{ "id": "epyrrxayyh", "slug": "the-changan-youth", "title": "The Chang'an Youth (长安少年行)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co", "label": "Titles symbols to Co", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020: East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "The Chang'an Youth (长安少年行) is a 2020 Chinese historical romance drama, 24 episodes, directed by Zhou Jiawen, starring Wang Yuwen and Wu Xize, about a cook who cross-dresses into the Shang Yi Guan academy in Tang Chang'an; distinct from the 2026 short drama Da Tang Shao Nian Tian Xing Zhuan.", "snippet": "The Chang'an Youth (长安少年行) is a 2020 Chinese historical romance drama, 24 episodes, directed by Zhou Jiawen, starring Wang Yuwen and Wu Xize, about a cook who cross-dresses into the Shang Yi Guan academy in Tang Chang'an; distinct from the 2026 short drama Da Tang Shao Nian Tian Xing Zhuan.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-symbols-to-co", "markdown": "# The Chang'an Youth (长安少年行)\n\n**The Chang'an Youth** (长安少年行) is a 2020 Chinese historical romance television series directed by Zhou Jiawen, in which a young street cook named Shen Yiyi disguises herself as a man, enters the Chang'an academy Shang Yi Guan, and joins four other youths to solve cases and confront corruption in the Tang capital.[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) • [2](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/b0033or16v5) The 24-episode series premiered on April 20, 2020 on [Tencent Video](https://www.edgepedia.org/tencent-video) and Mango TV.[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) • [3](https://yule.360.com/detail/654765)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | 长安少年行 (Chang'an Shao Nian Xing); English title The Chang'an Youth[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) |\n| Format | 24 episodes, 45 minutes each; historical romance and youth genres[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) |\n| Broadcast | Premiered April 20, 2020 on Tencent Video and Mango TV; final episode aired May 6, 2020[3](https://yule.360.com/detail/654765) • [4](https://www.moviefone.com/tv-shows/the-changan-youth/M7dhO3CNfpw72wPH3tMrW4/) |\n| Director and writers | Directed by Zhou Jiawen; written by Xiong Cheng, Song Jinchuan, Guo Qi, Zhang Han, and Meng Yuan[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) |\n| Lead cast | Wang Yuwen (Shen Yiyi / Shen Dieyi), Wu Xize (Yang Zian), Liu Yichang (Dugu Muxue), Xie Binbin (Tang Jiuhua), Qi Peixin (Li Xinyuan)[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) |\n| Production | Tencent Penguin Pictures and Perfect Star Media; filming wrapped June 2, 2019 in Xiangshan after nearly three months[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/7nBeKRrljZU) |\n| Reception | Douban 4.4/10 from 5,735 users; IMDb 7.5/10 from 58 users[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12180574) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nThe story follows Shen Yiyi (沈依依), a cook of common birth with exceptional culinary skill who, as a child, became close friends with the noble-born Shen Dieyi (沈蝶依). Dieyi dies of a coughing illness, leaving behind the mystery of her origins. To repay her friend, Yiyi impersonates Dieyi and travels to Chang'an to fulfill the arranged marriage contract, hoping to uncover the truth of Dieyi's birth.[2](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/b0033or16v5)\n\nTo delay the wedding, Yiyi disguises herself as a man and enters the Shang Yi Guan academy together with Dieyi's fiancé Tang Jiuhua (唐九华). There she meets Yang Zian (杨子安), who is secretly investigating cases on imperial orders while concealing his identity. The two become quarreling companions who gradually fall for each other, with Zian caught in an awkward position over Yiyi's assumed male identity.[2](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/b0033or16v5)\n\nYiyi, Zian, Tang Jiuhua, the second prince Li Xinyuan (李心远), and the swordsman Dugu Muxue (独孤牧雪) repeatedly solve startling cases and face off against an eastern diplomatic delegation, becoming known in Chang'an as the \"Five of Shang Yi Guan\" (尚艺馆五子). After battlefield victories and mutual declarations of feeling between Shen and Yang, a larger conspiracy emerges: the mastermind behind the cases surfaces, Zian learns Yiyi's true identity, the crown prince launches a rebellion, and Dieyi's origins cause an uproar at court.[2](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/b0033or16v5) Episode summaries on TVmao trace the final arc through Zian's investigation of a counterfeit-coin case, his exposure of Yiyi's identity, Yiyi's revelation that she is a woman, and Zian's resignation from office to open a tavern.[7](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/I19jX2Rq)\n\n## Production\n\nThe series was jointly produced by Tencent Penguin Pictures and Perfect Star Media (完美星空传媒). After roughly three months of shooting, it wrapped on June 2, 2019 in Xiangshan, with a concept poster released the same day.[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/7nBeKRrljZU) Director Zhou Jiawen, whose earlier credits include *One克拉 Dream* and *The Wife's Lie*, described the show as a sunny, youth-oriented drama in which the students of the Shang Yi Guan develop not only academically but in the arts, sports, and daily life.