Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story

The series follows the lives of three Nyonyas from the Zhang family, a Baba Nyonya household in Emerald Hill, Singapore. The story follows Zhang Xinniang, Zhang Anna, and Zhang Anya.

Anya, born into a wealthy family, is abducted at a young age and forced into a brothel, facing a turbulent life. Xinniang, once a street beggar, is adopted by a wealthy family and grows into a striking and accomplished young woman. Anna, regarded as a bringer of misfortune by her birth family, is raised away from home, only to return with a changed temperament that unsettles her household.

As their destinies become intertwined, the three women navigate the complexities of family ties and love. Their journey explores themes of resilience and self-determination as they strive to overcome adversity and reshape their futures.

• Nick Teo as Zhang Yaozu, Zhang Jin Hai and Li Shu Yu's son
• Tasha Low as Zhang Xinniang Emily/Zhenen, Zhang Jin He and Li Shu Qin's daughter
• Ferlyn Wong as Zhang Anya/Zhou Hongyu (Chew Hong Ee), Zhang Jin He and Li Shu Qin's daughter
• Herman Keh as Zhang Yaoguang, Zhang Jin Quan and Kang Si Li's eldest son
• Zhu Zeliang as Zhang Yaoliang, Zhang Jin Quan and Kang Si Li's second son
• Chantalle Ng as Zhang Anna, Zhang Jin Quan and Kang Si Li's youngest daughter
• Zoe Tay as Liu Xiu Niang, Zhang Jin Hai/Jin He/Jin Quan/Yin Niang's mother
• Shaun Chen as Zhang Jin Hai, Liu Xiu Niang's eldest son
• Jojo Goh as Li Shu Yu, Zhang Jin Hai's wife
• Kai Hsiu as Zhang Jin He, Liu Xiu Niang's second son
• Jesseca Liu as Li Shu Qin, Zhang Jin He's wife
• Romeo Tan as Zhang Jin Quan, Liu Xiu Niang's third son
• Dawn Yeoh as Kang Si Li, Zhang Jin Quan's wife
• Sheila Sim as Zhang Yin Niang, Liu Xiu Niang's youngest daughter
• Rayson Tan as Zhang Qi Ye (Cameo appearance), Liu Xiu Niang's husband
• Priscelia Chan as Ping Jie, Zhang family's maid, serve Liu Xiu Niang
• Jolynn Min as Ah Fang, Zhang's family's maid, Serve Li Shu Yu
• Juin Teh as Yan Jie, Zhang family's maid, serve Li Shu Qin
• Gini Chang as Ah Zhen, Zhang family's maid, serve Kang Si Li
• Jernelle Oh as Ah Hua, Zhang family's maid
• Kiki Lim as Ah Ju, Zhang family's maid
• Seow Sin Nee as Ah Hao, Zhang family's maid

• Jeanette Aw as Yamamoto Yueniang, Zhang family's friend, Huang Zu Ye‘s adopted mother
• Zhang Zetong as Huang Zu Ye (Ng Chor Yap), Yueniang's adopted son, Zhang Xinniang's love interest
• Huang Yuzhu, Yueniang’s stepsister, Zu Ye’s biological mother (Mentioned only)
• Huang Ju Xiang, Yueniang’s mother (Mentioned only)
• Tian Lan, Yueniang’s grandmother (Mentioned only)
• An Qi, Yueniang’s granddaughter, Zu Ye’s daughter (Archival footage

• Tyler Ten as Bai Ah Li, gangster and childhood friend of Zhang Xinniang, likes Zhang Xinniang
• Chen Liping as Cai Zhu Niang/Ah Zhu, Zhang Xinniang's foster mother
• Elvin Ng as Simon Chen Dong Hao, Zhang Yin Niang's boyfriend
• Desmond Ng as Kang Zhi Jie, Kang Si Li's younger brother
• Aileen Tan as Su Gui Feng, brothel owner
• Chen Tianwen as Wu De, brothel customer
• Chen Huihui as Ying Jie, Gui Feng's maid
• Zhai Siming as Xiao Lao Shu, gangster, Bai Ah Li’s fellow, Xiao Hui’s boyfriend
• Yunis To as Xiao Hui, student, Xiao Lao Shu’s girlfriend
• Guo Liang as Gao Si, police inspector
• Dennis Chew as Ni Lao Zi, storyteller
• Cavin Soh as Qian Duo Duo, a supervisor working for Yamamoto Yueniang
• Chen Shucheng as Uncle Qing, Li Shu Qin's family's old worker
• Eric Lay as Guo Zhi Bang, Zhang Anna’s fiancee, but like Zhang Anya
• Ah Tao, Yueniang’s maid (mentioned only)
• Chen Xi, Yueniang’s love interest (Archival footage)

