The renowned writer Chiung Yao passed away in December 2024, sending shockwaves across the world. International media outlets such as The New York Times and The Economist published extensive articles honoring this legendary author who touched the hearts of countless readers and viewers.
Prior to this, an unprecedented exhibition focusing on her creative journey was successfully launched through the joint efforts of many. Planned by Taipei and Shanghai, the exhibition debuted in Beijing with the aspiration of gradually reaching a global audience.
This special retrospective exhibition, “The Changing World, an Unwavering Heart,” which ran for a month in late summer and early autumn of 2024, was hosted by the National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature. Featuring over sixty rare artifacts—including Chiung Yao’s manuscripts, film and television scripts, awards, photographs, and box office records from her cinematic adaptations—this exhibition was the most extensive of its kind ever held worldwide.
The driving force behind this literary exhibition, which centers on the theme of legacy, is the distinguished film and television producer Jessie Ho, Chiung Yao’s daughter-in-law, who shared her insights in an exclusive interview with《The Icons》last August and September.
A Cultural Mission
From producing iconic television dramas like “My Fair Princess” and “Romance in the Rain”, which captivated Chinese-speaking audiences worldwide over 20 years ago, to later serving as the chairperson of Taiwan’s premier film studio, Mandarin Vision, Jessie Ho has continuously demonstrated a deep commitment to preserving the legacy of Chiung Yao.
“Upholding the works of Chiung Yao—not just as a creator, but as a cultural brand—is not only a personal duty as a family member but also a cultural mission,” Jessie explained.
She acknowledged that exhibitions and research are typically best handled by established institutions or professional teams. “Museums, film and television archives, public agencies, and academic organizations are far more suited for such efforts than promoting or ‘studying’ ourselves,” Jessie noted.
Yet, as someone who personally experienced the fervent years of Chiung Yao’s creative journey, Jessie felt compelled to begin this effort herself. “It starts with reminiscing, then moves to legacy,” she said. “Through this, we hope to carry forward the love and joy that once united and uplifted society. Ultimately, these emotions and inspirations should guide us toward innovation.”
Timing of the Chiung Yao Literary Retrospective
Reflecting on Chiung Yao’s later years of writing and publishing, in 2017, she released “Before the Snowflakes Fall”, a profound exploration of aging, illness, death, and the true meaning of love. The book sparked widespread discussion on the concept of a dignified end-of-life experience and encouraged society to confront aging with wisdom and acceptance.
In 2018, she entrusted all her works to Stareast Press, under Cite Publishing Group, for a revised and republished edition. This collection was elegantly reintroduced with vibrant new packaging featuring floral and bird paintings from the National Palace Museum. In 2023, Chiung Yao’s debut novel “Outside the Window” celebrated its 60th anniversary. Also in 2023, Jessie Ho negotiated with the Writer’s Publishing House to finalize the simplified Chinese edition of the “Chiung Yao Complete Collection,” with plans for a 2024 release.
Reflecting on this milestone, Jessie focused on engaging a new generation of readers with Chiung Yao’s works. “The Chiung Yao phenomenon dominated the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, reaching its last major peak in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, younger audience and readers in their 20s and 30s today have rarely experienced this cultural wave firsthand,” she remarked.
“But classics are ageless,” she added. “I want to pass on these significant works.”
With this vision in mind, preparations for the retrospective gained momentum, aided by collective efforts and collaborations.
At the same time, the National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature had been elevated to a national first-tier museum. Its curators sought to host an influential retrospective on a contemporary writer, following previous exhibitions on Bo Yang, Lin Haiyin, Chen Yingzhen, Kenneth Pai Hsien-yung, and Echo Chan. Chiung Yao’s works, spanning five decades and multiple media, perfectly fit their criteria for academic depth and public appeal.
This opportunity, coupled with the Publishing House’s upcoming release, marked another significant chapter in Chiung Yao’s creative legacy. Prospect Artists cultural team, founded on the principles of “Reminiscence,” “Legacy,” and “Innovation,” became one of the exhibition’s leading planners under Jessie Ho’s guidance.
Despite its minimal staff, Prospect Artists fulfilled the roles of multiple museum departments—archiving, research, and exhibition—while coordinating with design and execution teams in Shanghai. Together, they crafted an exhibition narrative that highlighted the literary value, cross-media versatility, and historical significance of Chiung Yao’s works, weaving a cultural panorama that spanned Taiwan, the mainland, and the global Chinese-speaking community.
The World’s First Exhibition of Chiung Yao’s Creative Journey
Jessie emphasized that the team’s success stemmed from the richness of Chiung Yao’s works and the meticulous preservation of related artifacts. The exhibition deliberately eschewed overly ceremonial design styles, opting instead for an honest and immersive portrayal of Chiung Yao’s creative spirit and imagination.
“We wanted every visitor to enter this space and immerse themselves in her creative world,” Jessie explained. “Through her words, we hope they experience a multidimensional charm that transforms text into light, shadow, emotion, and memory.”