[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/7nBeKRrljZU) The martial-arts choreography was led by action director Cao Hua, who had worked on the film *[A Writer's Odyssey](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-writers-odyssey)* and the series *Lost Love in Times*.[5](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/7nBeKRrljZU) At a 2019 industry showcase, Tencent Video positioned the series as a costume youth comedy built on a five-lead ensemble with interwoven storylines.[8](https://www.jiemian.com/article/3510856.html)\n\n## Cast\n\nWang Yuwen plays the dual role of Shen Dieyi and her impersonator Shen Yiyi. Wu Xize plays Yang Zian, Liu Yichang plays the aloof swordsman Dugu Muxue, Xie Binbin plays Tang Jiuhua, and Qi Peixin plays the warm-hearted prince Li Xinyuan; together the five form the \"Five of Shang Yi Guan\" ensemble.[7](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/I19jX2Rq) Supporting cast includes Li Boyang as Han Yuer, Ji Meihan as Shen Dieyi in flashback scenes, and Jenny Zeng as Princess Qianyue / Noble Consort Yue.[9](https://www.cpophome.com/the-changan-youth-wang-yuwen-caesar-wu/) • [4](https://www.moviefone.com/tv-shows/the-changan-youth/M7dhO3CNfpw72wPH3tMrW4/) Qi Peixin was noted in Chinese coverage as an actor known from *The Untamed*, in which he played Jin Ling.[10](https://k.sina.cn/article_1944686542_73e98fce00100s07r.html?cre=wappage&loc=3&mod=r&r=9&rfunc=67&tj=none)\n\n## Reception\n\nThe series opened to weak numbers and divided reviews. A Sina Entertainment report published the day after premiere described first-day views below ten million and only three long-form reviews on Douban at the time of writing.[10](https://k.sina.cn/article_1944686542_73e98fce00100s07r.html?cre=wappage&loc=3&mod=r&r=9&rfunc=67&tj=none) A Sohu commentary by critic Ma Qingyun called the premiere episodes poorly made, criticizing the script's originality and noting that the drama credited five screenwriters.[11](https://www.sohu.com/a/389745504_103685)\n\nOn Douban the series holds a 4.4/10 rating from 5,735 users, with 34.2% of raters giving two stars and 28.8% one star.[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) User reviews there criticized familiar plot devices shared with other cross-dressing academy dramas such as *Sungkyunkwan Scandal*-type stories and *The Handsome Scholar*, and questioned plot logic in the battlefield episodes, while some viewers praised the visuals, costume work, and the light tone of the romance.[1](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/) On IMDb it holds 7.5/10 from 58 users.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12180574)\n\n## Related works\n\nA separate 2026 children's live-action short drama, *Da Tang Shao Nian Tian Xing Zhuan* (大唐少年天行传), produced by Hubei Changjiang Film Group and set in Tianbao-era Chang'an, follows a boy named Mu Tianxing and a \"junior detective society\"; it is a distinct work adapted from a children's book, not a sequel to *The Chang'an Youth*.[12](https://www.hbfilm.com.cn/News/2026020508542999705281)\n\n## References\n\n1. [长安少年行 (2020), Douban](https://movie.douban.com/subject/30459701/)\n2. [长安少年行 EP1, WeTV](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/b0033or16v5)\n3. [《长安少年行》官宣定档, 360娱乐](https://yule.360.com/detail/654765)\n4. [The Chang'an Youth (2020), Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/tv-shows/the-changan-youth/M7dhO3CNfpw72wPH3tMrW4/)\n5. [电视剧《长安少年行》今日杀青 概念海报首次曝光, 凤凰网娱乐](https://ent.ifeng.com/c/7nBeKRrljZU)\n6. [The Chang'an Youth (TV Series 2020), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12180574)\n7. [长安少年行剧情介绍（1-24全集）, 电视猫](https://www.tvmao.com/drama/I19jX2Rq)\n8. [2020年各大视频平台开机待播项目盘点, 界面新闻](https://www.jiemian.com/article/3510856.html)\n9. [The Chang'an Youth, CPOP HOME](https://www.cpophome.com/the-changan-youth-wang-yuwen-caesar-wu/)\n10. [《长安少年行》：首播惨淡，播放量不足千万，豆瓣剧评仅3条, 新浪](https://k.sina.cn/article_1944686542_73e98fce00100s07r.html?cre=wappage&loc=3&mod=r&r=9&rfunc=67&tj=none)\n11. [《长安少年行》首播扑街，清一色差评, 搜狐/马庆云](https://www.sohu.com/a/389745504_103685)\n12. [集团主投主控的精品少儿真人短剧《大唐少年天行传》在横店开机, 湖北长江电影集团](https://www.hbfilm.com.cn/News/2026020508542999705281)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles symbols to Co*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changan-youth", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changan-youth.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"The Chang'an Youth (长安少年行)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changan-youth. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[The Chang'an Youth (长安少年行)](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changan-youth)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changan-youth](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changan-youth). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"The Chang'an Youth (长安少年行)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-changan-youth. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "The Chang'an Youth is a 2020 Chinese historical romance drama, 24 episodes, directed by Zhou Jiawen, starring Wang Yuwen and Wu Xize, about a cook who cross-dresses into the Shang Yi Guan academy in Tang Chang'an; distinct from the 2026 short drama Da Tang Shao Nian Tian Xing Zhuan." }