...Did You Know?

  • Ekin Cheng wanted to do a big, long-running series like VOH because he feels it would be fun. Reporters asked if there would be any uncomfortable feelings if he joined Virtues because (his ex-girlfriend) Maggie Siu had joined. Ekin said that they were professional, so it would be okay.

  • Producer Tsui is good friends with Chow Yun Fat! He tried to get him to gueststar in A Kindred Spirit. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if Producer Tsui knows most of the stars at TVB. The cast listing for A Kindred Spirit and Virtues of Harmony I & II is so extensive that almost every extra that TVB has had appeared on each show once!

  • Most of the costumes used in Virtues of Harmony I are original and specifically-made for the casts in the series. It's very seldom that the main casts wear old costumes reused from old series. It's because so many costumes were made for Virtues that you will notice that every costume production after Virtues (2003 and on) reuses costumes adorned in the show!

  • Virtues of Harmony I has a significant number of specially-recorded background music. Noella Choi is one of composers for the Virtues background music soundtrack!

  • In one episode, Ah Yuet says that he can't recognize who is Foon Foon and Hei Hei just by looking at their face. He says that he just knows them by the color of their clothes. This is true not only for the character, but for Michael Tse himself.

  • The producer of Virtues of Harmony is the same one who produced TVB's other long-running hit, the family- drama A Kindred Spirit that ran for 5 years and spanned 1,129 episodes. In fact, the initial idea for the show was based on left-over plotlines that the producer had for A Kindred Spirit. TVB's executive producer suggested that he use the idea to produce a costume comedy. Thus, Virtues of Harmony was born.

  • Virtues of Harmony is the second longest series produced by TVB, running for 4 years and 770 episodes. It is only 360 episodes and 1 year short of taking the top spot as the longest series away from A Kindred Spirit.

  • Nancy Sit didn't want to take the role of "Yau Nim Chi" when she was first approached. She was afraid of the hard work and even wanted to turn it down. After much persuasion, Nancy decided to accept the role and she never imagined that the show would be such a massive hit.

  • The Virtues casts film for the show seven days a week, regardless of wind or rain, from 6:00 AM all the way until 8:00 PM. Only on very severe weather are the casts given a day off from filming. Otherwise, the casts can be found in TVB studios shooting scenes for Virtues every single day!

  • The clock on the set of the show doesn't work. It is just a prop for the background. The crew has to manually adjust the time on the clock for each specific shoot so that the clock will read the approriate time of day!

  • The sets used on the show have to be build and set up each time they film.

  • Virtues doesn't film in sequential order. They film according to set and scene locations. This is especially noticeable during the late 100's and early 200's episodes when Joyce Chen's hair was fluctuating between black and brown and curly and straight.

  • Some of the records that the show accomplished includes 23,160 minutes of airtime, racking up 6,948,000 characters in the scripts that if stacked together would be over ten feet thick, and the show used 33,196 meters of film that is almost as long as the Airport Express railway line!

  • Bernice Liu earned the nickname of "Princess" after her popular role in the ancient version.

  • Although Frankie Lam doesn't return to the cast to film for the show after he was written off, he admits that he misses the casts and stops by their studio now and then to say "Hi" and buy them snacks.

  • "Lam Yuk Lo" helped Bondy Chiu to regain financial stability.

  • Joey Yung is a Virtues fan and even wanted to gueststar in the show.

  • The preliminary gueststar list that the producer wanted for the show included Annie Man, Roger Kwok, Yoyo Mung, Myolie Wu, Rain Lau, Steven Ma, Shirley Yeung, Patrick Tang, and Fiona Yuen. Although they were only successful in getting Myolie to gueststar, they were able to make Rain and Steven part of the main casts for the show.

  • Hawick Lau was part of the "Fresh Five Tigers" while Joyce Chen was a member of the "Fresh Five Beauties." TVB wanted these two groups of newcomer actors and actresses to replace the stars from the "Golden '80's." They were suppose to heavily promote them, but something went wrong and only Louis Koo and Leo Ku became popular. The other members either currently play supporting roles or stopped acting.

  • After much teasing of her character in the show attracting younger men, Nancy Sit is dated a 37-year old man in 2005. Ironically, Frankie Lam, Michael Tse, Johnny Tang, and Louis Yuen are all also 37 years old. Nancy faced much playful teasing from the casts about her new relationship during the filming of VOH II.

  • Once, while filming, the casts kept making Linda Chung laugh, so she couldn't film her scenes properly without cracking up. She told them, "Can't you guys be a little more serious?" The next day, everyone teased her by repeating her line. Linda says she has a lot of fun working on the show and they treat her like family, especially since she has no one in Hong Kong. In fact, the casts are most protective of Linda because she is so young and worry about her.

  • Celine Ma (Bak Hup from the ancient version) was so upset that she got kicked out of the modern version that she cried to Nancy Sit. Celine explained that she was so happy to be working on the modern version that she couldn't sleep and had to take sleeping pills. She overslept and was late on the first day of filming for the show. The producer was pissed because Celine had a habit of coming late to the filming of the ancient version as well. Thus, she was cut and Rain Lau was brought in to replace her. Nancy Sit had asked the producer to give Celine another role, but unfortunately, nothing came about.

