Just bought the VCD series Legend of Condor Heroes (She Diao Ying Xiong Zhuan) 射雕英雄傳, by Jin Yong 金庸.
This is a production from mainland China, after a string of adaptations from Hong Kong and Taiwan, since 1983. Seriously though, I have not watched any China-produced TV series for a long time, always having the impression that they are usually of inferior quality – which may have been true even as of 2-3 years ago. However, I was utterly stunned and impressed by the quality of production – camera, special effects and acting – with this series after having watched just 1 episode!
While the story is familiar (also to most Chinese born after 70’s, I would hazard a guess!), what impressed me most was the attention to details: on the sets (almost all shot outside of a confined studio), the costumes, or even the simple kitchen items in a country kitchen. The scenery and some of the historical buildings are simply breath-taking.