Tong Yao as Xiao Bailong: A Fierce Heroine in Qiao Longbiao

In this adaptation of Qu Bo's novel Qiao Longbiao, Tong Yao co-stars in a key role as Xiao Bailong, the fiercely loyal adopted sister of the protagonist, Qiao Longbiao. The series charts Qiao Longbiao’s transformation from a charismatic bandit leader into a dedicated communist guerrilla fighter. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Anti-Japanese War (1937–1945) and the subsequent Civil War, it’s a story of heroic struggle against foreign invaders and reactionary forces. It’s worth noting that this drama is a prime example of revolutionary romanticism, a genre where patriotic politics are central to the narrative. To fully appreciate the story, it helps to approach it on its own terms, with an understanding of this specific historical and cultural context.

The Miracles 奇迹 Update: New Cast Announced, First Photos, and Rumors Abound

source

CCTV held a 开机 (start-of-production) event for The Miracles on 25 May, where they unveiled a more complete cast and crew list. The newly announced actors linked to the project are impressive, including names like Bai Yu, Lei Jiayin, and Song Jia.

They also released official promotional stills and video clips featuring the cast and crew expressing their congratulations, although I wasn't able to find many instances where they discussed the script or their characters.

军人荣誉 Military Honor - opening - Tong Yao 童瑶

This is the opening title sequence for Military Honor, starring Ding Haifeng and Tong Yao.

I wrote a brief impression on the Tong Yao (童瑶) ~ a film & TV guide for fans, you can click this link to read it.

Tong Yao & Pan Yueming’s Rumored Thriller '隐秘的对决' – What We Know So Far

source: Weibo

I usually don't list series that Tong Yao or Sun Li are rumored to be in unless they've been officially announced. I've seen speculation about Tong Yao starring in an iQiyi thriller/crime series titled 陌路 (Mòlù, literal translation: Unknown Road) for a while now, but I’ve long learned to ignore most of these rumors.

However, in the past couple of weeks, while browsing Xiaohongshu and Weibo, I’ve come across clips of Tong Yao and Pan Yueming on set in Chengdu. Although the project hasn’t been officially announced, signs point to them working on a series now titled 隐秘的对决 (Yǐnmì de duìjué, literal translation: Secret Confrontation).

With Love With You 有你的时光里 Review: A Quiet, Female-Led Healing Drama

A spoiler-light review and overview of With Love With You, with reflections on its themes of sisterhood, resilience, and healing.

With Love With You centres around Wang Yan (Tong Yao) and Wang Lingjun (Zhou Yiran), two sisters with starkly different personalities. Wang Yan is a highly successful account director in a creative agency who is independent, efficient, and fearless. Lingjun, on the other hand, is aimless, resentful, and wilful. Despite Wang Yan's considerable influence within the family and her insistence that the 30-year-old Lingjun obtain her medical practitioner's certificate before even considering leaving their hometown of Leshan, Lingjun defies everyone's wishes and relocates to Shenzhen, determined to be near her sister. This upheaval disrupts Wang Yan's carefully managed life, sparking conflict between the sisters and within their family.

Breaking the Shadows 乌云之上: A Review (Sort Of)

This isn’t a full-series review—I stopped at episode five, and frankly, that’s all I could manage. Honestly, I was looking forward to this series; I like Sun Li and generally enjoy crime dramas. With a cast full of notable actors and its connection to the Light On anthology, it should have guaranteed some level of quality—or at least been enjoyable.

Revamping Tong Yao 童瑶's Filmography & TV Guide

I spent the last few days cleaning up the HTML on the Tong Yao (童瑶) ~ a film & TV guide for fans. The HTML was such a mess that it was causing issues with fonts and layout. I had to learn some CSS and get help because my understanding of HTML and CSS is pretty rudimentary—so it took a while.

The page was really in bad shape, and it was long overdue for a cleanup. This also gave me a chance to make some layout changes to the filmography links. I think it looks neater now.