Tang history series gives unexpected treat to TV viewers

The Glory of Tang Dynasty, a Chinese TV series that showed romance, warfare and court conspiracy amid social upheaval of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), ended on Wednesday.

Viewers earlier had expected the series to fail, given their experiences in recent years with shows full of historical inaccuracies and poor storytelling. But it was a surprisingly popular production. The 60-episode series premiered on Jan 29, on Beijing TV, Anhui TV and a Tencent online platform, during this year's Spring Festival.

By last week, it had more than 4 billion views on Tencent, with the rating on the site reaching 8.3 of 10.