# The Last Healer in Forbidden City

The Last Healer in Forbidden City (Chinese: 末代御醫; Cantonese Yale: Muhtdoih Yuhyī; literally "The Last Imperial Physician") is a 2016 Hong Kong historical fiction television drama produced by TVB, starring Roger Kwok and Tavia Yeung as the main leads, produced by Nelson Cheung. It premiered on March 28, 2016, airing every Monday to Friday on Hong Kong's TVB Jade, Malaysia's Astro on Demand and Australia's TVBJ channels during its 8:30–9:30 pm timeslot, concluding April 22, 2016 with a total of 20 episodes.
The Last Healer in Forbidden City is a fictional telling told through the account of a physician of Emperor Guangxu played by Roger Kwok about the Emperor's mysterious death at the age of 37. It has long been rumored that the Guangxu Emperor was actually poisoned to death. In 2008, forensic tests done on the Guangxu Emperor remains revealed that high levels of arsenic was found in his remains. The arsenic levels were 2,000 times higher than normal.

## Synopsis

The story takes place between 1898 (24th year of Guangxu) and 1908 (34th year of Guangxu), late in the Qing dynasty. Skillful physician To Chung (Roger Kwok) is named the new Imperial Palace physician after he heals Empress Dowager Chee-Hei (Law Lan). He eventually grows close to the Gwong-seoi Emperor (Pierre Ngo), who is under house arrest at the Forbidden City and stripped of his powers after angering Chee-hei by losing the First Sino-Japanese War and rebelling against her authority. He also heals the Emperor and helps his relationship with Consort Tsan (Rebecca Zhu).
As great a physician he is to the imperial family, To Chung cannot heal his crippled wife Hung Bak-hap (JJ Jia). He desperately seeks the services of bone-setter Fuk Ling (Tavia Yeung). Her treatments help relieve some of Bak-hap's pain. Impressed, To Chung refers her to the Forbidden City where she becomes Chee-hei's personal bone-setter.
To Chung and Fuk Ling's friendship eventually turns romantic but his loyalty to Bak-hap and her ulterior motive to kill the Emperor prevents it from developing.

## Cast

Character names are in Cantonese romanisation.

### Main cast

Names of the main cast are all homophones to Chinese herbs.
* Roger Kwok as To Chung (杜仲), the imperial doctor who enters the office of imperial doctors by successfully heals Empress Dowager Cixi's sleepwalking.
* Tavia Yeung as Fuk Ling (伏苓), the revolutionist and an osteopath.

### Imperial Qing

* Law Lan as Empress Dowager Chee-hei (慈禧太后)
* Pierre Ngo as Kwong-shui Emperor (光緒帝)
* Rebecca Zhu as Consort Chun (珍妃)
* Jonathan Cheung as Tsoi-fung, Prince Shun (醇親王載灃)
* Regen Cheung as Yau Lan (幼蘭)
* William Hu as Tsoi-yi, Prince Tuen (端郡王載漪)
* Pauline Chow as Empress Lung-yue (隆裕皇后)
* Janice Shum as Noble Consort Wai (慧貴妃)
* Amy Fan as Noble Consort Yue (瑜貴妃)
* Lee Yee-man as Consort Kan (瑾妃)
* Kirby Lam as Princess Yuen Kai (涴佳格格)
* Rainky Wai as Tak Ling (德齡)
* Jazz Lam as Kot Kan (葛根), Fuk Ling's Chuen Yan House staff and later an imperial guard.
* Tsoi Kwok-hing as Yuan Sai-hoi (袁世凱)

### Extended cast

* JJ Jia as Hung Bak-hap (洪百合), To's wife who is a disable, and using a wooden wheelchair to walk instead
* Stanley Cheung as Yam Sek-gang (任錫庚), an imperial doctor who is a closed friend of To
* Eileen Yeow as To's elder sister who always worries about To's heritage.
* Yu Chi-ming as Lee Lin-Ying (李連英)

## Development

* The costume fitting ceremony and blessing ceremony was held together on May 12, 2015 at 4:00 pm Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio 15.
* A promo image of The Last Healer in Forbidden City was featured in TVB's 2016 calendar for the month of October .
* The Last Healer in Forbidden City was one of five dramas shelved by new TVB CEO Mark Lee (李寶安) in early 2016, as he considered the drama low quality and not fit to be broadcast.

## Viewership ratings

| Timeslot (HKT) | # | Week | Episode(s) | Average points | Peaking points |
| Mon – Fri (8:30–9:30 pm) 20:30–21:30 | 1 | Mar 28 – April 1, 2016 | 1–5 | 25 | – |
| Mon – Fri (8:30–9:30 pm) 20:30–21:30 | 2 | April 4–8, 2016 | 6–10 | 23 | 25 |
| Mon – Fri (8:30–9:30 pm) 20:30–21:30 | 3 | April 11–15, 2016 | 11–15 | 22 | 23 |
| Mon – Fri (8:30–9:30 pm) 20:30–21:30 | 4 | April 18–22, 2016 | 16–20 | 23 | 26 |
| Total average | Total average | Total average | Total average | 23.25 | 27 |

## International broadcast

| Network | Country | Airing Date | Timeslot |
| Astro on Demand | Malaysia | March 28, 2016 | Monday – Friday 8:30–9:15 pm |
| 8TV (Malaysia) | Malaysia | June 26, 2018 | Monday – Friday 7:00–8:00 pm |
| TVBJ | Australia | March 28, 2016 | Monday – Friday 7:15–8:15 pm |
| Starhub TV | Singapore | July 4, 2016 | Monday – Friday 8:00–9:00 pm |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2016 | StarHub TVB Awards | My Favourite TVB Drama | The Last Healer in Forbidden City | Nominated |
| 2016 | StarHub TVB Awards | My Favourite TVB Actor | Roger Kwok | Nominated |
| 2016 | StarHub TVB Awards | My Favourite TVB Supporting Actor | Pierre Ngo | Nominated |
| 2016 | TVB Star Awards Malaysia | My Favourite TVB Actor in a Supporting Role | Pierre Ngo | Nominated |
| 2016 | TVB Star Awards Malaysia | My Favourite Top 15 TVB Drama Characters | Roger Kwok | Nominated |
| 2016 | TVB Star Awards Malaysia | My Favourite Top 15 TVB Drama Characters | Tavia Yeung | Nominated |
| 2016 | TVB Anniversary Awards | Best Series | The Last Healer in Forbidden City | Nominated |
| 2016 | TVB Anniversary Awards | Best Actress | Tavia Yeung | Nominated |
| 2016 | TVB Anniversary Awards | Most Popular Series Song | Agony (靈魂的痛) by Hubert Wu | Nominated |

## Related history events

* Boxer Rebellion
* Eight-Nation Alliance