I know that Lost Tomb and Candle in the Tomb are adaptations of different novels from different authors and I’ve read that the stories and characters are not related at all.
However, I’ve noticed way too many coincidences and now I think the writers had common references and they walk by the borders of the same general story. Either that, or they are both awfully cliché and China only has about 7-8 tombs worth of discovery, which doesn’t make any sense.
Does anyone who has read both series of books have a comment?
…
(please, no unmarked spoilers, thank you) 
Maybe they are “authorities”- approved in a way?
1 Like
Maybe.
But wouldn’t they need to alter a few incidents and a few background stories to make them original?
Are they that similar? I thought they just explored the same places, basically.
I have the impression that they explore different places and get help and trouble by different people, but those places and people have way too much in common, either as background stories or as coincidences or secret information.
I’m not talking about meeting a mummy in a desert tomb, which is a must in this kind of stories. It’s more about the way each mummy sounds like it belongs to both universes.
Worse then, it’s “authorities”- approved storylines?..
I am a Chinese. The tombs they explore aren’t different. They have common references because they follow the same Chinese tradition and tomb raiders’ jargon.
1 Like
I see, it’s just coincidences then.
The dynasties are predefined, the traditions are predefined, the kind of people who are in the trade is practically more or less defined, so the stories have many common references.
Thank you.
Supposedly “Lost Tomb” was originally written as a fan fiction of “Candle in the Tomb” and was originally posted in a “Candle in the Tomb” forum, but the author later changed his mind and wrote it a separate story instead. However, it’s just a rumor, and yes, there are lots of similarities between the two. However, “Lost Tomb” does have a between expanded universe and backstory (such as Old Nine Gates), while Candle in the Tomb is very much a late 80s, early 90s tomb raiding story, which at time was a popular crime.
2 Likes
The fact that we have 3 generations (ONG, TLT, CITT) made my impression more intense. It’s as if the characters say “I’ve met someone who knows someone who did something like that”.
Thank you for the information.
I am the newbe here so please bear with me. Wouldn’t it be great, if there was a story based on say those thousand sholders that were dug up, and the other tombs that were discovered, aww yeah a mystery in the making kind of story?
wonder if the writers could grab a hold of one of these “tomb discoveries” and make a story out of it. Hey if they can make a story out of the those old stories that are here, why not a mystery behind them… someone find a writing somewhere? that candle in a tomb and that other one, did seem kind of close. there was a movie on Netflix, where someone found a tomb. A lot of drama there too! No more description for that one. that was so “edge of the seat story!” so why not our fantastic writers get together and write an intriguing story about these , the who what where when how why stuff? even throw a UFO in there!! my imagination is running away with me!!! even an Indiana Jones type guy! I do love the Chinese dramas as well as the others.
I’m not sure they’d like to cooperate. Writers are artists. Artists have big egos 
There might be a story about the ones you mention, but I am not familiar with chinese editions. Funny you ask for UFOs, the student in “Candle in the Tomb” is a UFO fan, I guess there are more people who believe that the monuments were created by aliens.
As for tomb mystery dramas, I think they have a bumpy road ahead. Look at “Old Nine Gates” for example. It got butchered on the editing table.
sad to say you are so right, ego’s away! what impresses me so much about allthese writers C hinese, Korean, Tiwan, Japan, yes American too, british, they have a great imagination! they intrigue me, Like that W one? now that was an imagination on the go! Sure I could name a lot more, that Ryo( mis spelled) in love, the girl going back 300 years? wow! thats what my suggestion was, if they can do a scifi like that why not something about those archaeology digs? remember (prince on the rooftop) he goes back and hides something in or under that ,I think it was the palace, and the girl finds it 300 years later?? that mystery solved. and the king who wore yellow, and what about those guys die mysteriously, again my imagination running away with me. the what if’s if you will… like that Joseun Xfiles, mystery book, the guy goes investigate stuff mysterious that has happened, and yes at the end there was a UFO. I will find the title" Secret Investigation Record" aah found it! anyway thats my ideas
found another intriguing drama, the lady that is researching a photo. oh boy ! I have watched 2 episodes, really neat. thats what I am talking about! and she is the picture!!! pick something and go with it…