''Wu Zetian'' is a Chinese television series based on the life of

Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was List of rulers of China#Tang dynasty, Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as queen consort , empress consort th ...

, the only woman in Chinese history to assume the title of

Empress Regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns '' suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigni ...

and became the ''de facto'' ruler of China in the late seventh century. Directed by Chen Jialin, the series starred Liu Xiaoqing as the title character. It was first broadcast on

CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...

in China in 1995 and subsequently aired by television stations in other countries.

Plot

One night, Wu Meiniang was bestowed favor upon by Emperor Taizong for the first time since she entered the palace. The innocent girl turned into ruthless and cruel woman after experiencing the cruelty of court life and escaped death several times. She was even betrayed by Xu Hui, her confidante and another consort. After the death of Emperor Taizong, Wu Meiniang was thrown into Ganye Temple and forced to become a nun. She suffered constant humiliation but was saved by Emperor Gaozong. He took her back into the palace and changed her identity from a mad a Zhaoyi (1st rank imperial consort). To survive in the court, Wu Meiniang personally strangled her daughter to frame Empress Wang, defeated the prime minister Zhangsun Wuji, and finally became the Empress. She and Emperor Gaozong have a love-hate relationship, and after his death, she took the throne and changed the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

to the

Zhou Dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ) was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from until 256 BC, the longest span of any dynasty in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period (771 BC), the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military ...

Cast

* Liu Xiaoqing as

Bao Guo'an Bao Guo'an (born 4 June 1946) is a Chinese actor and professor in the Central Academy of Drama. Best known for his role as Cao Cao in the 1994 television series ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms (TV series), Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', Bao wo ...

Emperor Taizong of Tang Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty fo ...

* Li Jianqun as Xu Hui * Liu Yubin as Zhangsun Wuji * Wang Pei as

Fang Xuanling Fang Qiao (579 – 18 August 648), courtesy name Xuanling, better known as Fang Xuanling (), posthumously known as Duke Wenzhao of Liang, was a Chinese statesman and writer who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dyna ...

* Huang Fei as

Wei Zheng Wei Zheng (580 – 11 February 643), courtesy name Xuancheng, posthumous name Duke Wenzhen of Zheng, was a Chinese politician and historian. He served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty for about 13 years during the reign of Emperor Taizong. H ...

* Zhang Guangzheng as

Chu Suiliang Chǔ Suìliáng (596–658), courtesy name Dengshan, formally the Duke of Henan, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, and politician who served as a chancellor during the reigns of the emperors Taizong and Gaozong in the Tang dynasty. He beca ...

* Lü Qi as

Li Shiji Li Shiji (594?The ''Old Book of Tang'' indicated that Li Shiji was 75 at the time of his death, while the ''New Book of Tang'' indicated that Li Shiji was 85 at the time of his death. Compare ''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 67 with ''New Book of Tang ...

* Hong Jiantao as Li Tai * Guo Li as Hegan Chengji * Ma Li as Princess Gaoyang * Zhang Duofu as Bianji * Lü Guobin as Fang Yi'ai * Yu Meng as Ling'er * Gao Bo as Yu'er *

Chen Baoguo Chen Baoguo (; born 9 March 1956) is a Chinese actor, President of the China Film Performance Society (CFPS) and a Chairman of China TV Artists Association (CTAA) Actor's Committee. He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 1977 and has ...

Emperor Gaozong of Tang Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife ...

* Zheng Shuang as Empress Wang * Lü Zhong as Lady Liu * Yu Hui as Consort Xiao * Jin Shuyuan as Lady of Rong * Mu Ning as Lady of Han * Miao Yiyi as Lady of Wei * Wu Liping as Wang Fulai * Xiao Xiaohua as Xiaoshunzi * Qiu Yongli as

Li Yifu Li Yifu (; 614–666) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician who served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty, during the reign of the Emperor Gaozong. He became particularly powerful because of his support for Emperor Gaozong's second wife ...

* Li Ruping as

Xu Jingzong Xu Jingzong (592 – September 20, 672), courtesy name Yanzu, posthumously known as Duke Gong of Gaoyang, was a Chinese cartographer, historian, and politician who served as a chancellor in the Tang dynasty. Allied with Emperor Gaozong's power ...

