Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

In the early morning of October 29, 2006, media reports were released in a concentrated manner.

Sina Entertainment Headline:

Nineteen-year-old Liu Yifei wins Best Actress and Best Newcomer awards at the Hundred Flowers Awards, making history; the hearing girl becomes the biggest winner.

Last night, the 28th Hundred Flowers Awards for Popular Films were announced in Hangzhou! Nineteen-year-old Liu Yifei won both the Best Actress and Best Newcomer awards for her outstanding performance in "Hearing Girl," becoming the first actress in the history of the Hundred Flowers Awards to win both awards at the same time, and also the youngest Best Actress in the history of the Hundred Flowers Awards!

"Hearing Girl" tells the story of a girl who grows up in a deaf-mute family and loves music. Directed by young director Zhuang Huai'an and starring Liu Yifei, the film previously won the Golden Bear Award at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival. This time, it won another award at the Hundred Flowers Awards, becoming one of the most watched domestic films of 2006.

At the awards ceremony, Zhang Yimou commented: "The 19-year-old Best Actress is no less talented than Gong Li, and her future is promising."

It's worth mentioning that Liu Yifei was serving as the first Golden Eagle Goddess at the 10th Golden Eagle Festival in Changsha the day before (October 27th). After the opening ceremony, she rushed to Hangzhou overnight. Within two days, she visited two cities, attended two grand ceremonies, and won three awards (Golden Eagle Goddess + Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress + Best Newcomer), making her arguably the busiest and most glamorous actress in the entertainment industry in 2006!

Sohu Entertainment:

From Golden Eagle Goddess to Hundred Flowers Award-winning Actress: Liu Yifei's 48 Hours

On the evening of October 27th in Changsha, Liu Yifei, as the first Golden Eagle Goddess, descended from the top of the stage on wires, wearing a golden eagle crown adorned with filigree and kingfisher feathers, stunning the entire audience.

In the early hours of October 28, Liu Yifei flew from Changsha to Hangzhou overnight, arriving at her hotel at 10 a.m.

On the afternoon of October 28, Liu Yifei appeared on the red carpet of the Hundred Flowers Awards, wearing a moon-white long dress, looking elegant and refined.

On the evening of October 28, Liu Yifei won the Best Newcomer Award for her work on "Hearing Girl".

Ten minutes later, Liu Yifei won Best Actress again, becoming the youngest Best Actress in the history of the Hundred Flowers Awards, and the first actress to win both Best Actress and Best Newcomer awards!

48 hours, two cities, three grand ceremonies, three trophies!

This isn't a movie plot; this is Liu Yifei's real 48 hours!

From her debut in "The Story of a Noble Family" in 2002, to Wang Yuyan in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" in 2003, to Zhao Ling'er in "Chinese Paladin" in 2004, to Xiaolongnu in "The Return of the Condor Heroes" in 2005, she has always been labeled as a "beauty in period dramas" and a "pretty face," with many people thinking that she is just good-looking but lacks acting skills.

But Hearing Girl changed everything!

In this film, she plays a girl who grows up in a deaf family, communicating with her family entirely through sign language while also showcasing her love and pursuit of music. Her performance is delicate, authentic, and nuanced, completely overturning the audience's preconceived notions of her.

The Berlin Golden Bear has proven her acting skills, while the Hundred Flowers Award, an award chosen by audience vote, proves that she has not only won the recognition of professional judges but also the love of ordinary viewers.

The 19-year-old Best Actress award is not the end, but the beginning.

Liu Yifei's future is something to look forward to!

Some film critics have pointed out that Liu Yifei's award marks the official entry of "post-85s" actors onto the core stage of Chinese cinema.

Prior to this, most of the leading actresses in domestic films were actresses born in the 70s and early 80s. However, Liu Yifei, at the age of 19, won the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, which means that a younger generation of actresses has the ability to play leading roles on the big screen.

Of course, some people questioned whether Liu Yifei's award was "too young".

However, judging from the reactions of the audience at the scene and the online voting data, her award was widely recognized.

The Hundred Flowers Awards are an award voted on by the audience. The 99 audience judges voted on the spot using voting machines. Her victory by an absolute majority is itself a result of the audience's choice.

Compared to the somewhat flamboyant nature of portal websites, major print media outlets are much more restrained.

