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A Step into the Past

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A Step Into The Past (Chinese: 尋秦記; literal translation: The Chronicles of Finding Qin) is a Hong Kong television drama produced by TVB, released in 2001 and adapted from the novel Xun Qin Ji by Huang Yi. It tells the story of a 21st century Hong Kong cop, Hong Siu Lung, who travels back in time to the Warring States Period of China, and finds himself involved in important history events leading to the unification of China.

Main cast

Plot

Template:Spoiler Hong Siu Lung (Louis Koo) is a 21st century G4 (protective service) agent from Hong Kong who was going through a particularly difficult period of life, having recently broken up with his girlfriend of seven years, Chun Ching (Sonija Kwok). She had wanted to get married, but he didn't- much preferring his free, happy-go-lucky bachelor's life with no commitments or responsibilities. Lost and depressed, Hong was given a chance to rectify his mistake when he caught the attention of a wealthy young businessman, Li Shao Chiu, whilst on the latter's protective detail and saving him from a crazed assassin.

Li recruited Hong to participate in an ultra-secret experiment of a time machine that he had created. Hong agreed to do so in exchange for a chance to travel back in time to prevent his romantic breakup. The plan was to take Hong more than 2000 years back to the Kingdom of Qin, half an hour prior to the coronation of the King of Qin, Ying Zheng. Hong was to document the event with a digital camera prior to a swift departure. However, a critical error occurred during the transportation stage and Hong was thrown into the wrong place and the wrong time – ending up in the Kingdom of Zhao in 250 BC, at the height of the Warring States Period. He had arrived three years earlier than originally planned.

Hong's time machine signal device is set to work only at a specific location at a specific time – meaning that he was stranded in time. In order to return to the future, he had to make his way across thousands of miles in ancient China, ensuring that, at the same time, history happens as it was supposed to. For even a small change in the grand scheme of events will set off a chain of catastrophes that will render the 21st century, as Hong knows it, into oblivion.

Hong thus became a participant in a series of hair-raising yet hilarious adventures. In the process, he befriends Shanrou (Tang Lai Ming), a wandering female assassin; Wu Tingfang (Jessica Hsuan), a beautiful but spoiled rich girl; Zhao Princess Chian (Suet Yee); Zhao Ya (Suet Lei), the sister of the Zhao King; and Ya's son Zhao Pan (Raymond Lam), as well as the beautiful scholar Chin Qing, who looks exactly like Hong's ex-girlfriend Chun Ching (also played by Sonija Kwok).

Hong's 21st-century knowledge, his experience as an elite detective and his physical and martial arts prowess made him invaluable in the eyes of the kings and nobility of the day, as well as inspiring the jealousy and ire of the wicked Chu agent Zhao Mu (Lee Chi Hung) and his henchman Lian Jin (Kwong Wah). Later on, Hong even gained two sworn brothers (whose family had been killed by Zhao Mu's minions) who were faithful and committed to Hong.

As Hong's future is dependent on the ascension to the Qin throne by Ying Zheng, who was at that time being held hostage at Zhao with his mother Zhu Ji (Yiu Ying Ying), his crucial mission was to ensure that this happened. He successfully tracked down the two, only to find out, to his horror, that the real Ying Zheng, who was actually re-located by his mother since birth, is already dead. But it seemed that the wheels of history is pre-ordained, with Zhu Ji fatefully mistaking Zhao Pan as her own, having never seen the child since infancy.

The reluctant Zhao Pan is thus forced into and maintained in this illustrious role by a desperate Hong, and the party arrives successfully in the Kingdom of Qin. However for Hong, the danger is not yet over – to ensure Pan's smooth ascension as Ying Zheng, they must battle with the scheming Qin Prime Minister Lü Buwei (who had in fact fathered the real Ying Zheng with Zhu Ji) and Lü's right-hand man Lau Ai (who is actually Lian Jin in a new identity, and knows the truth of Ying Zheng being Zhao Pan).