Titled “Through the Changes of Time, the Heart Remains” the exhibition draws its name from a poem in Chiung Yao’s autobiography, “My Story”. It reflects the 86-year-old writer’s current state of mind. Chiung Yao personally authorized the loan of several decades-old original manuscripts, including “Fantasies behind the Pearly Curtain”, “How Deep Our Inner Garden”, “She, Beyond the Stream”, and “Cloud of Romance”, alongside essays from “Endless Nostalgia”. She also penned a foreword, encouraging future generations with the message of “Love and Joy.”
Exhibits included 17 editions of “Outside the Window” from the past six decades and translations of her novels in languages such as Korean, English, Vietnamese “Misty Rain”, Thai “My Fair Princess”, and Japanese “Snow Jade”.
Additionally, the display featured highlights from her career in film and television: casting records, on-set photos, box office reports, scripts, and even awards like the Golden Bell for “Six Dreams: The Mute Wife”.
Ensuring the Perpetuity of a Cultural Brand
Chiung Yao’s works have long been regarded as an enduring cultural brand in the Chinese-speaking world. Maintaining this brand requires not only Chiung Yao’s creative output but also significant efforts behind the scenes.
“This is an endless cultural project,” Jessie said. “In addition to preserving the brand, we must renew and innovate to ensure its vitality across generations. It’s about connecting the brand’s spirit with contemporary contexts while ensuring its timelessness.”
Indeed, Chiung Yao’s works possess this inherent adaptability. Though primarily romances, they resonate with the aspirations of young people in every era, lending a voice to their dreams and desires. Her novels, films, and television dramas have always captured the zeitgeist.
From Generations Past to Generations Future
“Every family navigates generational transitions differently,” Jessie observed. “In ours, cultural pursuits such as education, arts, and publishing have been central. While the younger generation has pursued their passions in art and design, I see myself as a bridge between the past and the future.”
Jessie recounted her early experiences in television production through a cooperative education program during her college years. In the mid 1980s, when Chiung Yao’s team transited from film to television with the founding of Joy Productions, Jessie joined the production team under director Liu Lili, gaining firsthand experience on set.
That era was a time of rapid economic and social progress in Taiwan, marked by the unstoppable popularity of Chiung Yao’s television dramas. Meanwhile, Jessie’s drive to improve and diversify her skills led her to leave the team temporarily to explore editing, variety programming, and other production types.
By 1989, “Six Dreams” became Taiwan’s first privately produced television series filmed in mainland China. Jessie rejoined the team, capturing breathtaking stills of cultural landmarks as the series unfolded. One iconic image of Leanne Liu and Kevin Lin under golden ginkgo trees remains a poignant exhibit centerpiece over 30 years later.
Jessie praised Chiung Yao as a representative of Chinese-language writers globally, whose works have influenced three generations. “Her prose embodies the elegance of Chinese poetry, layered storytelling inspired by Western literature, and accessible, romantic narratives that resonate deeply,” Jessie said. “In a conservative era, her stories gave voice to countless young men and women.”
This literary treasure, hailed as a “phenomenal gem” of the Chinese-speaking world, occupies a pivotal place in the development of modern Chinese literature. Scholars have often regarded Chiung Yao as a key figure in bridging the lyrical tradition of “Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies” fiction with contemporary romance novels and even the advent of online storytelling.
However, Chiung Yao’s works, rich in multilayered texts spanning novels, films, television series, and songs, have profoundly shaped the evolution of popular culture among Chinese communities worldwide, leaving an indelible mark across diverse media.
For Jessie Ho, the retrospective exhibition“The Changing World, an Unwavering Heart” held at the National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature in Beijing marks only the first milestone. She envisions expanding its reach to the national stage and, eventually, a global audience.
Jessie also aspires to reinterpret Chiung Yao’s classic works through various media formats—whether online or in-person, traditional television or film, or even more pioneering and innovative approaches. Her goal is to ensure that Chiung Yao’s creative spirit is passed down through generations, allowing more people worldwide to appreciate this dazzling rainbow in the tapestry of Chinese culture.
“Preserving her works not only inspires and encourages readers passionate about literature and art, but through contemporary interpretations and adaptations, new sparks can ignite,” Jessie shared. “These sparks enable new generations of readers to explore and dissect the inner worlds of each character from different perspectives, which itself is a meaningful challenge.”
Jessie Ho reiterated that in recent years, global interest in Chinese culture has surged. Against this backdrop, “legacy” stands as an unrelenting mission, linking the old with the new and guiding society toward the future.
The words “legacy” and “mission” surfaced repeatedly throughout our interview.
“Legacy is not just a mission but also a rare destiny I cherish dearly,” Jessie said sincerely. “From our ancestors to me, and from me to the next generations.”
Recommend for more:
Graceful Shades of Sunset: Reflecting on Chiung Yao, Her Works, and Her Love
The Mission of the Times: The Legacy and Innovation of Chiung Yao’s Intellectual Property
