeing. |
| Zheng Guolin | Fang Po (方寶) |
Fang Ning's older brother and close friend of the Splendid Mill's weavers. |
| He Yan | Fang Jing (方靜) |
Older sister of Fang Po and Fang Ning |
| He Jianze | Shi Pujie (石蒲傑) |
Fang Jing's lover and a worker of the Fang Family Dyehouse |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Liu Dong | A'dong (阿東) |
A Yazhou native and widower. A'dong teaches Huang and Rong cotton tillage. |
| Cristy Guo | Fu Yaya (符雅雅) |
A'dong's neighbor. Fu Yaya teaches Huang and Rong the basic of cotton weaving, which they incorporate with their own knowledge of textile arts. Huang later accepts her as one of her apprentices, helping her advances her skills. |
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Damian Lau | Feng Jiujin (風九斤) |
Real name Yelü Ximu (耶律希木). He is actually a son of a Khitan noble, Yelü Chucai, thus a descendant of the royal family of the Liao Dynasty. The educated artisan instructs Huang in woodwork. |
| Ethan Yao | young Yelü Ximu | |
| Li Qingxiang | Taoist Sun (孫真人) |
A sarcastic but wise Taoist who heals Fang Ning and Feng Jiujin |
| Jerry Cheng | Huang Chunyao (黃震堯) |
Huang's father and Rong Xiuman's former fiancé |
| Dai Chunrong | Mrs. Guan (贯大娘) |
The owner of Iridescent Cloud Mill (彩雲坊) and Rong Xiuman's business rival. |
| Yan Yongxuan | Wang Ying (王英) |
Lin Mufei's mother. |
| Lou Yejiang | Eerde Borjigin (額爾德·孛兒只斤) |
A Mongol prince. |
The series was well-received in Mainland China and Taiwan, with good ratings reported from both.[6]
