While Japan has its anime and South Korea thrillers and romance dramas, China has become well known for a certain kind of genre: the historical drama. Whether set in the throes of the ancient Tang Dynasty or embroiled in governmental conflict, Chinese television dramas have become very famous globally, solidifying a growing market for consumers in China and abroad. Many of the biggest actresses and actors have graced the small screen and streaming platforms in historical series, which span many episodes, and some actors, like veteran actress Fan Bingbing, found their fame skyrocketing after appearing in this kind of shows. In Korea, too, historical dramas also have been very popular, showing an international demand for this kind of content.
In the realm of cinema, directors from the 90s and contemporary directors alike have also been dwelling on recent and ancient Chinese history, taking inspiration from age-old conflicts and legends to create a unique national cinema. But in television, many Chinese dramas specifically look to the era when China was ruled by the dynasties for narrative arcs and inspiration, infusing elements of romance, fantasy, and action to tell a unique tale. With elaborate set designs and costumes, these shows often go the extra mile to appear as authentic as possible. That said, these are the best Chinese historical dramas.
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6 Princess Wei Young
Yuehua Entertainment
Tiffany Tang and Luo Jin starred in 2016’s Princess Wei Young, which received mixed reviews when it initially came out, but grew quite the dedicated fanbase. This series is set during the era of Northern and Southern Dynasties in Chinese history, and a princess named Feng Xin’er (Tang) escapes from a massacre of the royal family. Now forced to live in exile, she assumes the identity of a woman who helped her, Li Wei Young, and attempts to start life anew. Things are not that easy, and she catches the eye of another prince (Luo) in the region.
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5 Empress of China
Fan Bingbing Studio
Fan Bingbing leads the historical drama Empress of China. The show, which was released in 2014, was one of the most expensive Chinese television series to ever have been produced, costing almost the equivalent of $50 million, and it shows in the visuals. Empress of China tells the epic story of Wu Ruyi (Fan), a 14-year-old who enters the palace with dreams of serving the Emperor as a Consort. She does eventually work her way up into the position of becoming Empress of China, but not without struggles. In a palace full of schemes, betrayal, and accusations, there is enough drama to ride out the highs and lows of Wu’s life.
4 Eternal Love
Jay Walk Studio
2017’s Eternal Love is based on a xianxia novel, which is a genre of high fantasy influenced by Taoism, Chinese mythology, and cultural elements native to the region. Zhe Yan (Ken Chang) brings Bai Qian (Yang Mi) to the sacred Kunlun Mountain in Chinese mythology, and Bai Qian becomes the God of War. Life as a God is not picture-perfect, and as she trains to become the ideal warrior, another jealous deity kidnaps Bai Qian. This kick-starts an epic journey full of romance and deceit, ultimately becoming a smash hit online with Chinese and foreign audiences alike.
3 Scarlet Heart
Tangren Media
Scarlet Heart, when released in 2011, became so popular that it spawned a Korean remake starring the singer IU. A woman from the contemporary era finds herself accidentally sent back in time to the Qing Dynasty. She assumes the identity of her incarnate and now must become involved with the everyday court life of the Emperor and his sons. As she tries to adjust to this new era and way of living, she finds herself falling in love with one of the Emperor’s sons, complicating things even further — especially if she has to go back to her original timeline.
2 The Untamed
Tencent Penguin Pictures
After 50 episodes, The Untamed finishes strong in the genre of historical dramas in China. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are complete opposites, but, as it turns out, they are soulmates. There is a pretty quick twist introduced to this story, though: Wei Wuxian is killed before the events of the series, so when he finds himself resurrected, there remains the question of why he was killed to begin with. The Untamed is a classic story of good versus bad magic, but was unfortunately forced to erase the LGBTQ+ elements from the source material to pass censorship.
1 Nirvana in Fire
Shandong Film & TV Production Co.,Ltd
Nirvana in Fire, like many other historical dramas on this list, was adapted from a novel titled Lang Ya Bang. Lin Shu, the son of a prominent general during the Southern Liang Dynasty, finds himself in a predicament: his entire family is slated to be executed. They have been framed by political rivals and the Emperor has ordered their executions. Lin Shu survives, but not without some permanent damage. He now has the resolve to clear his family’s name, and so he joins the arena of politics to take down the current monarchy and create something entirely new. Nirvana in Fire received over 13 billion views by December 2016, a testament to its strong storytelling and popularity at the time of its release.
