“LOK SUN – GODDESS OF THE RIVER LUO” 

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NEW:  (19^th Dec 2002) No, I’ve yet to update the page itself but I wanted to write a note to all who visit that I intent to update this page and site soon.  Also, I wanted to point all of you who are interested in the legend and/or the TVB series to several sites of interest.

If you wish to see a ton of screen captures, scans, information, news etc of the series and also get clips of the series via streamload, please visit Ada Cache and Ada Cache’s Lok Sun Fansite.  Ada Cache also has a ton of information on Ada Choi Siu-fun, the actress who plays Lok Sun and Empress Zhen in the TVB 2002 series.  The series was released on dvd/vhs for home rental to the international market sometime early this year (I think it was around about April).  The series also aired in Hong Kong at the end of June into July and aired in Taiwan later in the year.  TVB’s “Lok Sun”’s official English title is “Where the Legend Begins” and is 27 episodes long.

Right, till I update this site again, please enjoy the links. J

(Please note:  Streamload has changed it’s policy on free accounts.  Come Jan 4^th 2003, you can still apply for free accounts but these accounts will only last one month and you are limited to the number of downloads you can make.  I’m sorry that Ada Cache is unable to provide a better alternative for now since we are all poor and don’t know of a good place to store sites.  If you know of a good free or cheap place, ftp server etc where we can store our 100s of clips please email me at sharonapple@mail.com  Thank you very much.)

VERSION 1.3 (Tuesday, October 1, 2001) by "just me"
- added link to guestbook
- minor grammar, spelling corrections
- added link to homepage


  VERSION 1.2 (Monday, October 1, 2001) by "just me"
- added the section on Empress Zhen
- added the section on how the legend is rrelated to Ada Choi's TVB series "Lok Sun"
- added a Links section
- added Table of Contents
- minor refinements to the previous sectioons

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Aims
Who or what is "Lok Sun?"
Fufei / Mifei
Empress Zhen (spoiler information)
How is this related to Ada's TVB series "Lok Sun?" (spoiler information)
Links
Guestbook

There might be V1.1 or V2 and so forth if I find that I have to refine, add or change this article.  Please feel free to link to this article or print it out but please do not change any of its content.  Thanks.
         
If you need to contact me, you may email me at loksun_2001@yahoo.com or sharonapple@mail.com or leave a message in the Guest Book.

Comments and corrections welcomed.  Thanks.


Aims:

I am a huge TVB series fan and a huge Ada CHOI Siu-fun fan.  So when  I heard that her new series is called “Lok Sun ” and that it is a historical drama, naturally I was curious.  What is “ Lok Sun” supposed to be about?  No one on the forums was able to give the definitive answer.  So to help myself and everyone else who's been asking what the heck Ada's new series " Lok Sun " is about, I've decided to do a little research on what " Lok Sun " is supposed to be about. 

I’ll attempt to give you all the different myths, legends and tales about and related to “Lok Sun” and then I’ll attempt to relate them to the series.  Keep in mind that at the time of writing, TVB’s “Lok Sun” has not been released and so how I relate the following information to the series might change somewhat or significantly after the release of the series.

(BTW, at one point in time the English title for "Lok Sun" was "The Everlasting" or something like that.  "Lok Sun" the title has also been translated as "Spirit of Lok" but this is probably not the final English translation of the title.  Actually, I'm not sure if the English title of "Lok Sun" has been finalized.)               


Who or what is “Lok Sun?”

Basically,  the title "Lok Sun" refers to a person.

According to what I've found online.  Lok Sun (Cantonese,  "Luo Shen"  in Mandarin) is literally translated as Goddess of Luo but more accurately known as The Goddess of the River Luo.

There are three names that are linked to Lok Sun.  They are Mifei , Fufei and Empress Zhen.  Of the three names Mifei and Fufei refer to the same person.  The Goddess of the River Luo is supposed to be a woman of extreme beauty and many poems have been written about her.