  • Michael Tao has the themesong of the ancient version as his ringtone during the first episode of 2004 series Shine on You.

  • Anne Heung watches the modern version of the show and dances to the themevideo in an episode of 2004 series Hidden Treasures.

  • Both Ah Nin and Ah San received "Good Citizen" certificates for helping the police to capture criminals!

  • Cutie Mui said that portraying the modern "Ah Mei" was very difficult and quite a challenge for her because the role is so shy and quiet. It is very different from her usual outspoken, loud, and gossipy roles that provide a lot of comedic relief!

  • The reason that both the ancient and modern "Ah Lo" adorns a red string on her wrist is because Bondy Chiu practices Kabbalah. It is said that the red Kabbalah string has the power to repel negative energy and ward off evil spirits. Many celebrities including Britney Spears and Madonna have taken up the practice. This bracelet has become popular and a trend as a result. It is likely that Bondy is wearing the red string to keep evil spirits away from her and maintain good luck.

  • Thanks to its popularity and success, Virtues of Harmony II had a lot of sponsors who wanted to advertise their productions in the show. It is because of these numerous advertisements and sponsors that the show earns $4 to $5 million HK a month for TVB! Some of the show's sponsors include "Haitian" Sauces (the soysauce of "Tung Mat Yuen" and choice of the characters), Klennex tissues, C&S papers (tissues, toliet paper, napkins (without them, what would Gam use? And what about the sickly "Ka Yan" family?), Coca-Cola, mooncakes (2003, Mid-Autumn New Year), Sony Ericsson cellular phones (ever notice why some of the characters have the same phones? They're all from "Sony Ericsson" and that's why there are some segments dedicated to teaching certain people how to use the phones and to show off the cool features of the phone), Panasonic electronics, "Aji" snacks (what the characters snack on), and the list goes on.

  • The VOH II site was opened specifically on the first day that Virtues of Harmony II started filming (March 21, 2003)! Incidentally, the Virtues of Harmony I site's anniversary date is May 5. That date is the first day that Virtues of Harmony II premiered in Hong Kong back in 2003! Coincidence? Or is it all due to fate?

  • TVB never imagined Virtues of Harmony to become so popular or long. It intended the show to end at 100 episodes, but because it was such a hit, they kept extending it. At first the extensions were only 50 episodes because TVB didn't want to make the series too long. However, since the ratings were so good, they just let it go on as it is a strong and stable ratings earner for TVB.

  • Virtues of Harmony II is the first series to be released from a filming during the SARS crisis, a very scary time in Hong Kong. One of the show's director caught SARS and became sick, making everyone worried. Nancy Sit and Joyce Chen both got sick and had symptoms similar to SARS, everyone was scared that they had contacted SARS from the director. Luckily, they didn't have SARS and it is thanks to the strong bond of the casts that everyone had the courage to move on and film for the series during the difficult SARS period!

  • The Kams' hometown village (Chi Lik Gung Jan) in the ancient version is named after a slang for a full-body medical check up. Gam said a few times in the modern version that he went to the doctors and even did a "chi lik gung jan" and yet they found nothing wrong with him. It's most likely that the writers named the village after this medical procedure. However, it is not the same words or meaning; they just sound alike.

  • Although Ah Yuet and Ah Lo are loving couple, Michael Tse and Bondy Chiu expressed that they can't stand the other's character in the show! Bondy says that "Ah Yuet" is too wishy-washy and not manly. Michael jokes that he would rather buy a bag of coal and commit suicide than be with someone like "Ah Lo."

  • Ah Sing is written off the show from episodes 288 until 338 because Hawick Lau was filming for the series My Family.

  • Stephanie Che is a spiritual and sensual person. She has an interest in astrology and turns to the signs in the stars whenever she has a problem. She even taught Bernice Liu a lot about the astrological signs! Prior to starring in movies and series, Stephanie was a singer. She won an award for her duet song with Andy Hui. Her first series was actually not the ancient version of Virtues of Harmony. It was the 1994 TVB series Heartstrings. Her co- stars included Aaron Kwok, Gigi Lai, and Fennie Yuen.

  • Bondy Chiu sang the duet themesong for Seven Sisters with Gallen Lo.

  • The Love is Beautiful themesong was sung by Stephanie Che.

  • Johnny Tang is very rich because his father was a famous opera singer!

  • Although Stephanie Che is loved by Virtues of Harmony fans for her hysterical portrayal of "Man Gwai Fei," Stephanie is actually more known in the Hong Kong movie industry as an actress whose strength lies in drama! She is praised for her acting of serious and dramatic characters in solid supporting roles in high-profiled movie productions. Stephanie jokes that she is grateful to Virtues for making her so powerful and fearful. In Heartstrings, she was slapped and abused, so with Virtues she can have revenge and slap others!

