Chinese spinoff drama on royal affairs debuts on Netflix

"Most domestic production companies are still exploring how to better sell Chinese stories abroad. I hope this drama demonstrates the beauty of Chinese culture to foreign audiences," Yu says.

Yu, who shot to fame after penning the 2005 TV series Yanhua Sanyue (The Spring of March), has since written and produced more than 20 period dramas featuring lavish sets and exquisite costumes.

A production highlight of the Story of Yanxi Palace is that ahead of filming the 2018 series the props team had invited artisans to make replicas of, or seek inspiration from, the jewelry and outfits once worn by the queens and concubines of the Qing Dynasty that are now displayed at the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) in Beijing.

"We used the same department to design the costumes and makeup for Princess Adventures with the aim of recreating the royal lifestyle of the Qing era as realistically as possible," says Yu.