1) Fufei / Mifei

Fufei/Mifei is the daughter of the legendary Emperor Fuxi.  She was originally named Fufei.

Fufei/Mifei’s Background

I'll digress a little here to explain who Emperor Fuxi is.  In one of China's creation myths, there is the story of Nüwa and Fuxi.  There are a few legends related to Nüwa but the one we are interested in is the one related to Fuxi.  It’s not directly related to Fufei but it explains her background.

Nüwa is the goddess who separated the heavens from the earth to create China.  Nüwa is Fuxi’s younger sister.  There is a story among China’s ethnic minorities that explains how Nüwa becomes Fuxi’s wife.

The Thunder God was captured by Fuxi’s father who imprisoned him and refused to allow anyone to visit him.  Nüwa and Fuxi took pity on the Thunder God who was pleading for water.  The two then cried into their cupped hands and fed their tears to the Thunder God.  This so strengthened the Thunder God that he was able to burst out of his prison.  To repay Nüwa and Fuxi for their kindness, the god pulled out a long canine tooth from his mouth and gave it them.  As he gave them this tooth, he warned them of a calamity that was soon to befall all mankind.  He said that the tooth would save them.
           
Soon after it began to rain heavily over all the earth and the floodwaters kept rising.  The tooth the Thunder God had given to Nüwa and    Fuxi  transformed into a boat.  The two used the boat to escape the rising  waters.  After the rain stopped and the waters subsided, the two realize that they were the only survivors of the calamity.

After they grew to be adults, Nüwa and Fuxi decided to become husband and wife so that they may procreate and create the new human race.

According to  “Asiapac’s 100 Celebrated Women” website, Fufei is the daughter of Fuxi.  Now there is no mention of her mother and there is no mention of how many wives Fuxi had.  But based on this creation myth, unless Fuxi took one of his daughters as a wife, Fufei is the daughter of both Fuxi and Nüwa.

(source for information on Nüwa - http://www.span.com.au/100women/1.html)

Fufei’s story

Emperor Fuxi had many daughters, Fufei was just one of them.  Fufei was a sickly and delicate child.  However, all who saw her believed that she would one day grow into a great beauty.  Fuxi, however, paid little attention to her because he had so many daughters and because he preferred plump women like Nüwa.

Slowly, without her father ever noticing it, Fufei grew to be a pure and beautiful but melancholic woman.

One day Fufei was walking along the banks of the Luo River when her  beauty  and melancholic expressions intrigued and captivated the Luo River.  The Luo River began to woo her by creating countless enchanting scenes.  The scenes so captivated her that Fufei gave herself to the river and was gone.

Soon Emperor Fuxi noticed that one of his daughters was missing.  He  went in search of her till he came upon the banks of the Luo River.      As he looked into the waters he noticed a slight ripple and  a woman of unparalleled beauty floated up and hovered just above the surface.    Fuxi recognized her to be Fufei but it was only then that he realized how beautiful she was.   Fuxi was deeply regretful for having neglected   her but he could not separate  the woman from the river.

To make amends, Fuxi gave Fufei the title of Luo Shen (Lok Sun), which means Goddess of the Luo.

How did Fufei also become known as Mifei?

The Luo River is one of the tributaries of the Yellow River.  A little later, the Yellow River Deity was making a tour of his domain when he met Luo Shen.  He fell in love with her and took her to be his concubine, naming her Luofei (Concubine Luo.)  The name Luofei became Mifei because Fuxi was also known as Mixi.

How is Fufei/Mifei related to Cao Zhi?
          
Fufei/Mifei is celebrated in Chinese literature as a woman of physical    and  spiritual beauty and countless poems have been composed about her.  One of the most famous of these poems is Cao Zhi's Luo Shen Fu.
         
