Eternal Love (2017)

Synopsis

A 2017 xianxia romance drama adapted from Tang Qi's novel, starring Yang Mi and Mark Chao. It tells the three-lifetime love story between Bai Qian, a nine-tailed fox queen, and Ye Hua, a heavenly crown prince. Over 50 billion views across all platforms.

Overview

Eternal Love (三生三世十里桃花), also known as Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, is a 2017 Chinese xianxia romance television drama adapted from Tang Qi Gongzi's web novel of the same name. Directed by Lin Yufen and Liang Shengquan, the series stars Yang Mi and Mark Chao (Zhao Youting) in leading roles, with Dilraba Dilmurat, Zhang Binbin, and Gao Weiguang in supporting roles. The series premiered on Dragon TV and Zhejiang TV in January 2017, running for 58 episodes.

Set against a grand xianxia cosmology, the drama tells the love story spanning three lifetimes between Bai Qian (Yang Mi), the nine-tailed fox queen of Qingqiu, and Ye Hua (Mark Chao), the crown prince of the Nine Heavens. Upon broadcast, it became a phenomenal hit, accumulating over 50 billion views across all platforms, making it one of the biggest dramas of 2017.

Plot

The narrative unfolds across three lifetimes:

In the first lifetime, Bai Qian, under the name Si Yin, becomes a disciple of Mo Yuan (Gao Weiguang) at Kunlun Xu, where she learns immortal magic. There, she develops an unfulfilled romance with Li Jing (Zhang Binbin), the second prince of the Wing Clan.

In the second lifetime, Bai Qian seals Qing Cang and loses both her magical powers and memories, transforming into a mortal named Susu. She falls to the mortal realm where she is saved by the Heavenly Crown Prince Ye Hua. The two fall in love and marry in the mortal realm. However, the rules of the Heavenly Court and the framing by Su Jin lead Susu, after giving birth to their son A-Li, to despairingly leap from the Zhu Xian Terrace. She regains her identity as Bai Qian but forgets all past events.

In the third lifetime, at a grand banquet in the Eastern Sea, Bai Qian and Ye Hua reunite. Ye Hua recognizes Bai Qian as Susu and begins to pursue her devotedly. After regaining her memories, Bai Qian undergoes an emotional transformation from resistance to acceptance. When faced with the crisis of sealing Qing Cang once more, the two finally overcome all obstacles together, and the lovers are united.

Cast

Cultural Impact

Eternal Love generated enormous social反响 during its broadcast:

Viewing Records: The series premiered on Dragon TV and Zhejiang TV simultaneously, with ratings consistently dominating the charts. Across Youku, Tencent Video, and iQiyi, cumulative views exceeded 50 billion.

Character Discussion: Mark Chao's portrayal of Ye Hua was affectionately dubbed "Ye Hua's Uncle-in-law" by viewers. His performance, initially questioned, was later widely praised, with "plastic surgery-level acting" becoming a trending topic.

Feng Jiu and Dong Hua: The side couple of Dilraba's Feng Jiu and Gao Weiguang's Dong Hua Dijun was so popular that it directly spawned the sequel Eternal Love of Dream (三生三世枕上书).

International Reach: The series gained popularity in Thailand, Korea, and Southeast Asia, becoming a representative work of the xianxia genre's expansion into international markets.

References

1. Douban - Eternal Love (2017): movie.douban.com/subject/26332282
2. Baidu Baike - Eternal Love: baike.baidu.com/item/三生三世十里桃花
3. Wikipedia - Eternal Love (TV series): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Love_(TV_series)
4. Tang Qi Gongzi, Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House
5. Dragon TV and Youku official data