In the most recent weekly list released on Wednesday by Sina TV, a Sina Weibo account covering TV content, the show ranked first for both its online popularity and number of total views, while Yi was cited as the most influential actor in an ongoing TV show for his performance as protagonist Li Bi.

On popular review site Douban, the show reaped a rating of 8.6 out of 10 by more than 134,000 viewers, with nearly half of them awarding it full marks.

Many reviews laud the show for its historical accuracy, from the costumes down to the sets.

The top review on Douban by Shanshui Yanhua, which received over 7,000 likes, says: "The detailed depiction of the city of Chang'an alone deserves a five-star rating. It is a historical show made with deep sincerity."

The beginning of the first episode uses a long take to set the scene of the ancient capital during a festive occasion, drawing the viewer down into the ancient streets of Chang'an to walk among the children, street vendors and officials.

According to director Cao Dun, the shooting process was very demanding due to the number of extras. With between 300 to 1,500 actors taking part on any given day, the preparation required to direct them was enormous.