Here is an excerpt from Luo Shen Fu:

"Gazing upon her from a distance;
Bright as the sun
Over rosy morning clouds.
Step nearer, look more closely,
She shimmers like a lotus
Above the waves.
Neither thick-set nor frail,
Neither tall nor short
Her shoulders seem scripted,
Her waist narrow
As if bound.
The graceful curve of her long neck
Reveals the white flesh of her throat.
There is no need for perfume here,
No need for leaden powder."

(source for information on Fufei/Mifei - http://www.span.com.au/100women/4.html)

This information is important to us because Ada's "Lok Sun" takes place in the time of The Three Kingdoms (220-280 AD.) It is the the time of Cao Cao and his sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi (who composed the above poem.)  This leads us to the third name that is linked to the legend of "Lok Sun" -- Empress Zhen.


2) Empress Zhen

(Word of warning, Ada's series "Lok Sun" is based on this part of the legend, so the story of Empress Zhen will contain SPOILER information )
    
Although the above poem by Cao Zhi is named Luo Shen Fu, it  is  widely   believed that Cao Zhi wrote this poem in memory of another woman of exceptional beauty, Empress Zhen (AD 182-221). 

Empress Zhen's Background
     
I don't know what her name is because none of the sites give her a name, she is merely known as Lady Zhen or Empress Zhen.  Anyway, Lady Zhen hails from Wuji, Hebei.  When Yuan Shao captured the city of Ye, he met the Lady Zhen and decided that his second son Yuan Xi must have her and so she was married to him.

Empress Zhen's Story

In AD 204, Cao Cao's army entered the city of Ye and routed Yuan Shao's army.  By this time he had heard of Lady Zhen's beauty and he had sent guards into the city to ensure her safety.  However, he was disappointed to find out that Cao Pi, his son, had already claimed her as his own.

Apparently at this point Cao Cao says, "This year we have fought and defeated many great enemies. Were these wars fought for the sake of one woman?"
(http://www.span.com.au/100women/46.html )

However, Lady Zhen had by this time already met the great poet Cao Zhi who is one of Cao Cao's other sons and Cao Pi's brother.  Cao Zhi and her had fallen in love with each other and he asked for her hand.  Sadly though, Cao Pi is destined to be the Emperor of Wei and Lady Zhen is given to him instead.  She will bear Cao Pi, a son (Cao Rui, he will become Emperor Mingdi of Wei,) and a daughter (Princess Dongxiang.)

Cao Zhi and Empress Zhen will meet many times in the next few years lamenting over their separation but they never had an affair.

Cao Pi lost interest in Empress Zhen when he took Lady Guo to be his Beloved Consort.  Lady Guo is the daughter of Guo Yong in Guangzong.  Lady Guo is reputed to be extremely beautiful too. 

Guo Yong apparently said this of his daughter, "She is the king among women," and so the name "Lady King" stuck to her.
(http://www.threekingdoms.com/bc091.htm )

  Here's when the story differs slightly depending on which website you visit.   Here is what the different websites say...

- Asiapac 100 Ceelebrated Chinese Women
(http://www.span.com.au/100women/46.html )

Empress Zhen expressed her displeasure that Cao Pi was paying more attention to Lady Guo.  Her comments reached Cao Pi's ears and he ordered her to commit suicide.

At the same time, Cao Zhi was travelling back to Louyang (which I believe is the capital of Wei) from his fiefdom.  Dusk was approaching and Cao Zhi and his horse were tired so they stopped to rest on the banks of the Luo River.  Suddenly, a woman of ethereal beauty appeared to him. She was as as beautiful as the Empress Zhen and Fufei. Cao Zhi was mesmerized by her and wanted to rush forward and so that he may talk to her but she vanished before him.  She left behind an earring and Cao Zhi believed that he had just met the Goddess of the River Luo.

When Cao Zhi arrived in Luoyang, Cao Pi showed him an embroidered pillow which he said belonged to Empress Zhen and it was in this way that Cao Zhi learned of her death.  Anguished, he wrote the Luo Shen Fu in memory of her.

