This summer, China's aflame with a surprising new wave of ancient China styles.
今年夏天，中国重燃古风浪潮。
A 70-episodes TV show called Story of Yanxi Palace, which airs on the Chinese online video platform iQiyi, recently set a record for web TV show when over 700 million people (half of the nation's population) tuned in on a single day.
一部名为《延禧宫略》长达70集的电视剧正在爱奇艺放映，创下了单日7亿人次收看的记录。
The show has been at the top on Weibo's trendy list since the first episode debuted on July 19, and netizens across China are calling it a sensation.
最近这部剧也位居微博热搜榜单首位，从7月19日第一集播出，全中国的网民都称之为轰动一时的剧。
Set in the 18th-century Qing Dynasty, the show follows the predictable yet relatable storyline of how a loyal maid climbs 'the imperial ladder' to eventually become the emperor's favorite concubine.
故事设定在18世纪清朝，围绕皇宫婢女一路晋升最终成为皇帝宠妃的情节展开，剧情可以猜得到，也有相关性。
What's not cliche, though, are the show's well-rounded character, as well as its set and costume design. The authentic portrayal of ancient China style in the show has fashion bloggers obsessing over fashion details in long, fawning posts that track, fame by fame, all the show's wardrobe choices – from clothing and accessories to hairstyles.
但是不落俗套的是，该剧角色丰满，背景剧服设计精美。忠实地还原了中国古风，不少时尚博主沉迷于细节处理，一条又一条的推送追踪着该剧的服装、配饰以及发型，口口相传。
Redefines 'Chinese luxury'
重新定义了“中国式奢华”
“The symmetrical scene and color coordination in the opening credit had a Wes Anderson feel,” wrote China's top fashion blogger gogoboi. Unlike the flamboyant color most TV shows in China use, Yanxi applies a beautiful range of muted colors that delivers a sense of calm and nostalgia.
中国顶级时尚博主gogoboi写到：“开场对称的场景和颜色的协调有一种韦斯·安德森的味道。”《延禧宫略》不同于其他电视剧常用艳丽浮夸的色彩，它柔和了多种冷色调，传达一种沉稳思乡的情怀。
The production crew was also intent on recreating historical details as accurately as they could.
制作团队也尽全力复制历史细节。
For example, they sought out cultural relics repairers from the Forbidden City to work on the embroidery of an emperor robe that used 18 kinds of embroidery methods and would cost more than $53,698 usd (370,000 rmb).
比如团队在故宫找到了文物修复师，请其制作皇帝龙袍，使用了18种刺绣工艺，斥资37万人民币。
The show also took inspirations from history books for its plots. In the show, the main character came across sewing threads made from peacock feather and mixed with gold and silver string to make an empress dress, documenting some of the brilliant real-life achievements of the ancient Chinese textile industry.
该剧情节灵感来自于历史书。主角缝补时用到了孔雀毛，混入金线银线，制成皇帝的衣物，也真实反映了古代中国刺绣业的辉煌成就。
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Distinct Female Characters
独特的女性角色
The show was also successful in portraying a group of well-liked and distinct female characters. The main character Wei Yingluo has a strong feminist bent and is a smart, independent woman who is unwilling to bow down to the imperial politics. It's rare to see such a positive representation of women, and netizens have dubbed her a “gangsta sister” (社会姐).
《延禧宫略》在女性角色塑造上也大获成功。主角魏璎珞身材苗条，聪明独立，不愿屈服于皇宫规矩。很难看到这样积极正面的女性形象，网民也称之为“社会姐”。
Countering this character is the show's empress, who is gentle, refined, and elegant – in other words, the ideal female character in the traditional Chinese society, a woman who places family duty (govern the harem) above personal wishes.
与之相反的是皇后这个角色，温文尔雅，是传统中国社会的理想女性形象，皇后要将后宫事务置于个人理想之上。
Bloggers have helped to give these characters icon status in many ways, the always popular Chinese blogger Mr. Bag wrote an extensive post about contemporary luxury bags that these fictional characters would wear in today's fashion world.
多位博主也给这些角色赋予了漫画形象，大热的博主Mr. Bag专门写了一篇文章，讲述《延禧宫略》角色在今天将会选择的奢侈品包。
The story of Yanxi Palace has generated commercial opportunities in overseas market as well as in local fashion. The show's creator, Dongyanghuanyu Film & Television Culture company, sold Yanxi's distribution rights to market across Europe, North American, and other Asian countries. The show garnered over 500 million hits during the first week of release, both in China and abroad.
《延禧宫略》不但进入了内地时尚界，也激发了海外市场。该剧制片方东阳欢娱影视文化公司说，该剧的版权现在遍布欧洲、北美和其他亚洲国家，播放第一周就获得了海内外超过5亿的点击量。
“The prospective customers were not just interested in the stories,” said Dongyang Huayu's CEO Yang Le to China Daily, “but they were also drawn by the Chinese culture and history behind them.” But the biggest surprise from the show could be how Yanxi Palace's heritage-defined China style has made such an impact on the world fashion stage this summer – and with no signs of cooling off.
首席执行官杨乐告诉《中国日报》：“潜在观众看的不只是剧情，吸引他们的是背后的中国文化、中国历史。”最大的惊喜是《延禧宫略》在今年夏天让世界认识了中国的文化遗产，热度持久未退。
（翻译：阿忙）
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