* Liu Dagang as Han Yuan * Chen Weiguo as Liu Shi * Li Ming as

Shangguan Yi Shangguan Yi (; 608 – 4 January 665), courtesy name Youshao (), formally Duke of Chu (), was a Chinese poet and politician. He was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. In 664 ...

* Gao Xi'an as Wu Yuanqing * Yu Yunhe as Wu Yuanshuang * Xu Xiaochuan as young

Li Zhong Li Zhong (李忠) (643 – January 6, 665Volume 201 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Li died on the ''wuzi'' day in the 12th month of the 1st year of the Linde era of Tang Gaozong's reign. This date corresponds to 6 Jan 665 on the Gregorian cal ...

* Yang Junyong as Li Sujie ** Li Ang as young Li Sujie * Jiang Junnan as

Li Hong Li Hong ( zh, s=, c=李弘, t=) (652 – 25 May 675), formally Emperor Xiaojing (孝敬皇帝, literally, "the filial and respectful emperor") with the temple name of Yizong (義宗), was a crown prince (not emperor, despite his formal title) of ...

** Ou Yang as young Li Hong * Liu Yanjun as Li Xian * Wang Zhihua as Yuan Gongyu * Pu Zhenghu as Wei Jifang * Wang Yue as Bi Zhengyi * Mi Li as Lady Chunyu * Han Zaifeng as Persian shopkeeper * Dantai Renhui as Old nun * Lei Yueqin as Nun * Zhou Shiyi as

Emperor Zhongzong of Tang Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (26 November 656 – 3 July 710), personal name Li Xian, and at other times Li Zhe or Wu Xian, was the fourth and seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710. During ...

* Guo Shuping as Empress Wei * Liang Li as

Princess Taiping Princess Taiping (, lit. "Princess of Great Peace", personal name unknown, possibly Li Lingyue (李令月) (after 662 – 2 August 713) was a royal princess and prominent political figure of the Tang dynasty and her mother Wu Zetian's Zhou dyna ...

* Ruping as Shangguan Wan'er * Hai Yan as Shangguan Wan'er's mother * Chen Zheng as Wu Chengsi * Zhang Qiuge as Huaiyi * Jiang Yang as Zhang Changzong * Liu Xudong as Zhang Yizhi * Han Qing as

Emperor Ruizong of Tang Emperor Ruizong of Tang (22 June 662 – 13 July 716), personal name Li Dan, also known at times during his life as Li Xulun, Li Lun, Wu Lun, and Wu Dan, was the fifth and ninth emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was the eighth son of Emp ...

* Gao Li as Consort Liu * Xia Song as Consort Dou * Tan Feiling as Pei Yan * Wang Bing as

Di Renjie Di Renjie (630 – November 11, 700), courtesy name Huaiying (懷英), posthumous name Duke Wenhui of Liang (梁文惠公), was a Chinese politician of the Tang dynasty, Tang and Wu Zhou dynasties, twice serving as Chancellor of the Tang dynas ...

* Xu Zhengyun as

Wei Yuanzhong Wei Yuanzhong (魏元忠) (630s - late 707?), né Wei Zhenzai (魏真宰), formally Duke Zhen of Qi (齊貞公), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and h ...

* Shao Wanlin as Zhang Jianzhi * Chen Lihui as

Li Jingye Li Jingye (; 636 – December 29, 684), also known as Xu Jingye (), was a Chinese general and politician who was a grandson of the Tang dynasty general Li Shiji who, after Emperor Gaozong's powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) ...

* Xue Yong as Luo Binwang * Tang Zhijiang as Qiu Shenji * Cao Lian as Lai Junchen * Wang Jun as Zhou Xing * Xue Wencheng as Yu Baojia * Deng Guangxun as Suo Yuanli * Yu Qian as Li Zhuan * Li Donghong as Gao Shun * Fan Jia

External links

* *
''Wu Zetian''
on Sina.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Wu Zetian (1995 TV series) 1995 Chinese television series debuts Television series set in the Tang dynasty Television series set in the Zhou dynasty (690–705) Works about Wu Zetian Mandarin-language television shows Chinese historical television series Cultural depictions of Wu Zetian Cultural depictions of Di Renjie Television series set in the 7th century