The China TV Drama Flying Apsaras Awards (), also known as Flying Apsaras Awards, or simply Feitian Awards, is a biannual awards ceremony honoring excellence in Chinese television. Named after the ''Gandhanra'', aka "Flying

Apsaras Apsaras (, , Khmer: អប្សរា are a class of celestial beings in Hindu and Buddhist culture. They were originally a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters, but, later play the role of a "nymph" or "fairy". They figure ...

", the design of the trophy is based on ancient carvings of the Flying Apsaras found inside the

Mogao Caves The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 500 temples southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu p ...

in Dunhuang. It is the longest-running television award ceremony in China as well as the highest government honor in the industry.

History

The awards were first held in 1981 and presented by the

Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China The Ministry of Culture (MOC) was a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which was dissolved on 19 March 2018. The responsibilities of the MOC, which were assumed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, encompassed cultu ...

. The event was subsequently taken over by the

State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) is a ministry-level executive agency controlled by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Its main task is the administration and supervision of state-own ...

and the Motion Picture and Arts Committee of China. In 1983, the awards were renamed ''Feitian'', literally "flying Apsaras". The awards ceremony was originally held to honour television series only. However, four acting categories were created in 1984: Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress, Outstanding Supporting Actor, and Outstanding Supporting Actress. Director, writer, cinematography, and music categories were added in 1993. The event has undergone several category reforms. It initially separated the winning productions by length (serial drama, mid-length, miniseries), with each category awarding shows based on first-class (一等奖), second-class (二等奖), and third-class (三等奖) honours. From 2015 onwards, productions have been awarded based on genres, including

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

, contemporary, and significant events only. Formerly an annual event, the Flying Apsaras and Golden Eagle Awards have been held on alternate years since 2005, with Feitian taking place on odd years.中宣部答问《全国性文艺新闻出版评奖管理办法》
Xinhuanet.com 3 March 2005

Award categories

Current

* Outstanding Historical Television Series (优秀历史题材类电视剧) * Outstanding Contemporary Television Series (优秀现实题材类电视剧) * Outstanding Television Series Based on Significant Events (优秀重大题材类电视剧) * Outstanding Director (优秀导演) * Outstanding Writer (优秀编剧) * Outstanding Actor (优秀男演员) * Outstanding Actress (优秀女演员)

Past

* Outstanding Music (优秀音乐) * Outstanding Sound Editing (优秀音像) * Outstanding Editing (优秀剪辑) * Outstanding Artistry (优秀艺术) * Outstanding Cinematography (优秀摄像)

References

External links