The Legend of Clay Figurines

This film (drama)Also known as泥人常传奇，is aMainland ChinaProducerwomen sex，At1983Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating6.9(For reference only)。

Chang Jiabi is a folk artist specializing in clay sculpture. His ancestor, Chang Qingshan, was recognized by Emperor Qianlong during the prosperous era of his reign and was honored with the title "Clay Figurine Chang," being summoned to the palace to make clay figurines for the emperor and the empress for their amusement. However, Chang Qingshan was unwilling to live as a caged bird and longed to return to the common people. Eventually, he escaped from the palace. Since then, the Chang family has been living in exile, undergoing immense suffering. By the time of Chang Jiabi, it was the second year of the Republic of China. Chang Jiabi returned to Beijing from another province, and together with his sister Chang Jiayu, they set up a clay figurine stall, where they made their own figurines and also showcased their skills to earn a living. A local thug, San Heng Wang, demanded that Chang Jiabi make a figurine for him. After it was completed, he complained that it looked too ugly and insisted it didn't resemble him, leading to a violent altercation where he smashed the figurine stall and had Chang Jiabi thrown into prison. Zhao Canghai, the wealthy landlord of the street, inherited the family business from his ancestor Zhao Er and opened an antique and art collection store named "Cangzhenzhai." His assistant, Yang Jinbao, was skilled in martial arts and always stood up for the weak. He asked the shopkeeper to help rescue Chang Jiabi. To buy up Chang Jiabi's figurines, Zhao Canghai bribed the sheriff with silver to free Chang Jiabi and had San Heng Wang imprisoned. After his release, Chang Jiabi was overwhelmed with gratitude for his savior. Zhao Canghai offered him a place to stay in his spare room and commissioned him to make figurines, leading to the thriving business of "Cangzhenzhai" and substantial wealth for Zhao Canghai. Chang Jiayu developed feelings for Yang Jinbao, and they silently fell in love. Mr. Liu, a descendant of the Liu Zhenren family, made a living by fortune-telling and divination. One day, he informed Chang Jiabi that the overseas Chinese from America wanted him to participate in the Panama Fair, but Zhao Canghai disallowed this and often used the figurines made by Chang Jiabi, stamping them with a forged seal of Chang Qingshan, to create counterfeit antiques for profit. After seeing Zhao Canghai's true nature, Chang Jiabi resolved to break free and prepare to start his own business, making and selling his own creations. To control Chang Jiabi, Zhao Canghai contacted San Heng Wang, who had already turned to banditry, and had Chang Jiabi's wife, Cuihua, kidnapped. Chang Jiabi gathered a thousand yuan and asked Mr. Liu to help ransom her but could only redeem the boy born to Cuihua in the mountains; Cuihua ultimately jumped off a cliff to uphold her integrity. The Chang siblings were heartbroken, and to avoid Zhao Canghai's persecution, the family had no choice but to leave their home and go far away. Yang Jinbao killed Zhao Canghai, who had come to hunt the Chang family, and also left his hometown to pursue the Chang siblings. Five years later, he finally reunited with them. By this time, Chang Jiabi had aged and fallen ill, but he encouraged his sister to continue making clay figurines and to pass down the Chang family's sculpting skills.