Recently, according to official announcements, the second surviving authentic calligraphy work by Di Renjie—*The Epitaph of Yuan Chengjia*—was discovered at the only stele museum in China located in Luoyang. This has once again brought into public view this renowned Tang Dynasty chancellor and legendary detective across time.

Looking back at ancient Chinese history, few officials have held such high positions of power while simultaneously enjoying such widespread popularity among the people. Di Renjie’s national fame stems from dozens of film and television adaptations—but what exactly is the secret behind his enduring appeal?

Detail of *The Epitaph of Yuan Chengjia*. Collection of Qian Tang Zhi Zhai Museum.

East Meets West: The Detective Known as "Judge Dee"

Di Renjie's journey to household name status carries a certain legendary quality: the story of this Tang Dynasty detective was first reshaped through overseas sinological research, then flowed back into China’s film and television market, ultimately evolving into a national cultural icon.

In 1943, Dutch diplomat and sinologist Robert van Gulik偶然 purchased a Qing dynasty legal fiction titled *Four Strange Cases of Wu Zetian* from an old book stall in Chongqing. Deeply versed in ancient Chinese law, folklore, and literature, Van Gulik was particularly drawn to the stories of Di Renjie solving cases. Yet he also recognized the limitations of traditional Chinese detective novels—the resolution of mysteries often relied on dreams from ghosts or divine revelations, lacking the rigorous logic of modern deduction.

To address this, Van Gulik reworked the original text with a modified translation and creative adaptation. He removed supernatural elements and reconstructed the narrative using Western-style detective fiction frameworks, crafting a Tang Dynasty judge who embodied legal integrity, human warmth, and profound wisdom. His translated version gained strong acclaim in Europe and America, prompting publishers to commission him to create original detective stories featuring Judge Dee. Over the next two decades, Van Gulik produced fourteen full-length novels, two novellas, and eight short stories, compiled into *The Four Great Cases of Judge Dee*.

A master of traditional Chinese painting, Van Gulik personally illustrated many of the works in a style reminiscent of Ming and Qing dynasty illustrated novels.

Thus, the character "Judge Dee" became the most widely recognized ancient Chinese detective abroad. In the 1980s, the complete Chinese translation was published, laying the textual foundation for future film and television adaptations.

Early Film and TV: Popularity Still Brewing

The 1980s and 1990s marked the nascent stage of Di Renjie adaptations. At that time, domestic film and television production emphasized authenticity, focusing on faithfully recreating historical narratives and period aesthetics. In 1986, China’s first theatrical film about Di Renjie, *Blood on the Painted Screen*, premiered. Based on the "Iron Nail Case," it meticulously recreated ancient forensic procedures, interrogations, and judicial processes. That same year, the four-episode mini-series *Cases of Judge Dee* aired, selecting classic cases and staying true to the original plot, becoming a representative early adaptation.

Taiyuan Television’s *Legend of Judge Dee’s Judgments* stands as a benchmark of this era. The first season, which premiered in 1987 and starred Sun Chengzheng as Di Renjie, focused on intriguing folk cases, distinguished by meticulous attention to detail and logical coherence, accurately capturing the core essence of classical mystery storytelling. The sequel, released in 1999, continued to uphold realistic storytelling, delving deeper into case logic and the bustling urban life of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Spanning over a decade, these two series remain the most faithful adaptations of *The Four Great Cases of Judge Dee*, earning solid audience acclaim and building a strong foundation for the IP.

Around the same time, Hong Kong and Taiwan actors began experimenting with the character, appearing in productions such as *The Righteous Chancellor Di Renjie*. These series expanded beyond simple mystery-solving, incorporating court politics, personal fates, and patriotic sentiment. However, adaptations during this period remained niche and high-quality rather than mass-market hits.

The Puzzle Game: “Yuanfang” Becomes a Household Name

The 2004 release of *Detective Di Renjie* marked a pivotal moment in the local transformation of the Di Renjie IP. Screenwriter Qian Yanqiu broke free from Van Gulik’s original narrative framework, elevating the story’s scope from local village crimes to the power struggles within the Wu Zhou imperial court. Liang Guanhua, an actor from the Beijing People's Art Theatre, portrays Di Renjie as a wise and composed figure who moves with measured grace—capable of solving intricate mysteries while steadfastly upholding justice amid the complex power struggles of the imperial court. Combined with the striking contrast created by Liang’s earlier iconic role as "Zhang Damin," this new portrayal of Judge Di has deeply resonated with audiences.

Compared to traditional judicial drama series, *Detective Dee* features a tighter pace and stronger suspense, weaving together mystery-solving and political intrigue into a compelling dual narrative that captivates viewers. The famous line “Yuanfang, what do you think?” went viral online, becoming one of the earliest internet memes and bringing Judge Di into the public spotlight. The series enjoyed sustained popularity for years, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success. As a result, Di Renjie rose alongside Bao Zheng to become one of China’s most recognized ancient detective figures, completing a successful localization and reimagining of the original IP, transforming “Judge Dee” back into “Dida Ren.”

