Fans of Chinese historical drama would be missing out if they didn’t give A Dream of Splendor a go. Since premiering on June 2, the new series produced by Tencent Video has seen phenomenal success. Part of the program’s hype is tied to actress Liu Yifei (of Mulan fame)’s return to the TV genre of historical drama after 16 long years.

The highly anticipated series follows three women as they transform a boutique tea shop into a successful restaurant.

On the user-review platform Douban, A Dream of Splendor has scored 8.8/10 and accumulated more than 250,000 votes so far. Furthermore, the show has been watched more than 500 million times at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, on Weibo, A Dream of Splendor’s related hashtag has amassed over 4.7 billion views. Many users have shared their favorite aspects of the series, including positive portrayals of its female characters.

“The main theme in A Dream of Splendor is women supporting one another,” posted a netizen. “All the women are lifting each other up instead of bringing each other down.”

Others have surmised that the plot and representation of female characters are more realistic because the program’s director, Yang Yang, is also a woman.

Liu Yifei (left) and director Yang Yang (right) on set

“With the female director and several strong female leads, this drama really sheds light on the challenges faced by women in their marriages and professional development,” wrote one viewer.

Fans of the new series have also been enjoying the romantic storyline between Liu’s character Zhao Pan-er and Chen’s character Gu Qianfan.

“Liu Yifei and Chen Xiao look so good together. They are both incredible actors. The kissing scene is absolutely beautiful,” gushed a netizen.

Based outside of China and want to watch the series? Here’s a RADII tip: Watch A Dream of Splendor on YouTube with English subtitles.

All images via Weibo