Singaporean actor Ayden Sng has a new look for the upcoming Chinese fantasy series Lin Jiang Xian, also known as There Is A Fox In Hengmen in English.
On July 19, Chinese screenwriter and producer Yu Zheng, who is helming Lin Jiang Xian, posted a series of character stills from the xianxia epic. Xianxia is a genre of Chinese fantasy influenced by Chinese mythology, folk religion and martial arts with celestial beings, demons and more.
One of the stills is that of Sng, 30, who plays a supporting character named Long Yuan. While Sng is known for his contemporary style and boyish good looks, he looks quite different here.
Sporting long hair and a gold headpiece, Sng is seen in a fantasy period costume of dark blue, light blue and cream, with details like a belt and sleeves made to look like dragon “scales”. And perhaps most prominently, he sports a gold-and-silver dragon on his shoulders, befitting his character’s surname “Long”, which means dragon in Chinese.
Sng is signed to Singapore's Mediacorp and has taken on leading roles in Singaporean series such as All That Glitters (2023). He posted on his social media accounts like Weibo and Instagram in April that he had begun filming Lin Jiang Xian in Hengdian, China. The fantasy romance stars Chinese actress Bai Lu and Chinese actor Zeng Shunxi.
Sng plays a disciple of Zeng’s character, who harbours animosity for Bai’s character.
Sng wrote on Weibo then: “I never thought that I would be able to take part in a xianxia drama, a genre that I watched growing up. I’m looking forward to the next few months and the new and refreshing experiences.
“Being an actor is a long journey, but all of the ‘first times’ I’ve enjoyed have moved me forward, and I hope that the more I move forward, the longer and more interesting my actor’s path becomes.”
This is his second project in China, following period drama series Perfect Match, which wrapped filming in April but has yet to air.
His entry into the Chinese market is part of a partnership announced in September 2023 between Mediacorp’s artiste management arm The Celebrity Agency and Chinese production company Huanyu Entertainment – founded by Yu – to foster global opportunities for their respective talent.
Under the partnership, Huanyu represents Sng and Singaporean actresses Chantalle Ng and Hong Ling in their search for opportunities in China. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network