  • Yvonne Lam actually hailed from Miss Hong Kong! She was a semi-finalist in the 1980 pageant. In fact, she was one of the "hot doors" contestants, meaning that she had a great chance of winning. "Insider sources" revealed that she finished off in 4th place, only one spot away from getting a crown in the top 3! Can you imagine where Yvonne would be now had she placed in Miss Hong Kong instead of just being a finalist? Perhaps it is fate because had she placed, we wouldn't have her as the lovable but slow and rather simple-minded auntie in Virtues of Harmony!

  • Bondy Chiu was offered to star in Virtues of Harmony at a difficult time in her life. She was the top singer for her company until it merged with EEG and Bondy was shunned. She was looking for petty jobs to make money. Bondy is very grateful to the role of "Ah Lo" because it has given her financial stability and has also revived her popularity. Perhaps without "Ah Lo," there would be no Bondy today.

  • Linda Chung and Rain Lau cried during the last studio shoot party of the series. They didn't want to part nor the show to end because they've become attached to everyone and the production. Linda says that Virtues of Harmony was her first series and she feels that they are like family. When she first came to Hong Kong in 2004 to star in Virtues, Linda was very scared because she never lived alone before and Hong Kong is foreign to her. Also, her Cantonese was weak. She is thankful for the Virtues cast for being so supportive, kind, and caring towards her while she got adjusted to being in Hong Kong and living alone. Although they like to tease her, she smiles that it is all in good fun. When Rain Lau was first given her role in Virtues, she was thrilled because the show would be very long. This means that she would make a lot of money. Although Rain's role in the series was never that big, it seems that she has had a very fun time working with everyone.

  • Steven Ma agreed to be in the series because he was excited to work with everyone in the casts. He was happy that the script gave him scenes with everyone. Steven was also free at that time and felt that his partake in Virtues of Harmony would be worthwhile. From the start, Linda Chung has always believed that she and Steven would make a great pair. Steven is afraid of being hit by girls, but in the show, Linda's characters is always beating him up!

  • Miss Hong Kong 2003 winner Mandy Cho was once considered for a role in the show. She told her fans that she might appear in Virtues of Harmony. Whether or not the role that she was considered for was "Ah Lam," another role, or a gueststar is uncertain.

  • When Linda Chung was first casted to be in the series, it was said that she would be "Ka Yan"'s new accountant to replace Cutie Mui's "Ah Mei"'s role in the company. For some reason, things were dramatically changed and Linda essentially became the replacement for Bernice Liu and Frankie Lam's characters. She was the new "Ka Yan" beauty (Bernice) and its Merchandising Manager (Frankie). Linda admires Bernice, but said that she could never be compared with her. In less than a year, Linda's success and popularity is coming closer and closer to those that Bernice established in 2-3 years.

  • Louis Yuen was very happy when he heard on the news someone imitating his signature "dui bui dui" ("Isn't that right?") line for his character of "Lau Gam." Someone was become questioned by the police and added "dui bui dui" as the conclusion sentence. This line is signature of Gam because he speaks Cantonese but always adds the Mandarin "dui bui dui" at the end of his sentences.

  • Cutie Mui and Louis Yuen are best friends. Louis helped and supported Cutie when she was going through difficult times. This is the reason why Louis and Cutie are often seen in the same series together.

  • Most of the time, Bernice Liu did not understand what she was saying in the series! Bernice memorizes the script through the pinyin pronounciation of the words. She just says her dialogue without comprehending what she's saying. This is the reason why her screentime was limited in the ancient version. Bernice has admitted this herself and says it was only with time and learning that she was able to have a strong grasp of Cantonese and learn what her lines mean.

  • Nancy Sit was Anita Mui's master. She taught Anita how to sing! For those who might not know, Anita Mui is a legendary singer. She sang many memorable songs and TVB themesongs. She was also an actress and won several awards and recognition in both singing and acting. Sadly, she passed away in 2003. Interestingly, Anita was was linked to Virtues in a rumor that her ghost appeared on the Virtues set during an Ah San and Ah Lam scene.

  • Lee Kwok Lun earned the nickname of "11th brother" (Sup Yat Gor) after his character in Virtues.

  • "Ma Chi" promotes herself as "Ka Yin Mama." Nancy Sit has her own line of "Ka Yin Mama" products. She has been around in the entertainment industry since the 1960's. When Nancy was younger, she was part of the "Seven Princess" group of popular young stars. Since her time as a teen idol, Nancy has now adopted a motherly image.

  • Linda Chung's role in subsequent series after Virtues of Harmony II have all been connected to Virtues in one way or another. Her role in Always Ready is called "Sandra Sze Chor Kei." The surname is reminiscent of her pairing with Ivan Sze Gee San in Virtues In her gueststar in The Zone, the character that she screws over is called "Ah Sing." She deceives him to climb to the top. Linda's third series The Bitter Bitten is from Producer Tsui, the creator of Virtues! Her fourth series, a modern version of Witness to a Prosecution, is produced by Mui Siu Ching, Cutie Mui's sister, and she has a romantic storyline with "big brother" Frankie Lam! It's funny how Linda can't escape a connection to Virtues even after it is over! Or is because the Virtues family has become so big and is such a part of TVB that's it's impossible to escape one link or another to it?