HIT COSTUME DRAMA RE-CREATES NATION'S CULTURAL HEYDAY

A Dream of Splendor strikes a chord with women seeking work in big cities

When actor Chen Xiao arrived at a hotel in Zhejiang province early last year to shoot a scene for a costume production, he was somewhat nervous.

Appearing in the period drama A Dream of Splendor, which has become an online hit, was a daunting prospect for Chen, as he hadn't acted in such a production for a long time.

"The night before, I stayed in my room until midnight memorizing my lines, and I continued to do so after getting up the next morning," he said.