Since its premiere, Listening Snow Tower 听雪楼 starring Qin Junjie and Yuan Bingyan has gotten a mixed reception from fans who love it and those who feel that it pales in comparison to the novel. One thing people can generally agree on are the amazing visuals of the series.
Director Yin Tao goes into detail about the the unique aesthetics for Listening Snow Tower. Yin Tao says that they had to do quite a bit of ‘homework’ to research old architectural designs from the Wei, Jin dynasties.
With the two main sets being the Listening Snow Tower and the Moon Sect, the construction focused on bringing out the traditional beauty of Chinese calligraphy. Art director Liu Ziyi adds that the Moon Sect is sacred and a place of beliefs. They refrained from using curtains to give it a cold and solemn aura.
They designed the set for the main hall of the Snow Tower with a concept of tranquility. The candles quietly giving off light and casting shadows and a sense of peace. They also drew inspiration from old Chinese gardens and paintings.
The same careful deliberating went into the props. The wooden table, the beaded headpieces, decorations and other artefacts showcasing Chinese craftsmanship were placed abundantly in the show.
Actor Qin Junjie has said that Listening Snow Tower applies a very modern perception of beauty to a standard wuxia. He liked its simplicity and uniformity in colors. It’s his first time to see this style in a drama and he finds it beautiful, very ‘jianghu’. Judging from the stills, I have to agree, it truly is a work of art.
jiminie
Wow from these photos, Listening Tower does look really awesome. Haven't started it yet, but will start it as soon as I get out of school for summer!
Unknown
It's a good drama with amazing visuals. I love the halls of snow tower!?
Heidi
SO far, love the music, love the visuals and I like most of the characters… but that relationship between the main leads… It's starting to get a little abusive. They need to work on trust and communication skills.
Jules Verne
I dropped this series at episode 10 because of the portrayal of female lead. Everytime the male lead is about to make his appearance (and show his skills), she becomes a total loser.
That said, I do admit the art directing of the show is very good and the furniture designs are quite unusual. I remember thinking the moon-shaped arches (8th picture from the top in your article) and wondering what they are apart from oversized lamp holders and realizing seconds later that they are swords display.
Peony
If you had kept watching, you will see that the female lead becomes much stronger and resilient through the journey she experiences through out the series. I think episode 11-12 was the turning point as the male lead does not initially allow her to enter listening snow tower so that she can experience the trials and tribulations for 3 years which made her a stronger person.