While Japan has its anime and South Korea has 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, likeveteran actress Fan Bingbing, found their fame skyrocketing after appearing in this kind of shows. In Korea, too, historical dramas alsohave been very popular, showing an international demand for this kind of content.
Update August 19, 2025: This article has been updated with more great Chinese historical dramas.
In the realm of cinema, directors from the 90s andcontemporary directors alikehave 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.
10My Heroic Husband
My Heroic Husbandfeatures the talents of Song Yi and Guo Qilin. The story is a fresh approach to the historical drama, filled with witty comedy while using modern characterizations in historical setups. The story centers around Ning Yi, a successful businessmanwho suddenly finds himself stranded in ancient China, living the life of an ancestor who is set to marry into a powerful merchant family. He begins using modern business methods in the past, increasing the profits of his new clan and helping people scammed by corrupt officials. His dealings reach the ears of the imperial government, who are quick to hire his talents, while he finds himself questioning his purpose in his new life.
9The King’s Woman
The King’s Womanis a period drama starring Vin Zhang, Dilraba Dilmurat, and Huang Qian. The story takes many cues from the legends surrounding the Qin dynasty about ongoing plots to kidnap and assassinate the emperor who unified China as a single nation. We follow Sun Li, the granddaughter of an important military officer whose immense beauty captures the eye of The Emperor. After being forced to leave her family behind and become a royal consort, she does everything she canto gain the respect she deservesinstead of being treated as another royal possession. Not everything is about strength with Sun Li, as she still harbors a deep love for a man in his past that she’s unwilling to let go of.
8The General and I
The General and Iis actually based on a novelwritten by Feng Nong named A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated. The casting features Wallace Chung, Angelababy, Sun Yizhou, and Gan Tingting. The story predates the second age of imperial China, set in the Yan Kingdom during the Han Dynasty. The story follows the intense rivalry between war strategist Bai Ping Ting from Yan and Chu Beijie, the General-Prince of the Kingdom of Jin. Their ongoing feud is unparalleled until they finally meet and realize they have a lot in common, eventually falling in love. Their different paths, however, have doomed their relationship from the very moment they meet, and they are forced to enter a battle of wits to try to overcome one another in the combat field.
7Legend of Lu Zhen
Legend of Lu Zhenis the type of progressive story thatthe Western world fails to achieve successfully. The intriguing story follows the story of Lu Zhen, a confident woman working in a government post with big political aspirations. The casting features Zhao Liying, Chen Xiao, and Yang Rong. In the story, we follow Lu Zhen, who begins as a lowly lady-in-waiting as she climbs the political ladder to become the first woman in the position of Prime Minister in Northern Qi. As she struggles to attain her goal, she meets with Crown Prince Gao Zhan, who falls in love with her but fails to state his feelings as they both work in prestigious positions that could make them clash in the political field at some point.
6Princess Wei Young
Tiffany Tang and Luo Jin starred in 2016’sPrincess 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.
5Empress of China
Fan Bingbing leads the historical dramaEmpress 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 Chinatells 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.
Related:Best Chinese Movies from the 90s, Ranked
4Eternal Love
2017’sEternal Loveis 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.
3Scarlet Heart
Scarlet Heart, when released in 2011, became so popular that itspawned a Korean remakestarring 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.
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2The Untamed
After 50 episodes,The Untamedfinishes 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 Untamedis a classic story of good versus bad magic, but was unfortunately forced to erase the LGBTQ+ elements from the source material to pass censorship.
1Nirvana in Fire
Nirvana in Fire, like many other historical dramas on this list, was adapted from a novel titledLang 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 Firereceivedover 13 billion viewsby December 2016, a testament to its strong storytelling and popularity at the time of its release.