- www.threekingdoms.com
(http://www.threekingdoms.com/bc091.htm )

Lady Guo was an ambitious woman.  She wanted to be more than the Beloved Consort, she wanted to be Empress.  So she enlisted Zhang Tao's help.  Zhang Tao is one of the court ministers.  And together they framed Empress Zhen.

At that point in time, Cao Pi was ill.  So Zhang Tao went to him and told him that they had dug up a wooden carving with the Emperor's image on it in Empress Zhen's Palace.  He said that the Emperor's birthdate and time (sheng chen ba zhi) were also carved on it.     He then went on to say that this was probably the reason why Cao Pi was ill.  Basically, he implied that Empress Zhen was using voodoo on the    Emperor.

Cao Pi was furious and forced Empress Zhen to commit suicide.  He then promoted Lady Guo to Empress.

- CJV Homepage>
(http://cjvlang.com/Pfloyd/lisy2.html )
 
This page is actually about a poem by Li Shang-yin.  In one of his untitled poems, "The east wind sighs, the fine rains come:", Li makes a reference  to Mifei.  The author of this page includes some information on the origin of the legend of Goddess of the River Luo in his explanation of Li's poem.

This page simply says that Empress Zhen dies "as a result of slanderous allegations concerning her relationship with Cao Zhi."  Cao Pi then gives Cao Zhi's Empress Zhen's embroidered pillow as a keepsake.  Cao Zhi leaves the city to return to his home when he dreams of  Empress Zhen by the Luo River.  In his dream, Empress Zhen tells Cao  Zhi that she loves him and that the embroidered pillow represents her love for him.  Cao Zhi is moved and when he awakes, he composes a poem in memory of her.  Later, Cao Pi sees this poem and changes the name of the poem to Luo Shen Fu to refer to Mifei/Fufei. 

- 2000 Experience: Chinese Culture in the United States
(http://168.160.224.42/highlights/culture/opera/p4.html )

This webpage differs from the others in that it says that Lady Zhen was a concubine that was killed by the Empress.  (Since all other sources say that Lady Zhen was actually the Empress, not Lady Guo, I believe that this part is probably inaccurate.)

It then goes on to say that Cao Zhi was on his way back to his home when he stayed at an inn.  While there, he has a dream where Lady Zhen appears to him and tells him that she will be waiting for him by the Luo River.  Cao Zhi goes to the Luo River and there she is waiting for him, by this time she had already become the Goddess of the River Luo.

Main Sources
http://www.span.com.au/100women/46.html
http://www.threekingdoms.com/bc091.htm
http://cjvlang.com/Pfloyd/lisy2.html
http://168.160.224.42/highlights/culture/opera/p4.html


3) How is all this related to Ada's TVB series "Lok Sun?"
  
I'm going to give you another SPOILER WARNING here.  If you don't want to know what will probably happen in the series, please do not read on.

There was probably more information in the Chinese papers but since my Chinese reading isn't so great, I can only make deductions based on what I read in the English languaged sites.  If you have more information, please feel free to email me.  Of course by the time you read this article, the following information might be useless or wrong because this article was written way before "Lok Sun's" release.

We know from news reports etc than Ada will play the title character which is "Lok Sun."  We also know that the series is set in the time of the Three Kingdoms.  And we know that Ada will play an Empress because in one of the news reports she says that the headgear for the Empress is extremely heavy.  So from here we can deduce that she will play Lady/Empress Zhen.

We know that Steven Ma will play one of the men in Empress Zhen's life.  I don't know if any news reports said which role he will play but since I hear he's supposed to be paired up with Ada Choi, he'll probably be Cao Zhi because the man Empress Zhen loves is Cao Zhi.

We know that Mosses CHAN Hou (for those who don't know, he was Yiu Yeung in Armed Reaction III) will have a role in the series as well.  I'm guessing that he'll probably be Cao Pi.

