Recently, the mainland Chinese historical fantasy drama “Huai Water Bamboo Pavilion”, starring actress Liu Shishi and actor Zhang Yunlong, is being aired. The revealed actors’ salaries show that Liu Shishi’s salary is 15 million yuan (RMB), ranking the highest in the cast. However, compared to the 110 million yuan she received for starring in “A Thought Away from the Mountain” a few years ago, her salary has decreased by 90%, indicating a significant decline in China’s economy leading to a reduction in production costs for mainland dramas and a sharp decline in the value of top-tier stars.
“Liu Shishi and Zhang Yunlong star in ‘Huai Water Bamboo Pavilion’, based on the comic “Fox Spirit Matchmaker”. The drama tells the legendary story of Miss Dongfang Huai Zhu of Shanhuo Villa (played by Liu Shishi) and the young master of the Wang Clan, Wang Quan Hongye (played by Zhang Yunlong), as they join forces to fight against the Southern Demon Emperor and revive the legendary story of the Yiqi Alliance. The series also includes popular young actors and actresses such as Wu Xuanyi, Zhai Xiaowen, Shen Yue, Hou Minghao, Chen Yuqi, Meng Ziyi, Ding Yuxi, Zhang Ruonan, Zhou Jieqiong, Peng Xiaoran, and more, attracting fans of various actors and actresses to watch the series as soon as it aired.
With the premiere of the new drama, the actors’ salaries have also been exposed. Data shows that Liu Shishi’s salary is 15 million yuan, ranking the highest in the entire cast; Zhang Yunlong, although the male lead, is far less popular and influential than Liu Shishi, with a salary of 7.5 million yuan, half of Liu Shishi’s.
Furthermore, Zhang Ruonan, whose popularity soared due to her role in the series “Difficult to Soothe” alongside Bai Jingting, only guest-starred in 3 episodes of “Huai Water Bamboo Pavilion” with a salary of 4.5 million yuan; Meng Ziyi, who gained fame for his performance in “Nine Floors of Purple” with Li Yunrui, also saw a rise in his value, earning a salary of 4.5 million yuan; Chen Yuqi, whose popularity increased significantly after starring in “Floating Image Fate” with Wang Hedi, has a salary equal to that of Zhang Ruonan and Meng Ziyi.
It is worth noting that although Liu Shishi’s salary of 15 million yuan for “Huai Water Bamboo Pavilion” is 3 million higher than her 12 million salary for her previous historical drama “Palm”, the trend of her salary shows a decreasing trend when comparing the shooting and production times of the two series.
Public records show that the 36-episode “Huai Water Bamboo Pavilion” was filmed/produced from September to December 2023, with Liu Shishi’s total salary of 15 million yuan, averaging about 420,000 yuan per episode; while the 30-episode “Palm” was filmed/produced from March to June 2024, with a total salary of 12 million yuan, averaging 400,000 yuan per episode. The filming/production times of the two series only differ by half a year, with Liu Shishi’s salary decreasing by 20,000 per episode, showing a clear downward trend.
It is worth mentioning that Liu Shishi, after marrying Taiwanese artist Nicky Wu and having children, starred in the drama “A Thought Away from the Mountain” a few years ago, earning a high salary of 110 million yuan. Comparatively, Liu Shishi’s salary for starring in “Huai Water Bamboo Pavilion” has directly decreased by 90%, a surprising change.
Bai Yicang, who is both a producer and screenwriter, talked about the changes in actors’ salaries in mainland China. He disclosed in an interview earlier, “The salaries of top actors have decreased by 90%, while general artists have at least halved from their peak earnings.” At that time, he predicted, “In the next month, for a 10 million yuan drama, stars will have to come and fight for it.”
Some analysis suggests that if the reduction in stars’ salaries in previous years was due to the regulation of extravagant salaries, then the sharp decline in actors’ salaries and the shrinking of their values since last year have become a microcosm of the overall economic downturn in China.