From then on, film adaptations of Di Renjie broke free from constraints imposed by foreign source material, entering a new phase of original storytelling. Works such as Hong Kong TVB’s *Dee in the Golden Age* and the period youth drama *Tongtian Di Renjie* emerged, portraying the character from diverse perspectives—ranging from a virtuous official among commoners to a young prodigy—making the screen image of Di Renjie more multifaceted and appealing to audiences across generations.

Cinema Production: Opening a New Chapter in Fantasy

While television dramas solidified Di Renjie’s national appeal, Tsui Hark’s cinematic adaptation expanded the IP’s commercial boundaries and genre possibilities. In 2010, *Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame* shattered decades of realistic adaptations, crafting a spectacular vision of Tang Dynasty grandeur through an intense Eastern fantasy aesthetic. Towering pagodas, mysterious martial arts secrets, and the opulent yet eerie capital city of Luoyang blended elements of mystery, wuxia, fantasy, and action into a uniquely Chinese fantasy epic.

Under Tsui Hark’s direction, Di Renjie emerges as a solitary minister combining the wisdom of a scholar with the spirit of a warrior—a more layered and vivid character. With the added star power of national heartthrob Andy Lau, the film achieved both box office success and critical praise, successfully establishing a distinct Chinese-style fantasy cinematic universe centered around Di Renjie. Subsequent films such as *Detective Dee: The Emperor’s Riddle* and *Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings* continued to deepen this style, elevating the IP’s commercial value through sophisticated visual effects and expansive world-building, transforming Di Renjie from a classic courtroom protagonist into a highly recognizable cultural icon of Chinese heritage.

The box office triumphs sparked a wave of creativity in the online film sector. Since 2018, Di Renjie has become a popular subject for web-based movies, with over ten annual releases in the same genre. Low-budget films like *Detective Dee: The Headless Demon*, *Di Gong Eliminates the Rat*, and *Detective Dee: The Nine-Layered Tomb* largely followed a fantastical, sensationalist tone. Though often criticized for crude plots and formulaic content, these works maintain high visibility for the IP due to their low production costs and broad audience appeal.

To counteract the negative impact of superficial adaptations, in recent years CCTV launched *The Case Files of Judge Dee*, steering the creative direction of the IP back toward its roots. This series recentered itself on the core themes of High Roepke’s original novels, eschewing exaggerated special effects and gimmicky storylines in favor of refined case logic and authentic depictions of Tang Dynasty urban life and bureaucratic rituals.

After four decades of evolution, Di Renjie adaptations have matured into a balanced tripartite structure: faithful, realistic detective dramas; politically focused historical epics; and visually stunning fantasy blockbusters. This dual-track development ensures the enduring vitality of the franchise. Across the Chinese-language film and television landscape, few historical figure IPs have managed to span decades, adapt to evolving aesthetics, cover multiple genres, and remain consistently nurtured by the industry and beloved by audiences.

Beneath the Surface: Is It Really Di Renjie Driving the Trend?

The lasting vitality of the Di Renjie IP is no accident—it results from a convergence of multiple strengths.

First, his unique historical persona provides ample narrative space. In official historical records, Di Renjie occupies a dual identity: as the Vice Minister of the Dali Temple, he was renowned for his efficient and impartial judgments, making him an outstanding detective whose storylines naturally support various suspenseful mystery plots; as a chancellor during the Wu Zhou dynasty, he navigated a complex political landscape, balancing competing factions while shouldering heavy responsibilities for the nation, lending his narrative a rich layer of political intrigue. Compared to figures like Bao Zheng or Hai Rui, Di Renjie's stories can be scaled up or down—ranging from street-level tales to imperial court dramas—offering exceptional narrative flexibility.

Secondly, the advantage of public domain copyright is the core reason behind the IP’s sustained productivity. Qing-dynasty public case novels featuring Di Renjie, along with Robert van Gulik’s *The Chinese Judge Dee*, have long entered the public domain, eliminating both licensing costs and creative restrictions. Moreover, since Di Renjie is a real historical figure, there are no disputes over character portrayal or image rights, allowing producers to adapt classic stories freely or create entirely original cases with minimal risk and low entry barriers. This enables top-tier production teams to invest heavily in high-quality projects, while smaller crews can experiment at lower costs, fostering continuous creative vitality.

Furthermore, the genre’s remarkable adaptability appeals to audiences across all age groups. Set against the backdrop of the open-minded and fantastical culture of the Tang Dynasty, Di Renjie’s stories combine seriousness with entertainment, easily incorporating supernatural elements to create vivid, imaginative visuals. At the same time, they uphold core values such as punishing evil and promoting justice, reinforcing moral integrity.

Finally, decades of continuous adaptations have built a strong foundation of public recognition, ensuring that Di Renjie remains widely known and celebrated across generations.

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