A press conference announcing the beginning of the shooting of The Legend of Madam Xian, a TV series jointly produced by the Maoming municipal government and Guangdong Radio and Television Station, was held in Beijing on Nov 11.

Madam Xian was born in what is present-day Maoming during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (420-581) in the year 512. She lived in the war era among the Liang (502-557), Chen Dynasty (557-589), and Sui Dynasty (581-618) periods. She was a female leader of the Baiyue ethnic group who fought to safeguard national unity, promote ethnic group integration, as well as spread advanced production technology.

Madam Xian was praised by the late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) as "China's No 1 heroine" for her kind-heartedness to people and her loyalty to the country.

The script for the TV series took 10 years to complete, meticulously telling the life story of Madam Xian according to history.

Maoming is the shooting site for this TV series. A Madam Xian Film and Television Cultural City, composed of the Nanhai Tourist Island of Shuidong Bay New City and Motian Town in Gaozhou, has been built in the city.