Your Guide To Who’s Who On ‘Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story’
By Larissa Wong and Laila Mishazira – published
If you’re Singaporean, the term “Little Nyonya” likely evokes a wave of nostalgia, harking back to an iconic local period drama that first graced our screens almost two decades ago in 2008. This year, The Little Nyonya returns with a spin-off series, Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story. In a testament to its enduring appeal, the series topped the charts on Netflix Singapore after just one week, a remarkable achievement that made headlines locally.
Set in the 1950s to 1970s, the show follows the lives of the Zhangs, a wealthy Peranakan family in Singapore. Filled with unexpected family reunions, rivalries, and romance, the show tells stories of the resilient women navigating relationships and tumultuous family dynamics, each determined to break away from the confines of societal expectations.
The show features a mix of Singapore actors past and present, including the OG Little Nyonya Jeanette Aw, as well as veteran actors Zoe Tay, Romeo Tan and Jesseca Liu. Emerald Hill also features rising stars and fresh faces, including the new trio of Little Nyonyas: Tasha Low, Chantalle Ng and Ferlyn G, as well as Tyler Ten and Zhang Ze Tong.
With an all-new 30 episode series of intense family drama, heated love triangles, damning betrayals and a whole lot of twists yet to unfold, keep scrolling for your guide to who’s who on Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story.
Related article: Ranking All The ‘Emerald Hill’ Characters, From The Most To Least Evil
1. Zoe Tay as Liu Xiu Niang
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Singaporean acting legend Zoe Tay plays Liu Xiu Niang, the family’s matriarch. Tay’s character in Emerald Hill is a powerful, sophisticated woman who, despite experiencing devastating heartbreak, remains deeply involved in the family’s affairs and is in the know about every member.
2. Shaun Chen as Zhang Jinhai
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Commanding the screen as Zhang Jinhai, Shaun Chen plays the eldest son of the Zhang family and husband to Li Shu Yu (Jojo Goh). His character generally keeps his hands clean of squabbles that arise within the family, and shares a distant relationship with his son, Zhang Yaozu (Nick Teo).
3. Jojo Goh as Li Shu Yu
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Since winning the award for ‘Most Promising Actress’ in 2014 at the Malaysian Film Festival, Jojo Goh has gone on to act for over a decade, gaining recognition for projects like 29 February (2012) and Beijing to Moscow (2024).
Goh plays Li Shu Yu, the wife of Jinhai (Shaun Chen). Shu Yu embodies traditional homemaker values that were particularly emphasised in those days, patiently serving the Zhang family once she marries into it.
Related article: ‘Emerald Hill’’s Kebaya Maker On The Hidden Meanings Behind The Characters’ Kebayas
4. Hsiu Chieh Kai as Zhang Jinhe
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Taiwanese actor and producer Hsiu Chieh Kai is best known for his roles in dramas and films such as Midnight Food Store (2018) and Light the Night (2021).
He plays the affluent Zhang family’s second son, Zhang Jinhe, who is also Li Shu Qin’s (Jesseca Liu) husband. Jinhai passed the responsibility of the family business to Jinhe, who now bears the weight of upholding the Zhang family’s legacy and ensuring its continued success.
5. Jesseca Liu as Li Shu Qin
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Known for her versatility in romance, drama, and thriller genres, Malaysian-born and Singapore-based actress Jesseca Liu plays Li Shu Qin.
Shuqin runs the Zhang household as the filial daughter-in-law to matriarch Xiu Niang (Zoe Tay) and loving wife to Jinhe (Hsiu Chieh Kai). She also steps in as the foster mother to Xin Niang (Tasha Low) when the child is 10 years old.
6. Romeo Tan as Zhang Jinquan
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Veteran actor Romeo Tan has been in the industry for about two decades and is best known for his work in Sudden (2013), 96°C Café (2013) and Yes, We Can! (2014), amongst many others.
Romeo stars in Emerald Hill as Zhang Jinquan, a prominent member of the Zhang clan, husband of Kang Si Li, played by Dawn Yeoh, and father of Zhang Anna, played by Chantalle Ng.
Related article: Where To Shop Peranakan Jewellery, Inspired By The Pieces Worn On ‘Emerald Hill’
7. Dawn Yeoh as Kang Si Li
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You may recognise Dawn Yeoh from shows such as Daddy At Home (2009) and Disclosed (2013).
Yeoh plays Kang Si Li, wife of Jinquan (Romeo Tan), daughter-in-law of Xiu Niang (Zoe Tay), and one of the smartest and fiercest members of the Zhang clan.
8. Sheila Sim as Zhang Yin Niang
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Singaporean actress and model Sheila Sim’s appearance in Emerald Hill not only signals her debut in a period drama, but also her return to acting after a three-year break.
