PUBLISHED ONNovember 15, 2024 5:00 AMByYeo Shu HuiCelebrating birthdays at any age is always a happy occasion and some regard reaching 30 a big milestone in life.
For Chinese actress Bai Lu, who celebrated hers in September, it marked a noticeable change in herself.
AsiaOne was recently invited by iQiyi to attend their iJoy Thailand 2025 event in Bangkok and sat down with the streaming platform's global ambassador for an interview.
"When I was in my 20s, I was more anxious, confused and impatient. But after my 30th birthday, I feel a lot calmer now," Bai Lu told AsiaOne.
She explained that back then, she worried about "a lot of things", particularly her acting career.
"For example, when I haven't chosen a script, I get very stressed. I would think a lot and be in a dilemma," she added.
Bai Lu, whose real name is Bai Mengyan, debuted in showbiz in 2016 after starring in a music video by Chinese musician Rover Hu.
Over the years, she has had many iconic leading roles in costume and modern Chinese dramas, including The Legends (2019), Arsenal Military Academy (2019), Love is Sweet (2020), One and Only (2021), Forever and Ever (2021) and Story of Kunning Palace (2023).
In recent years, she established her acting career and had acclaimed performances in dramas, bagging popularity and acting accolades in multiple award ceremonies, including iQiyi Scream Night, Weibo Night, Weibo TV & Internet Video Summit and Chinese American TV Festival.
'I think the present time is good'
Bai Lu added to us: "Someone asked me which age I want to go to if given the chance, I would always reply that I don't want to go to the past or the future. I think the present time is good."
She also shared that in her next decade, she hopes to have opportunities to travel the world and look at scenery that she hasn't seen before, with Iceland the place she wants to visit the most.
However, home and the comfort of family is still the best place for her. If given an opportunity to go anywhere without being recognised, she would want to return to her hometown in Changzhou to spend time with them.
"I would take walks with my parents at the nearby malls every evening after our meals, or visit the place that we stayed at previously," Bai Lu said.
Bai Lu's recommended drama series
We also asked Bai Lu which of her series she would recommend to new audiences of Chinese dramas.
"I would recommend everyone to watch One and Only because it seems this drama is well-loved by viewers overseas," she shared.
In this costume drama, Bai Lu plays Cui Shiyi, a well-educated daughter of an esteemed family, who has been betrothed to the Crown Prince (Wang Xinyue) since birth. However, due to tragic events, Shiyi becomes mute, resulting in changes to the terms of her betrothal.
Zhou Shengchen (Ren Jialun), a general and the brother of the Emperor, returns to the capital during unstable political times and takes Shiyi as his disciple to resolve the tension between the royal family and Shiyi's family. After Shiyi moves to Shengchen's mansion, they form a strong bond as master and disciple, which eventually lead to something more.
The series is followed by a modern companion series Forever and Ever (2021), starring Bai Lu and Jialun as well.
She also recommended her upcoming drama Northward, in which she plays Xia Fenghua.
"I play a bubbly girl living in Flower Street. She's someone who is very strong and optimistic with life… The plot centres around a group of children living in Flower Street, who venture to Beijing when they grow up. I feel it would resonate with the younger generation who are making their way in the world," she said.
Besides Northward, Bai Lu's upcoming dramas include Moonlight Mystique and Lin Jiangxian, which also stars local actor Ayden Sng in a supporting role.
'I was very touched'
Over the years, Bai Lu has gained a steady group of devoted fans who call themselves Lu Rong, the Chinese term for deer antler, as Bai Lu's name translates literally to white deer.
They are supportive of each other and she shared that they would visit her frequently near her filming locations when she begins or completes a drama. They would also welcome her at airports whenever she visits a city.
And Bai Lu doesn't take their gestures of support for granted. According to fancams on Weibo and Douyin, she frequently treated fans who visited her at film sets to drinks and snacks.
Last October, when she attended the Paris Fashion Week, she bought postcards and autographed each one to hand them out to fans who waited at the China airport to welcome her home.
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When we asked what her fans did that touched her, Bai Lu shared it was the drone performance they had arranged for her birthday this year.
"An image that was very memorable for me was a time tunnel that showed me from when I was young, to before I joined showbiz, to the clothes I am wearing at present. I was very touched," she said.
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Watch our E-Junkies video for our full interview with Bai Lu!
Catch Bai Lu's dramas, including The Legends (2019), Arsenal Military Academy (2019), Love is Sweet (2020), One and Only (2021), Forever and Ever (2021) and Story of Kunning Palace (2023) and more on iQiyi.
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