A scene from The Princess Weiyang. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The 54-episode television drama, adapted from the namesake hit online novel, will start to air on Beijing Satellite TV on Nov 11.

Set in 5th-century China, the series chronicles the titular character, a former princess who struggles to live with a fake identity and strives again for the peak of power, after her country is colonized.

Tang Yan, one of the most popular Chinese actresses on the small screen, plays the princess. She likens the life of the female protagonist as a "resurrection".

"She becomes stronger after experiencing the brutal war: Her country is conquered and her people are killed," says the 33-year-old actress. "But she has never surrendered to the tragic destiny in the turbulence, instead she uses her wit and charm to survive and strive."