Twilight of a Nation (Chinese: 太平天國 Tai Ping Tin Gwok, also known as Taiping Heavenly Kingdom)note is a Hong Kong television drama series starring Ray Lui as Hong Xiuquan, Felix Wong as Yang Xiuqing, and Man-Yee "Barbara" Chan as Hong Xuanjiao. Set during the late Qing Dynasty era, this series loosely follows the life of Hong Xiuquan, a young Hakka scholar who wants to pass the Imperial Examination so that he can lift his family out of poverty, but fails… which leads to him having a mental breakdown. While rendered sick and comatose by his anxiety, Hong dreams about being in Heaven, and meeting God. Upon meeting him, Hong receives a startling revelation: he is God's Second Son, and the younger brother of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, God instructs Hong to purge China of its idols and demons. After Hong awakens from his coma, he believes that the God whom he read about in a Christian booklet, Good Words to Admonish the Agenote was the same one in his visions. With his eyes opened, Hong converts to Christianity; he becomes committed to spreading his newfound faith by destroying the symbols of China's old faiths, and converting people. Eventually, he gains a substantial following, and forms his own cult known as the Society of God Worshippersnote . The rising prominence of the God Worshippers among the peasants stokes the ire of the local Qing authorities, who try to shut down the religious sect. Hong and his followers manage to defeat the force sent to crush his cult. Invigorated by his victories, Hong declares that he shall liberate China from the Qing; this leads to what would be known as one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history, the Taiping Rebellionnote ...
Twilight of a Nation contains examples of:
- Achievement Test of Destiny: The Imperial Examination, which is a civil service examination system that was used in Imperial China for the purpose of selecting candidates for state bureaucracy. In order to pass, the applicants must be capable writers, understand Chinese classics (primarily the works of Confucius and Laozi), and demonstrate exceptional literary styles. Both Xiuquan and Yunshan tried to pass the exam multiple times, but they were unsuccessful. Xiuquan's inability to pass leads him to seek Christianity as the solution to his life's problems.
- Action Girl: Hong Xiujiao (Xiuquan's sister). She is an exceptional fighter who leads female troops in the Taiping Heavenly Army.
- Activist-Fundamentalist Antics: Hong's initial mission as a Preacher Man was to advocate iconoclasm: the destruction of symbols and monuments (particularly of traditional folk religions and belief such as Buddhism and Confucianism). His ambitions become greater once he gains a large following, as he sets his eyes on the dream of ruling China.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Hong Xiuquan was historically known as a womanizing tyrant who abused his power (like forbidding his people from having sex, meanwhile he had a Royal Harem). In this drama series, he is depicted as a naïvely benevolent king in an increasingly corrupt, Decadent Court. In the drama, he only has one queen, and one concubine, Ye Ling.
- Adapted Out: Hong Rengan, Xiuquan's cousin (who studied in Hong Kong and tried to modernize the Taiping's government) was left out of this series. More importantly, The British Empire and The French Colonial Empire) are conspicuously absent from the show.note
- Army of Thieves and Whores: The God Worshippers/Taipings are initially a mob of peasants and bandits. They become more disciplined and organized over the course of the show.
- Artistic License – History: The show makes very infrequent usage of guns and cannons. Usually battles in the drama are fought via excessive martial arts, and the occasional usage of archers. Historically, gunpowder weapons were used very frequently by both sides of the Taiping Rebellion.
- Artistic License – Traditional Christianity: Played straight with Hong Xiuquan. He has a misconceived understanding of Christianity as the book he frequently uses, Good Words to Admonish The Age, is merely a primer on the religion. Both historically and in the drama, Hong never read The Bible.
- Based on a True Story: A condensed Dramatization of the Taiping Rebellion, primarily from the perspective of the rebels.
- Civil War: The drama focuses on the Taiping Rebellion, a civil war which occurred in southern China during the Qing Dynasty.
- Corrupt Politician: Many of the Qing officials are depicted as such, with the exception of Lin Zexu, who is portrayed as a Reasonable Authority Figure who even the Taiping rebels respect.
- Cult: The Qing government refer to the Taiping faction as this.
- Decapitation Presentation: The Qing do this to Feng Yunshan after his death, presenting his head on a pike to Hong.
- Divine Parentage: After dreaming about being in Heaven and meeting God, Hong believes himself to be divine. He even believes that his immediate family are directly related to his Heavenly Father.
- Doomed by Canon: If you're familiar with the history of the Taiping Rebellion, you'll be fully aware of how the rebellion will end, which leads to...
- Downer Ending: All of the rebels die, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom collapses shortly after Hong Xiuquan's death.
- Driven to Suicide: Hong kills himself with poison. He hoped to go to Heaven to call for God's aid to save his kingdom, planning to come back from the death like Jesus did. Hong never returns.
- Emissary from the Divine: Yang Xiuqing, who frequently pretends to go into a trance to speak as God. In several instances, he does this to manipulate Hong into doing what he wants.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: Ye Ling, who is Hong's royal concubine. She later became his second queen via deception and treachery. She planned to usurp her husband's throne after poisoning him to death, but he quickly catches onto her scheme and personally executes her.
- The Good Kingdom: Hong intended the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to be a Utopia, but his domain quickly becomes just as bad as the Qing that he opposes.
- The Empire: The Qing Dynasty.
- Ensemble Cast: The series primarily focuses on the Taiping leaders, but it will also show the perspective of the Qing officials and the Royal Court.
- Fever Dream Episode: The episode where Hong goes to Heaven for the first time.
- The Fundamentalist: Hong Xiuquan inspires his followers to execute a holy war against the Qing government because he believes that they are demons.
- Five-Man Band: The Taipings are initially commanded by five subordinate generals/kings. The following are:
- The High King: After forming his kingdom, Hong declares himself as "Heavenly King". His fellow cohorts (the other kings and later the princes) are subservient to him.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: Many of the Taiping rebels, particularly Hong Xiuquan and Shi Dakai, are depicted far more positively than how they are shown in the historical records.
- Important Haircut: Half-way through the series, the male Taiping rebels cut their hair queues, which were symbolic of their loyalty to the Qing.
- Ironic Name: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (translated literally as the Great Peace Heavenly Kingdom) is anything but heavenly or peaceful.
- La Résistance: The Taipings.
- Last Stand: Happens quite a lot.
- After being ambushed and losing all of his soldiers, Feng Yunshan decides to kill himself than allow the Qing to detain him.
- Wei Changui straps himself with explosives to kill as many Qing as he can when he realizes that his stab wound won't stop bleeding.
- Yang Xiuqing attempts this, when he is attacked by Hong's officers for his treachery... but he quickly tries to escape after getting wounded. He dies shortly to Hong shortly after he gets betrayed by one of his officers.
- Shi Dakai and Xiujiao try to fight their way out of an enemy encirclement, but both get cut down in the process.
- Messianic Archetype: Hong Xiuquan believes himself to be the Messiah for China.
- Mission from God: Played straight with Hong, who believes that God has commanded him to free China from the Qing.
- Rebel Leader: All of the Taiping leaders, plus a leader of a Heaven and Earth Society.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Vilified: The God Worshippers/Taipings revolt against the Qing Dynasty because their various grievances towards the government (blatant corruption, heavy taxation, famines, etc).
- The Starscream: From the start, Yang Xiuqing was planning on betraying Hong so that he usurp the latter's throne. Near the end of the series, Yang is assassinated and his household is purged before he can attempt a rebellion.