We know that Lau Dan also has a role in the series but I have no idea who he might be.  He could be Cao Cao or Zhang Tao for all I know.

We know too that Sonija Kwok has a role in the series and that she will become bad in the end.  So I'm guessing that she plays Lady Guo.

So since Ada is Lady Zhen, we can deduce that her ending will be a tragic one because in all tellings of the tale, Lady Zhen dies.


4) Links

Here are some links to websites/webpages with information on the production of "Lok Sun" and/or pictures of the cast in costume.

First here are two excellent Ada Choi websites and their links, there are tons of pictures of Ada in "Lok Sun" and information on her at these two sites.

Ada's Cache (English)
http://www.adacache.net/
 
adachoi.com (Chinese) - to navigate this site, click on the menu bar at the top of the page.
http://www.adachoi.com/

Here is the link to another good site which has information on Ada but not much on "Lok Sun" at the time of writing.  There is a forum on this site which I frequent, drop by for a chat.

Ada Collections (English)
http://www.ada-choi.net/ada.htm
direct link to the forum: http://disc.server.com/Indices/109896.html

Here are general site links to the series:

StarsCentral (pictures)
http://www.oocities.org/scdrama2/loksun/loka.htm

Hong Kong Entertainment News in Review (English)
http://www.hkentreview.com/   You can go there and do a search for "Lok Sun" or "Ada Choi."
OR click here, I've done a search already.  This is of course only good up till October 1, 2001.

http://www.hkentreview.com/2000/october/1006/1006.html
No pictures. Just text.  Here is what it says:
"LOK SUN (lit. THE SPIRIT OF LOK)
Cast: Kong Wah, Ada Choi Siu-Fan, Yvonne Yung Hung
Plot Outline: Tells the story of Cao Cao and sons and how their fight for China was effected by a ghostly spirit from the Lok river."

http://www.hkentreview.com/2000/october/1012/1012.html
One very small pix. Here is the text:
"Ada Choi Siu-Fan (centre) took a break from working on the series YUNG CHONG DIN FENG (lit. RACING COURAGEOUSLY TO THE TOP) to shoot a promotional piece for LOK SUN (trans. SPIRIT OF LOK) an upcoming series to be shot in 2001. The series will mark Choi's return to historical dramas."

http://www.hkentreview.com/2001/july/0717to0718/0717.html
Worth checking out, two pix and a little about the production.

http://www.hkentreview.com/2001/july/0705to0706/0705to0706.html
Mentions "Lok Sun" but nothing about the production.  It's about Sonija Kwok's b-day.  Has an acompanying pix of her.
However, the page mentions Ada Choi and it's actually related to "Armed Reaction III."  It's one of the promo events the cast had to attend.  There are pix pertaining to the event.

http://www.hkentreview.com/2001/march/0320to0321/0320to0321.html
Not really worth checking out.  No pix.  Here is what it says:
"Meanwhile, Zhao's regular partner in crime Ruby Lin (Lam Sum-Yu) taped an edition of the TVB variety show ENJOY YOURSELF TONIGHT the night before last (centre). Rumours have been circulating lately speculating that TVB is interested in hiring Lin to star in their upcoming historical drama LOK SUN (trans. SPIRIT OF LOK). Responding to the rumours, Lin remarked: "Right now, my schedule is so packed you couldn't fit a pin into it. Not only do I have to promote my album, in May I will start working on CHOR LAU HEUNG. There basicially is no window for me to accept any more work until next year!" Related images (courtesy Apple Daily)"

There might be more but I'm too lazy to go through all of them.  Also, keep in mind that the search engine only searches up to Aug 20th at the time of writing.  The newer pages have yet to be archived.

If you are looking for information on Ada Choi, please do a search, there is a ton of stuff at this site.


5) Sign the Guest Book if you feel like it. :-)

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That's it for now. Enjoy.