Local stories, global stage: Mediacorp’s Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story 小娘惹之翡翠山 acquired by Chinese media conglomerate Shanghai Media Group

Singapore, 24 June 2025 – Mediacorp’s period blockbuster Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story 小娘惹之翡翠山 (“Emerald Hill”) has been acquired by Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Media Group 上海文化广播影视集团有限公司. Set to air later this year on SMG’s Dragon TV 东方卫视 – one of China’s top five satellite channels with over 360 million monthly viewers – the deal marks another key milestone in Mediacorp’s ambitions to propel Singapore stories into the global spotlight.

The deal was announced today afternoon at SMG’s International Audio-Visual Content Cooperation and Exchange Forum 国际视听内容合作交流论坛 in Shanghai, China, where Executive Producer Loh Woon Woon 罗温温 joined cast members Chantalle Ng 黄暄婷 and Tyler Ten 邓伟德 on stage for a sharing session on the show’s cultural backdrop and key character arcs.

This move builds on the enduring cultural impact of The Little Nyonya, which captivated millions in China when it first aired in 2010. With its distinctly Singaporean setting and evocative storytelling, the series sparked widespread interest in Peranakan culture and heritage among Chinese audiences. Now, Emerald Hill is set to extend this legacy with a brand-new story — one crafted to resonate with old fans and captivate new ones as it reintroduces the genre to a new generation.

Virginia Lim, Chief Content Officer, Mediacorp, said: “This latest acquisition is a powerful signal that Singapore stories continue to command a place on the world stage. It underscores the growing appetite for authentic local stories; and reaffirms the calibre of our creative talent, both cast and crew, in crafting premium content that resonates globally. We hope Chinese audiences will enjoy Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya as much as they were captivated by The Little Nyonya, and will keep building on this momentum to bring even more distinctive Singaporean voices to international audiences”.

This acquisition deal builds on the title’s earlier success. Upon its debut in Singapore earlier this year, Emerald Hill drew over 1.67 million viewers on mewatch and Channel 8, making it the most-watched local Chinese drama on these platforms in five years¹. This is a statistic that excludes viewership on regional and global platforms: on Netflix Singapore, it made history as the first Mediacorp Chinese drama to debut at #1, a position it held for four weeks out of a total of seven consecutive weeks on the streamer’s “Top 10 TV Programmes” rankings. The title is also available across Southeast Asia via Netflix; to global travellers via Singapore Airlines’ inflight entertainment system KrisWorld; and additionally in Malaysia via Astro and Netflix, as well as in Taiwan, via streaming platform friDAY and TVBS 42.

Produced by Mediacorp, Emerald Hill is a richly layered spin-off of the beloved 2008 hit The Little Nyonya 小娘惹. Set within the opulent confines of a sprawling Peranakan mansion, Emerald Hill unfurls across two gripping murder mysteries and the entwined lives of three “Little Nyonyas”—a story of legacy, betrayal and love that spans generations. With its vivid cinematography, compelling performances, and a stirring theme song 落花如雨 (Echoes of Petals) performed by national music icon Kit Chan 陈洁仪, the series exemplifies Mediacorp’s commitment to telling authentic Singaporean stories that resonate far beyond its borders.

Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story is slated to air on Dragon TV 东方卫视 in end-2025.

¹ Based on Integrated Data: Pre Air up to 30 days+Live+Viewing On Same Day As Live+Timeshift up to 28 days on TV and up to 80 days on Other Screens. Data Downloaded on 23 June 2025.

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Media contacts

Lim Zi Ai
Communications Specialist
ziai.lim@mediacorp.com.sg

About Mediacorp

Mediacorp is Singapore’s national media network and largest content creator. Its purpose is to create engaging and trusted content, as well as to connect communities and inspire people. Mediacorp engages over three million people in Singapore daily across four languages on its digital platforms including mewatch, melisten and CNA.asia, six TV channels and 11 radio stations. Beyond Singapore, Mediacorp also has a growing international audience through CNA and content distributed across markets.

With a focus on nurturing talent and growing the sector, the company is committed to investing in nation-wide initiatives like Star Search, Anugerah, Yaar Antha Star and SPOP, commissioning a wide variety of work from local content creators, and collaborating with institutes of higher learning. As Singapore’s first local Multi-Channel Network in partnership with YouTube, Mediacorp is also committed to developing a network of digital content creators.

For advertisers, Mediacorp has partnered industry-leading brands like ESPN, Mothership, theAsianparent, VICE, YouTube and 99.co to form the Mediacorp Digital Network in offering more effective content-driven solutions. 

Mediacorp is the recipient of industry accolades including New York Festivals, World Media Festivals, PromaxBDA (World and Asia) and Asian Academy Creative Awards.

For more information, please visit mediacorp.sg.