[Beijing News] takes a cultural interpretation approach:

"Looking at Intangible Cultural Heritage Through the Golden Eagle Goddess Crown: Filigree Inlay and Kingfisher Feather Inlay, Disappearing Court Techniques"

Liu Yifei's filigree and kingfisher feather inlaid golden eagle crown brought the somewhat unfamiliar terms "filigree inlay" and "kingfisher feather inlay" into the public eye.

Filigree inlay, also known as "fine gold craftsmanship," is the foremost of the "Eight Unique Skills of Beijing." Originating in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it reached a high level of excellence in the Ming Dynasty and was exclusively used by the Imperial Workshops in the Qing Dynasty.

Diancui is a craft that involves attaching the back feathers of a kingfisher to a gold or silver base. It originated in the Han Dynasty and reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty. The luster of the kingfisher feathers presents different colors such as lake blue, dark blue, and purple-blue under different lighting conditions. "It is one color when viewed from the front, another color when viewed from the side, another color in the sunlight, and another color in the shadow." No pigment can replicate it.

The four phoenix crowns unearthed from the Dingling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty are the pinnacle of filigree and kingfisher feather inlay techniques.

However, both of these crafts are currently facing the risk of being lost. Although filigree inlay has been applied for national intangible cultural heritage status, there are fewer than 100 practitioners. Kingfisher feather inlay has been declining since the 1950s because kingfishers are protected animals, and it is currently only preserved in small quantities in the production of opera headdresses and the restoration of cultural relics.

The appearance of Liu Yifei's crown may draw more attention to these disappearing traditional crafts.

A senior researcher at the Palace Museum pointed out: "In terms of craftsmanship, this crown is almost at the top level of the Qing Dynasty's imperial workshops. It is not easy to see such a traditional craft work in 2006."

Some cultural scholars have also stated, "Having celebrities wear jewelry made from intangible cultural heritage is an excellent way to promote traditional crafts. It can bring these crafts back into the public eye and is more effective than any protection policy."

The Southern Metropolis Daily took a unique angle and ran a headline.

Zhuang Huai'an's "Intangible Cultural Heritage Chess Game"? From the Golden Eagle Crown to the Revival of Traditional Crafts.

Zhuang Huai'an, this name in the Chinese entertainment industry in 2006, needs no introduction. He is a director who has won the grand slam of the three major European film festivals, the second largest shareholder of MGM, and the director of "The Martian" which broke the record of "Titanic" with a box office of 4.87 million yuan in China. Every label on him is dazzling enough.

But few people realize that this young director and investor may be quietly laying out a much larger strategy: the protection and commercialization of intangible cultural heritage.

According to sources, Zhuang Huai'an invested in several traditional craft projects in the first half of this year, including the Beijing Filigree Inlay Studio, the Hebei Dachang Filigree Inlay Base, the Suzhou Diancui Opera Headdress Studio, the Chengdu Silver Filigree Studio, and the Guizhou Leishan Miao Silver Ornament Cooperative.

These investments, though small in amount, precisely cover some of the top traditional jewelry crafts in China.

The filigree and kingfisher feather inlaid golden eagle crown that Liu Yifei wore last night was the first public appearance of this game.

A person close to Zhuang Huai'an said, "Mr. Zhuang's interest in traditional crafts is not a passing fad. He believes that with the development of China's economy, cultural consumption will usher in a period of explosive growth, and the value of traditional crafts will be re-recognized."

Now is the perfect time to make strategic plans.

If this plan succeeds, Zhuang Huai'an may not only be a successful director and investor, but also a key driver in the revival of traditional Chinese crafts!

As he said at the premiere of "The Martian": We must bring Chinese culture to the world!

At Hunan TV, Ouyang Changlin put down his newspaper, his face full of worry.

The secretary beside him, unaware of what was going on, flattered him: "Boss, according to feedback from major media outlets and audiences, this year's Golden Eagle Awards has been a great success."

Your decision to appoint Liu Yifei as the first Golden Eagle Goddess was the greatest tactic I've ever seen! We succeeded!

"This year's class has indeed succeeded..."

Ouyang Changlin lit a cigarette, his tone utterly helpless, "But have you thought about what will happen next time?"

"Huh?" The secretary was taken aback.

"Those are custom-made jewelry pieces that could be included in the intangible cultural heritage list. Huai'an has the connections and money to get them. What about us? What do we have?"

Ouyang Changlin gave a bitter smile.

"You're responsible for killing but not for burying; this time, Brother Huai'an has really given me a big problem..."