The Rise of Phoenixes () is a 2018 Chinese television drama based on the novel Huang Quan () by Tianxia Guiyuan, taking place in the fictional kingdom of Tiansheng, starring Chen Kun and Ni Ni in the main roles. On 14 August 2018, it premiered on Hunan Television, and Netflix on 14 September 2018. It became one of the top rated shows, was nominated for 'Best Drama Series' at the Asian Television Awards, and won 'Best Cinematography' at the 25th Shanghai Television Festival.
Ning Yi (Chen Kun) is a clever prince of Tiansheng, hides his true self while plotting revenge and secretly seeks justice for his brother. Feng Zhiwei (Ni Ni), wrongly accused and banished, disguises herself as a man, joins Qingming Academy, and rises to become a court official through her talent and knowledge.
Feng Zhiwei, as Wei Zhi, earns the emperorâÂÂs trust during the succession struggle but must reveal her identity when he proposes marriage to his daughter. After a near-execution, sheâÂÂs pardoned and sent on a mission with the Prince of Chu, where her mutual feelings with Ning Yi surface. Following his illness and recovery, they confess their love and plan to seek the emperorâÂÂs approval to marry. She discovers she is surviving royalty from the previous empire and, believing Tiansheng was built on her loved onesâ deaths, seeks revenge, including on Ning Yi.
On 27 27 April 2017, the extended cast was revealed; Principal photography began on 27 May 2017, and concluded on 12 December 2017. The series was also noted for using "real-time" voice recording during filming. It was the first television drama filmed at Tang City Film Studios, Xiangyang; the location was chosen for its historical authenticity and uniqueness. Additional filming took place in Wuxi and Duyun. It received distribution licence to broadcast 70 episodes.
The seriesâ slow pacing and complex plot led to low television ratings, reducing the original 70 episodes to 56. However, it received strong online acclaim, rated 8.3/10 on Douban by over 113,000 users, ranking it among the top-rated TV series of the year..