Chinese philosopher Confucius will have his life popularized on the small screen. Just as Chinese director Hu Mei completed her biopic movie about Confucius, a new TV drama targeted at a younger audience began shooting last week in Foshan, Guangdong Province.

Netizens replace Confucius' face with a photo of actor Winston Chao. [sina.com]

With a budget of 60-million yuan, the TV drama will be directed by Han Gang who says he has been preparing to present the story for three years.

Adapted from Qian Ning's novel "Sage," the TV drama will chronicle the life journey of Confucius from a poor child, to a widely admired philosopher.

Director Han Gang said, "The story starts as a Chinese student in a US university sets out to write a thesis on Confucius. He then meets a journalist that has been studying Confucius and his works for many years. Through their discussion of modern issues that disturb them, the TV drama intends to explore how Confucius' thoughts impact modern people."

The TV drama has gathered a stellar cast from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and South Korea. Taiwan actor Winston Chao has been cast to play the role of the ancient sage.

Actor Winston Chao said, "To portray Confucius on TV is just like deciphering an ancient poem using a picture. It will be more accessible for today's audiences who are just too impatient to read ancient works."

The scriptwriter will continue working on the storyline as the shooting goes along. The cast and crew members have promised a perfect TV drama, from script to production, to meet the audience's expectations and reflect their own admiration for the ancient philosopher.

(CCTV.com August 18, 2009)