Analysis of the phenomenon that The Prayer goes virus

Analysis of the phenomenon that The Prayer goes virus

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, comes the Dragon Boat Festival. In a bid to commemorate Qu Yuan, Chinese people follow the customs, eating rice dumplings, drinking realgar wine and dragon boat racing included. Besides, the brilliant shows of major satellite channels are indispensable.

This year, Henan Satellite TV's show became a big hit, The Prayer being a central topic on all social media. The stunning underwater dance vividly shows the manner and expression of the goddess of the Luo River, colorful ribbons reflecting the sunshine, providing an eye feast for the audiences.

A heated discussion concerning the show was aroused: whether the show of major satellite TV should start to concentrate on cultures instead of entirely on entertainment. I hold the opinion that Hunan satellite channel is setting a good example, combining excellent traditional cultures with modern technology, which offers a new possible path for cultural confidence, innovation and transmission, analysis and enlightenment going as follows.

From Night Banquet in Palace of Tang Dynasty to The Prayer

Night Banquet in Palace of Tang Dynasty

On February 12th, the first day of the Chinese New Year, a dance show Night Banquet in Palace of Tang Dynasty was screened on Henan satellite channel. The combination of the humor style, cultural deposits and high-technology vividly illustrates the prosperity of Tang Dynasty.

From my perspective, the success of Night Banquet in Palace of Tang Dynasty could be attributed to two major reasons. First and foremost, the delicate makeup and costume as well as charming manners and expression do help. To imitate the maids in the imperial palace in the Tang Dynasty, dancers wore costumes stuffed with sponges, with cotton in their mouth, eyebrows like crescents, temples painted with blush. Before the night banquet, these maids laughed and played with each other, or dressed and made up, which the audience thought is quite lovely and lively. Then began the court show, they quickly became serious and formal as the dance was grand and splendid. These maids, soft but not common, expensive but not luxury, shows the character and soul of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

In addition, 5G and AR technology is beneficial to the better presentation of the show. The stage was placed in a museum where Tang Tri-Color Glazed Ceramics, lotus and crane rectangular hu and the like were exhibited. With the assistance of the high-technology, from the beginning to the end, audiences seemed to see a grand show of the Tang Dynasty across time and space. At the end, it told you that that era had been passed away, allowing people to comprehend the meanings of Chinses history.

The Prayer

        The Prayer was filmed underwater. In an attempt to revive the beauty of the goddess of the Luo River, the dancer soaked in water for 26 hours, breathing every 50 seconds. Fishing lines attached to her body often cut the skin. Owing to the dedication and diligence of the dancers and photographers, what Cao Zhi wrote in the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River managed to emerging in sight.

        “Her body soars lightly like a startled swan,

Gracefully, like a dragon in flight,

In splendor brighter than the autumn chrysanthemum,

In bloom more flourishing than the pine in spring;

Dim as the moon mantled in filmy clouds,

Restless as snow whirled by the driving wind.”

The dance show The Prayer depicts two important images in traditional Chinese cultures—— the goddess of the Luo River and flying apsaras, which represent beauty. Due to the difficulties to revive the fluttering of the ribbons, our impression of flying apsaras is still confined to the images in the murals. In the dancer show, the flow of streamers is shown by the flow of water and the light, whose beauty is beyond words. The dancer was powerful or vigorous, or alluring and graceful, showing the beauty of couple hardness with softness of Chinese classic dance.

From my standpoint, the success of The Prayer could be attributable to the affection that Chinese people have for the ancient history and legends, namely cultural identity. The creator combined the advanced innovative thoughts with modern technology, making a bridge between the goddess of the Luo River and the audiences who deeply effected by Chinese classical romanticism. The essence of culture itself will move people.

The favorable background of the success of Henan satellite TV

Concerns of satellite channels

        Nowadays, most of the traditional shows tend to serve to add to festivals’ atmosphere. Stars and singers are invited to entertain the public. This pattern has been running for more than 10 years. As times goes by, the advantages and disadvantages of this pattern has been increasingly obvious. The negative side is that the choreography is stereotyped and values delivered are conservative, leading to aesthetic fatigue and the loss of the young audiences. Nonetheless, it also has the positive side. That is that fans of the stars, to some extent, ensure its audience rating. It’s the pattern that has been running for years and has the possibility to continue. There’s no necessity for major satellite to innovate given the nonexistent pressure of competition, let alone the risks innovation carries. Concerns of satellite channels provides a platform for Henan satellite TV.

...