Pingtan provides setting for wuxia drama

New Dragon Gate Inn, a Chinese wuxia drama, is currently being shot in Pingtan, Fujian province.

The production is a remake of a highly acclaimed wuxia movie directed by Raymond Lee in 1992 –– itself a remake of the 1967 movie Dragon Inn directed by King Hu and made in Taiwan.

With investment of 200 million yuan ($29 million), the series is being financed by CHS Media and directed by Zhu Shaojie.

Production staff work on New Dragon Gate Inn, a wuxia TV drama, currently being shot in Pingtan, Fujian province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Partly retaining the plot of the original film, it tells the story of what happened between Zhou Huai'an, an official from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); Qiu Moyan, a swordswoman and Jade King,the beautiful owner of the Dragon Gate Inn situated in the middle of a desert.

The highly anticipated drama is expected to finish shooting in June and premiere at the beginning of 2018, according to Zhu Shaojie, adding that fantasy elements integrated into the drama will likely prove a highlight for audiences.