One Plum Blossom
One Plum Blossom (一剪梅) (1984) is a 25 episodes popular TV series shown on Taiwan's China Television starring Shen Hai-jung (沈海蓉) and Kou Shih-hsiun (寇世勳) from December 17, 1984 to January 18, 1985, every Monday to Friday evening at 8.00 pm. Remakes of the drama have been made in 2000 as Grief Over QingHe River starring Jiang Qinqin (蒋勤勤) and Vincent Zhao, and in 2009 as New One Plum Blossom starring Lu Yi and Wallace Huo respectively.
Theme
The theme song, 一剪梅 ("A branch of plum blossom"), was sung by the famous Taiwanese singer Fei Yu-Ching.
Setting
The drama was set in 1930s China.
Plot
The fiery Shen Xin Ci runs away from her psychopathic fiancé, Liang Yong Chang, after finding out the truth. On the way she meets Zhao Shi Jun, who sympathizes with her and gives her some money to pay off her father's medical bills. After the death of her father, Xin Ci decides to find Shi Jun and repay his kindness, no matter the request.
For the sake of the water supply and to make peace between the two towns, ShaHeZheng and WanJiaZhuang, Zhao Shi Jun are forced to marry Mayor Wan's daughter, Wan Qiu Ling. On the way back to her new home Qiu Ling, who has been seriously ill since childhood, falls sick but is rescued by a mysterious doctor, Liang Yong Chang. He tells her that her disease can be cured, but she will not be able to give birth to a child in the future. Desperate to keep the family going, Qiu Ling takes Yong Chang's advice and she drugs her husband and switches places with another girl, so that the girl can get pregnant instead of her.
What Liang Yong Chang did not count on was that the other girl would turn out to be his runaway fiancée, Shen Xin Ci. So Yong Chang out to seek revenge on Zhao Shi Jun and everyone that is in his way, resulting in tragic death of Xin Ci.
Later versions
Grief Over QingHe River
Grief Over QingHe River (青河絕恋) (2000) 30 episodes starring Jiang Qinqin (蒋勤勤) and Vincent Zhao[1]
Shot entirely in Mainland China. As compared to the 1984 original series, the main origins of the story had not changed.
New One Plum Blossom
New One Plum Blossom Xin Yi Jian Mei (新一剪梅) (2009) 40 episodes starring Lu Yi and Wallace Huo, were also shot in Mainland China.[2]
Although the names of the characters and the origins of the story (ShaHeZheng and WanJiaZhuang's water source conflict) in this remake are the same as the original series, many new elements were added to the context of the story development including the developments of the characters and their relationships, resulted in a relatively different story plot from the previous version.