In a time when women were generally expected to be submissive, her character, Zhang Yin Niang, poses a stark contrast to the other female characters. The youngest of the Zhang children, she is outspoken and not afraid to challenge the status quo.
9. Elvin Ng as Chen Donghao
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Known for his roles in shows like C.L.I.F. (2011) and Breakout (2010), and the youngest male artiste to receive the All-Time Favorite Award at the Star Awards, Elvin Ng is no stranger to Singaporean audiences.
He plays Chen Donghao, the assistant to Jinhe (Hsiu Chieh Kai), who runs the Zhang’s family business. Along the way, romance blossoms between Ng’s character and Yin Niang (Sheila Sim).
Related article: 12 Best Peranakan Restaurants In Singapore
10. Jeanette Aw as Yamamoto Yue Niang
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Jeanette Aw, who previously captivated audiences as the lead in The Little Nyonya, reprises her role as Yamamoto Yue Niang, but as a supporting act this time: the adoptive mother of Zhang Ze Tong’s character, Zuye.
Aw’s return is highly anticipated by fans who are eager to continue witnessing Yue Niang’s story unfold in this new chapter, a few years after the original series left off.
11. Zhang Ze Tong as Huang Zuye
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Malaysian-born and Singapore-based actor Zhang Ze Tong is best known for clinching first place in the reality talent show Star Search 2020 and for his roles in A Jungle Survivor (2020) and All That Glitters (2023)—which earned him awards for ‘Best Newcomer’ and Best Supporting actor at the Star Awards in 2021 and 2024.
In Emerald Hill, Ze Tong takes on the pivotal role of Huang Zuye, adoptive son of Yue Niang, the OG Little Nyonya character, reprised by Jeanette Aw. Zuye is an innocent 18-year-old fresh graduate working to help his mother’s business in Melaka. While Ze Tong’s character Zuye has yet to be explored in the series for now, we know that he is a key character and one of Xin Niang’s love interests on the show.
Related article: Tyler Ten And Zhang Ze Tong On Their Career-Making Roles In ‘Emerald Hill’
12. Tyler Ten as Bai A-Li
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Up-and-coming Singaporean actor-model Tyler Ten, who was one of the top 12 finalists in Star Search 2020, is known for his roles in All That Glitters (2023) and Love on a Shoestring (2024).
In Emerald Hill, he plays Bai A-Li, an affable coolie who is also the childhood friend and love interest of primary protagonist Xinniang. A-Li is a key character who rivals Zuye at the opposite end of the love triangle as they both strive to capture the new Little Nyonya’s heart simultaneously.
13. Tasha Low as Zhang Xin Niang
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Tasha Low takes over the reins from Jeanette Aw as the main protagonist, portraying the role of Zhang Xin Niang. Low got her start in a Singaporean-Korean K-pop group called Skarf, alongside fellow Emerald Hill co-star Ferlyn Wong. In 2018, Tasha came back to Singapore to pursue her acting career and got cast in a variety of projects, including The Diam Diam Era (2020) , Live Your Dreams (2021) and now, Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story.
Her character Xin Niang was taken in as a child and raised by the prominent Zhang family, after her adoptive mother Ah Zhu, played by Chen Liping, claims that Xin Niang is a long-lost daughter of the Zhang Jin He (Hsiu Chieh-Kai) and Li Shu Qin (Jesseca Liu). Xinniang finds herself caught amidst intense family drama and in a love triangle with Huang Zuye and Bai A-Li, played by Zhang Ze Tong and Tyler Ten respectively.
14. Chantalle Ng as Zhang Anna
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Singaporean actress Chantalle Ng is best known for her roles in While We Are Young (2017), The Distance Between (2018) and My Star Bride (2021), as well as for bagging the ‘Best Newcomer Award’ at the 2018 Star Awards. While she is typically known for portraying characters with sweet and bubbly personalities, the star steps into her first villain role as Zhang Anna, the main antagonist of Emerald Hill.
Anna, one of the three female main characters, is believed to be the real daughter of Jin Quan (Romeo Tan) and Si Li (Dawn Yeoh). She develops resentment for the family after being sent away to live with relatives as an infant and only returns years after at 10 years old. As Xin Niang’s jealous and resentful nemesis, Anna finds every possible opportunity to sabotage Xin Niang out of the family.
Fun fact: The Little Nyonya’s original villain was played by Lin Mei Jiao, who is Chantalle’s real-life mother!
15. Ferlyn Wong as Zhou Hongyu
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Ferlyn Wong, also known as Ferlyn G, is a familiar face in the entertainment world. Her career, which spans over a decade, has seen her as a backup dancer, a K-pop idol, and an actress.
In her latest role, she portrays Zhou Hongyu a pivotal character in the Zhang family’s story and one with a sad backstory. Hongyu is part of the trio of Emerald Hill’s Little Nyonyas, each character grappling with romance prospects and family relationships to navigate their unpredictable futures.
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