The "culture of flattery" at TVB is the reason why Xuan Xuan left

Hong Kong, February 5: Tuyen Huyen's candid remarks in a recent interview have revealed the underlying reasons behind her decision to leave TVB after many years of dedication.
Tuyen Huyen summarized her reason for leaving with the statement, "the way things were run made me uncomfortable," but behind that was a persistent conflict with the "unwritten rules" that the actress refused to compromise on.
Professional principles do not allow for compromise.
According to Sohu on February 3rd, in her latest interview, Xuan Xuan admitted that there was a time when she realized she had to "polish her shoes," meaning flatter and curry favor with people she didn't want to please. "I asked myself if I could do it. The answer was no," the actress said. This realization led to her decision to leave TVB , a decisive but also agonizing choice after many years of dedication.
The concept of "shoe-polishing culture," a Cantonese term referring to the habit of flattery, was mentioned repeatedly by Tuyen Huyen when discussing her work environment at TVB. According to her, it's an unspoken survival rule that not everyone is willing to follow. In Tuyen Huyen's professional philosophy, the line between work and personal life must be clearly separated. She believes she doesn't care about the personal characteristics of her colleagues; as long as they are suitable for the job, she's willing to cooperate. This philosophy, which prioritizes competence and professionalism, made it difficult for her to adapt to an atmosphere where skillful relationship-building and pleasing superiors were essential.
Tuyen Huyen's firm professional principles were evident from a very early age. During her participation in the K-100 program in the early years of her career, she publicly questioned the TV station's favoritism towards a star singer who arrived many hours late, while strictly reprimanding actors for punctuality. Looking back years later, Tuyen Huyen still maintains that it was a matter of professional conduct and ethics. She also acknowledges her good fortune that her then-leader, Trần Chí Vân, did not "freeze" her career because of her frankness.
The real turning point came around 2011, when TVB underwent a major personnel shake-up. Colleagues who had been like family left one after another, the new team struggled to integrate, costs skyrocketed, and conflicts at work increased. The environment that had once brought Xuan Xuan a sense of familiarity and joy gradually became strange and burdensome. The actress admitted that she prioritized happiness in her career choices and always worked according to her own feelings. When she no longer felt happy, she chose to leave.
'The culture of flattery' at TVB is the reason why Xuan Xuan left - Photo 3.
Although TVB was the "launching pad" that helped Xuan Xuan rise to fame, the shortcomings in its operation led the actress to leave without hesitation.
The decision to end her nearly 20-year relationship with TVB clearly reflects Xuan Xuan's unyielding character. Previously, she had rejected a marriage to a wealthy family because she refused to compromise her principles. In the cutthroat world of entertainment like TVB, she once again chose to say no to compromise.
From classic roles in Detective Files IV and The Time Machine , Tuyen Huyen has left a deep impression on the screen, while also carrying with her the professional pride she has always upheld.
As audiences increasingly yearn for TVB's golden age of professionalism and purity, Xuan Xuan's departure seems to have become a symbolic pause. It's not just the story of an actress, but also a reminder of values ​​once cherished, which are gradually being replaced within the workings of a large system.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper