Who’s starring in Wong Kar-wai’s Blossoms Shanghai? Meet the cast of his debut TV show, including Chinese actors Hu Ge, Ma Yili and Tiffany Tang – who’s a Valentino ambassador too

Jan 2 , 2024

Wong Kar-wai’s new web series Blossoms Shanghai stars Chinese actors Hu Ge and Tiffany Tang. Photos: @huge.official, @celebs_fashion_style/Instagram

Famed director Wong Kar-wai’s new 30-episode show Blossoms Shanghai is streaming on Tencent now – the story centres around A Bao, a Shanghainese man living large in the city in 1992

It’s been a decade since the Hong Kong filmmaker’s last work, The Grandmaster, and instead of his favourite Hong Kong muses Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, his new show features an array of Chinese stars

After much anticipation, Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai debuted his first web series Blossoms Shanghai on Tencent’s streaming platform in China on December 27.

The long-awaited series marks a full decade since the director released his last film, The Grandmaster. And in typical Wong Kar-wai fashion, it’s garnering polarising opinions and reviews. While some worry that the cinematic drama he’s known for will get lost on the small screen, others wonder if the often glacial tempo of his works will translate well into a 30-episode show.

Blossoms Shanghai is Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai’s first web series. Photo: @indiewire/Instagram

The director made some bold choices with this work, too. He’s released Blossoms Shanghai in two versions: Mandarin and Shanghainese. The screenplay is an adaptation of the Chinese novelist Jin Yu-cheng’s Blossoms, which details power struggles in the booming business world amid economic reform in the country.

Wong’s affinity and fascination with old Shanghai continues in this series, though the timeline is pushed forward to 1992, unlike that of the 1960s in In The Mood of Love and Days of Being Wild.

Hong Kong actors Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung in a still from Wong Kar-wai’s masterpiece In the Mood for Love (2000). Photo: Block 2 Pictures

Blossoms Shanghai tells the story of A Bao, a Shanghainese man living large in the city. This is a stark departure from Wong’s previous works, where he hones in on the experiences of Shanghainese expats living in Hong Kong.

Instead of his favourite muses Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, Wong casts a number of Chinese actors in the show, including leads Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tiffany Tang and Xin Zhilei.

Chinese actor Hu Ge attending Giorgio Armani’s grand opening in Nanjing, China. Photo: @huge.official/Instagram

Hu Ge has been at the top of the Chinese entertainment industry for the past decade. Before entering the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2001, Hu had already been appearing in TV commercials after hosting a TV show called Sunshine Youth for three years, beginning at age 14.