Palace Fiction, known in Chinese as gong dou or harem struggle fiction, is a genre of costume drama centered on the secret scheming of an emperor's concubines and consorts, and sometimes their children, as they compete against one another for the emperor's favor and for status within the palace hierarchy, typically through intrigue, manipulation, alliance and betrayal rather than open conflict. The genre draws its material from the history and legend of Chinese imperial courts and has become especially prominent in contemporary Chinese television and web fiction, with the Hong Kong television series War and Beauty, broadcast in 2004, widely regarded as the genre's popularizing forerunner, and the 2011 series Empresses in the Palace credited with cementing its wider popularity. Palace fiction is distinct from the older Chinese gong'an genre, which follows a magistrate solving crimes, despite the similar-sounding name.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable Example Defining TraitPower struggles among the emperor's concubines 1 In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: China, originated there.
Sources
1. Guide to 7 Must-Watch Chinese Palace Scheming Dramas
Definition section
ancient China's feudal dynasties
Origins and Evolution section
The first hit palace drama was "War and Beauty" in 2004
Plot and Themes section
storylines in these period pieces commonly portray the love, politics, and power struggles in the palace
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