Scarlet Heart

Scarlet Heart (Chinese: 步步惊心, lit. Startling by Each Step) is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the novel Bu Bu Jing Xin by Tong Hua. It premiered in China on Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS) on 10 September 2011. The series tells the story of a woman, Zhang Xiao, who time-travels from the 21st century to the Qing Dynasty during the Kangxi Emperor's reign, where she, as her previous incarnate Ma'er'tai Ruoxi, encounters the emperor's nine sons, who are involved in a lengthy battle for the throne. During the course of the series, she has relationships with the Eighth Prince and then the Fourth Prince, the latter eventually ascends the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor. Although largely faithful to the novel, the series’ ending differs from the original. Scarlet Heart was a commercial and critical success across Asia, establishing Cecilia Liu as a lead actress and revitalizing Nicky Wu’s career. A sequel, Scarlet Heart 2, aired in China on Zhejiang TV on 22 April 2014. A film version, Time to Love, with different cast, was released in 2015. A Korean version, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, aired in 2016. A Thai version, Scarlet Heart Thailand, was announced in 2024.