The Longest Day in Chang'an


The Longest Day in Chang'an is a 2019 Chinese historical suspense drama directed by Cao Dun and written by Paw Studio. The series stars Lei Jiayin and Jackson Yee. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ma Boyong. The Longest Day in Chang'an is produced jointly by Youku, Beijing Weying Technology Co.,Ltd, Liu Bai Entertainment and Yuyue Film Co.,Ltd. The series follows the characters Zhang Xiaojing and Li Bi, and their efforts to foil a terrorist attack on Chang'an, the capital of the Tang dynasty. It began airing in China on Youku from June 27, 2019.

Story

Zhang Xiaojing is a former soldier in the Longyiu Army who served on the frontiers of the Tang dynasty. After retiring, he joined the local security of the city of Chang'an, the heart of the empire, but he was imprisoned and sentenced to death after an incident in which Zhang killed 34 members of a gang that murdered his former Army commander Wen, and then killed his current commanding officer.
Zhang is unexpectedly reprieved when plans for a major rebellion are uncovered, involving a terrorist cell, the Wolf Squad, which has slipped into Chang'an before the Lantern Festival, one of the most spectacular days in the ancient Chinese calendar. To secure the safety of the Chang'an people, the Jing'an Si grants Zhang a special 24-hour amnesty, and he is ordered to catch the terrorists and foil the plot before the day is out. If he succeeds, he will be freed, otherwise, he will be executed. But to his surprise, Zhang discovers that he has been drawn into a far greater conspiracy against the empire than anyone had suspected.

Cast

Main

Production

Before shooting, Cao Dun and the screenplay writers read the original novel three times.
The crew spent 7 months building the street scenery of Chang'an city.
In order to design the costume of Taoist priest Li Bi, the crew went to consult the Chinese Taoist Association.
Shooting began on November 11, 2017 and ended on June 15, 2018.

Broadcast

The series aired on Chinese online video platform Youku on June 27, 2019. As of July 1, 2019, it got released in other Asian countries, such as Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. It was released in North America through video streaming website including Viki, Amazon and YouTube.
Series 1 began streaming in Australia on SBS On Demand as of 22 January 2020.

Reception

The series has earned high praises. Douban, a major Chinese media rating site, gave the drama 8.6 out of 10.

Awards and nominations