So the invasion of Korean TV shows is challenging domestic TV producers' self-confidence rather than their actual market quota. In face of the overseas competition, what first comes to the minds of China's TV producers is not how to make better shows, but how to suppress their rivals through administrative maneuvers.

Based on audience numbers, Chinese television viewers have shown they think differently.

"I think we should open the door to Korean TV shows wider, putting more pressure on domestic TV producers and forcing them to strive to survive," said Chen Lin, a graduate student studying Chinese literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Learning From Competition

"There's an unbreakable law in the world of TV: content rules. You must have something in your TV shows, something novel, something interesting and something inspiring," said Wu Zuolai, research fellow at China Art Institute, when asked why Dae Jang Geum was such a hit.

Most of China's guzhuang shows (a TV genre referring to stories set in ancient times) focus on conspiracy, plot and power struggle between imperials and their ministers or between different political fractions. Exciting, but not inspiring.

While also considered part of the guzhuang genre, Dae Jang Geum tells a story about the struggle of common people: a grassroots woman who made her way through twists and turns to become a high-ranking physician in the imperial palace.

"The protagonist fights for her fate and demonstrates the greatness of human individuality, which touches the masses deep in their hearts and brings them light and hope towards life," Wu said, explaining the attraction of the show.

Korean TV shows also have excellent production values.

It took nearly five years of preparations before the crew of Dae Jang Geum felt they were ready to shoot. The producers started a website to solicit opinions from the audience and used it to make alterations to the script, in the hope of matching the audience's taste as much as possible.

"Our Chinese playwrights don't treat writing seriously. They write piles of scripts in a rough way, without taking time to rework them," said Hai Yan, a popular Chinese novelist and playwright.

Another advantage that Dae Jang Geum had over most Chinese TV shows was the loyalty of its actors.

Chinese actors often have other jobs while they are shooting a series. "They spend some time with this filming crew and then hurry to another for a different show or movie. So they never have enough time to study their characters deeply, let alone improve their acting," Wu Zuolai said.

Such things seldom happen to their Korean counterparts, and actor loyalty partly explains the success of Korean plays, he added.

Dae Jang Geum steals audiences from Chinese TV shows, but more importantly, it opens the eyes of domestic TV producers to their failings. If they want their audience back, something needs to be done.