The Palace
Traditional Chinese	宮鎖沉香
Simplified Chinese	宫锁沉香
Hanyu Pinyin	Gōngsuǒ Chénxiāng
Directed by	Pan Anzi
Screenplay by	Yu Zheng
Produced by	Du Yang Li Jinwen
Starring	Zhou Dongyu Chen Xiao Zhao Liying
Cinematography	Zou Lianyou
Edited by	Cheung Ka-fai
Music by	Peter Kam
Production companies	Hunan Broadcasting System Hunan Economic Channel Yu Zheng Studio EE-Media
Distributed by	Wanda Film and Television media co., LTD
Release date	August 13, 2013 (2013-08-13) (China)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	China
Language	Mandarin

The Palace also known as Palace: Lock Sinensis is a 2013 Chinese historical romance film. This film was directed by Pan Anzi and written by Yu Zheng, and starring Zhou Dongyu, Chen Xiao and Zhao Liying.^[1]

Plot

During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, Yaojia Chenxiang entered the Forbidden Palace as a lowly servant. Chenxiang learned the ways of surviving in the palace and became close friends with another servant named Liuli and Chunshou, a eunuch. She also meets Yinxiang, a prince raised by Consort De and is friends with the fourth prince Yinzhen. They meet by chance, but she never reveals her identity to him. He later searches for this mystery girl and Liuli claims that she was the mystery girl.

Liuli betrays Chenxiang to become the di fujin (official wife) of Yinxiang. Chenxiang is heartbroken but becomes Liuli's servant in order to protect Chunshou, who was tortured by Liuli. As Liuli's servant, Chenxiang is humiliated and forced to only look at Yinxiang from a distance. One night, she enters Liuli's bedchamber only to find out that she carries an affair with Yuntang, another prince. Liuli is mad at Chenxiang, and increases her punishments. Yinxiang grows suspicious of Liuli, and asks her who the mystery girl really was. Liuli refused to tell him, and ran away from the palace only to be shot with arrows. Yinxiang, now blind, eventually reunites with Chenxiang.

Cast

Main cast

• Zhou Dongyu as Chenxiang
  • Zhang Zifeng as Chenxiang, young.
• Chen Xiao as Yinxiang
  • Fangyao Ziyi as Yinxiang, young.
• Zhao Liying as Liuli
  • Jiang Yiyi as Liuli, young.

Other cast

• Lu Yi as Yongzheng Emperor.
• Zhu Zixiao as Yuntang.
• Winston Chao as Kangxi Emperor.
• Vivian Wu as Empress Xiaogongren.
• Bao Bei'er as Chunshou
• Wang Shuang as Concubine Cheng

Guest

• Jess Zhang as Concubine Xuan.
• Annie Yi as Empress Xiaojingxian.
• Eva Huang as Concubine Min.
• Zhang Yameng as Concubine Hui.
• Lam Chi-chung as Yunreng.
• Kingdom Yuen as Mammy.
• Dicky Cheung as The eunuch.
• Bai Shan as Qiuniang.

Release

The film had its premiere at the 16th Shanghai International Film Festival.^[2]

Box office

The film grossed ¥21 million by the end of its first day of general release and grossed ¥ 48 million on its first weekend.^[3]

Critical response

The film received negative reviews.^[4] It was listed on Sohu's 2013 Top Ten Bad Film.^[5][6]