Mediacorp first announced the development of the series in October 2023 as a sequel to The Little Nyonya.^[7] Production officially began on 30 January 2024, with a main cast that includes Tasha Low, Chen Liping, Jesseca Liu, Chantalle Ng, Ferlyn Wong, Kiki Lim, Sheila Sim, Elvin Ng, Zoe Tay, Shaun Chen, Romeo Tan, Tyler Ten, Zhang Zetong, Dawn Yeoh, Desmond Ng, Herman Keh, Zhai Siming and Zhu Zeliang. Zhang Zetong took over the role of middle-aged Zhang Zuye originally portrayed by Edsel Lim and Zen Chong.^[8][9][10]

Filming for the series took place primarily in Singapore, with select outdoor scenes shot in Malacca and Johor, Malaysia.^[11] Mediacorp leased a two-storey conserved bungalow known as the Keppel House located in Mount Faber that is managed by the Singapore Land Authority to serve as the Zhang family's residence.^[12] Built in 1899, the property underwent a S$1 million refurbishment for the production. The set included a specially constructed outdoor kitchen, along with the acquisition and rental of various Peranakan furniture pieces, including a round wooden table valued at S$50,000.^[13]

The series showcases traditional Peranakan attire, primarily the sarong kebaya, along with traditional beaded shoes. Designed by Raymond Wong and Tee Yu Yan, the outfits feature intricate motifs embellishing each kebaya. After filming concluded, the costumes and accessories were donated to the Peranakan Museum, where they are now exhibited in a section highlighting the significance of costume in Peranakan theatre and television.^[14]

On 2 December 2024, Mediacorp released the music video for the opening theme song, "落花如雨", sung by Kit Chan, on YouTube.^[15][16][17]

Mediacorp secured its first pre-sale distribution agreement with Netflix for Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story in Southeast Asia. This milestone marks the first time a Mediacorp Chinese drama has been acquired through a pre-sale deal and premiered simultaneously on both Netflix and mewatch Prime on 10 March 2025.^[18] The series also debuted on 19 March 2025, on Channel 8 at 21:00 (SGT) in Singapore^[19] and on Astro AEC at 20:30 (MST) in Malaysia.^[20] It would be also debuted on sometime in 2026, on TV5 in the Philippines, where it would be taking over the timeslot formerly occupied by a simulcast of ABS-CBN Studios acquired foreign drama series after it was moved to All TV, following the termination of content partnership agreement between TV5 and ABS-CBN in December 2025.^[21][22]

The final episode for the series was released on 21 April, and 30 April for Channel 8; it was originally scheduled for 29 April, but was pre-empted due to the coverage for the Chinese Roundtable Forums for the 2025 Singaporean general election.^[23]

In July 2024, The Straits Times revealed that the redecoration works done at the bungalow which served as the Zhang family residence in the series were done without first getting the necessary permissions from government authorities.^[12]

The changes made to the bungalow were revealed during a media tour in June 2024, and officials with the Urban Redevelopment Authority inspected the site days later, amid feedback from an unidentified member of the heritage conservation community.^[12] The URA later allowed the changes on the basis of them being "superficial in nature." ^[12] Mediacorp was not penalised, but was reminded that such works require permission.^[12]

On May 8, 2025, Dr. Charmaine Tang, a psychiatrist from Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health, wrote in her column for Lianhe Zaobao that the final episode of the drama portrayed schizophrenia inaccurately and in a stigmatizing way.^[24] In the drama, the character Zhang An Na is depicted from start to end as a cunning and manipulative villain. Yet in the final episode, she is suddenly diagnosed with schizophrenia, despite never exhibiting any symptoms consistent with the condition.^[24]

Dr. Tang emphasized that schizophrenia is a complex and serious mental disorder. Its symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, social withdrawal, and cognitive difficulties—none of which are reflected in Zhang An Na’s scheming and calculating behavior.^[24] She argued that using schizophrenia to explain moral failings or harmful actions conflates a severe medical condition with personality issues. The drama also wrongly portrays individuals with schizophrenia as dangerous, which may discourage them from seeking help and further isolate them socially, making recovery more difficult. She urged content creators to consult mental health professionals when depicting mental illness, and to portray individuals with such conditions seriously and realistically.^[24]

Executive producer Loh Woon Woon apologized for unintentionally reinforcing negative stereotypes about schizophrenia in the drama and stated that there was no intention to equate mental illness with moral deficiency.^[25]