Whether through fate or by Hong's never-ending efforts, Ying Zheng became king at the death of the old Qin king, his "father" Yi Ren. His mission completed, Hong is elated that his return home is now possible – only to have his hopes dashed at the last minute by the failure of his signalling device from an expired battery, which was designed to last only two years. Panicked, Hong recalled his school-taught knowledge about electricity and recruited his many friends to create a source of electric power. The experiment was successful, and Hong was on his way back home...

Then at the last moment, he turned around and returned to the sides of Wu Tingfang and Chin Qing, who in Hong's heart had grown from a "replacement double" to a true love. He had found the meaning of commitment and sacrifice in a world where love came with responsibilities and loss is often brutal and eternal.

Hong stayed and continued to aid the new King of Qin and became more and more indispensable to him, much to the fear and hatred of other courtiers including Lü Buwei and Lau Ai. But who can be a match to one who already knew the future? Eventually, the King got rid of his enemies, and held absolute power once and for all...

And it corrupted him. The naive and kind Zhao Pan had morphed into the ruthless Ying Zheng as depicted in history. Being told numerous times by Hong that he will one day unify China and become the first true emperor holding all-encompassing imperial rule, the King knew just how invaluable Hong would be to his future quests. Hong, however, sad and sorry at the evil he'd help create and also knowing that he is not destined to leave his mark in history (he never saw his own name in history), he refused, choosing instead to leave court with his two wives forever.

Taking the view that "if you're not with me then you're against me", the furious King sent his troops after Hong, and would have captured and killed him until he remembered that his own life and wellbeing is linked to that of Hong's through the threads of history- that the death of one would mean the loss of the other. Reluctant but acting out of self-preservation, the king sent Hong into exile, and decreed that the name Hong Siu Long should never be seen, heard or be spoken of again. All books that mentioned him would be destroyed, and the writers and scholars who disobeyed this edict would be killed – an imaginative explanation to account for Emperor Qin's notorious and brutal act of "burning books and killing scholars".

Hong, with his wives and sworn brothers, find paradise in the grasslands far from the city, and even has a son with Wu Tingfang. The last revelation is revealed during the final moments of the finale episode – Hong's son is in fact Xiang Yu, who would one day overthrow the Qin Dynasty.

Public response and legacy

A Step into the Past is one of the most critically acclaimed TVB production ever in the studio's history. It received very high ratings during its initial run in 2001, and continued to be highly successful during its midnight re-runs in summer 2005, leading to yet another trend of late-night TV watching after At the Threshold of an Era.

At that time Louis Koo was already famous and popular, and had major roles in countless TV series before. This was the last TV series that he took part in, however, because he decided to concentrate on acting in feature films rather than television. He has since starred in numerous popular films such as the critically acclaimed Election and its sequel.

Raymond Lam, in his first major role, was highly praised for his breakthrough performance as Emperor Qin, and rose to fame quickly. He has starred in numerous leading roles ever since.

Home video

After its successful summer 2005 midnight re-run, TVB decided to release A Step Into The Past on DVD and VCD for the first time on November 18 of the same year. It also became the second TVB drama to receive a DVD release (after War and Beauty), and the first to receive a non-limited release.

Trivia

  • A minor character in the series, the wealthy businessman who invented the time machine for Hong Siu Lung to travel back to the Qin era, resembles in many ways to Richard Li, the son of wealthy Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-Shing. The resemblance could be interpreted as intentional, as Richard Li was closing a deal to buy out Hong Kong Telecom (then renamed Cable and Wireless HKT) at the time, which was hailed as the largest takeover in Hong Kong history.
  • While filming in Mainland China Jessica Hsuan was striken with Cholera causing her to the enter a local hospital. She remain in bed for over a month until she was about to leave and start filming again, during this time many of her costars including Louis Koo regularly visted. This caused Jessica's character to be absent for much of the series.
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