Skip to main content

Blossoming Controversy

Wong Kar-wai’s acclaimed drama “Blossoms” faces screenwriter credit controversy amid workplace bullying allegations and legal disputes.
|

The 2023 Chinese television drama “Blossoms” (繁花), directed by Hong Kong film legend Wong Kar-wai (王家卫), won plaudits for its sole credited screenwriter, Qin Wen (秦雯). But the series faced its own drama last week as anonymous writer “Gu Er” (古二) alleged they were denied acknowledgement for their involvement and faced workplace bullying. Gu Er released recordings on WeChat claiming to have written significant script portions while receiving only 3,000 yuan monthly and no screenwriting credit. The production team issued a September 20 Weibo statement supporting “creators’ legal rights” without addressing any concrete allegations. Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao reported that Qin Wen has engaged lawyers and called the allegations false and defamatory.

Lingua Sinica is an interactive online resource under the China Media Project (CMP) that explores the capacity and sustainability of Chinese-language media environments globally in their full domestic context and traces the lines of impact and engagement by PRC media and institutions.

More Stories from this Region

A Record Haul for Hong Kong’s State Media

At an awards ceremony where independent outlets once competed on equal terms with state-run media, a Chinese Communist Party-controlled outlet has swept the field. It is…

Hong Kong Bookshop Raided

The arrest of Book Punch founder Pong Yat-ming marks the latest escalation in Hong Kong’s crackdown on independent cultural life.

No Scaling the Wall in Hubei

Two recent cases in Hubei province suggest authorities are shifting from targeting VPN operators to punishing ordinary users.

KongHub Report Under Fire

Hong Kong police demand an independent news outlet remove a news report about the suicide of a female officer — but the outlet refuses, citing public interest.

Telling China’s Story, One Bottle at a Time

As China’s leaders gathered in Beijing to chart the country’s future amid economic uncertainty, state media sought to shift the focus — bottling up more critical coverag…

The Great Broadcasting Retreat

China is shutting down hundreds of local TV and radio channels — and rebuilding its propaganda apparatus online.

Country and Regional Context

BACK TO MAP