10 Chinese TV Shows to Watch
While learning Chinese may be challenging, watching Chinese movies or TV shows is an awesome way to help you master the language. Not only do you get to see how native speakers use the language, what words to use, and hear the correct pronunciations, but you are also exposed to a Chinese-speaking environment with cultural elements. This can be key to understanding the language. On top of that, it's pretty fun to learn by watching TV shows/movies, right?
But what shows are there that are really good and will entertain you? Well, here's a list of 10 highly rated Chinese TV dramas that have come out recently, and you'll probably like at least one (don't quote me on that though). Oh and by the way - don't worry, these are all series online with available English subtitles, so you won't be totally lost if you can't understand the speakers.
1. 开端 Reset
Rating: 7.8/10 Douban; 8.1/10 IMDb
Episodes: 15 (40 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki
Adapted from the novel of the same name, Reset is a time-travel/whodunit Chinese television series that attracted over 1 billion total views after its release in January 2021 and it has become one of the top rankings of Chinese shows of the past few years.
The story starts with Li Shiqing, a college student who is woken up by the explosion of the bus she's on. After repeatedly experiencing the same explosion, she realizes she has been trapped in a time loop (ala Groundhog Day - sadly, sans Bill Murray). Unintentionally, she drags the passenger next to her, Xiao Heyun, into the loop. With clues collected from the repeated looping, they team up and try to stop the explosion and find who or what may be behind it.
If you like detective series, Reset is no doubt a good start, just like its name in Chinese (开端). There are also some detective shows for drama lovers in our next few entries.
2. 猎罪图鉴 Under the Skin
Rating: 7.5/10 Douban; 9.6/10 Rakuten Viki
Episodes: 20 (45 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki
Under the Skin is a popular Chinese series released in 2022. This crime drama features a talented painter Shen Yi who becomes an important sketch artist in the police department. Shen Yi is appointed to partner with the detective bureau captain Du Cheng, whom he has an unpleasant history with. As the plot progresses, their close cooperation pushes the confrontation between the characters to the max. This show consists of a bunch of fascinating cases while building up the two main characters' relationship at the same time.
Unlike most detective shows that shine their spotlights on the detectives, private investigators, and sometimes forensics, Under the Skin focuses on police sketch artists, their skills, and the importance of providing crucial missing parts of hard-to-solve cases.
3. 御赐小仵作 The Imperial Coroner
Rating: 7.9/10 Douban; 7.6/10 IMDb; 9.3/10 Rakuten Viki
Episodes: 36 (40 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki
The Imperial Coroner is a historical drama with puzzle-solving and political elements released in 2022. The series is set in the late Tang Dynasty and features a girl named Chu Chu who comes from a family of coroners and dreams of becoming one as well. She goes to the capital Chang'an to take the coroner exam and meets Imperial Prince Xiao Jinyu (little goldfish), who is in charge of the Justice Department and famous for solving crimes. They work as partners to solve mysterious cases involving political struggles.
Being a woman and a coroner, Chu Chu is looked down upon. With her sharp mind and superb skills, she gains respect and recognition for herself in the imperial court.
4. 庆余年 Joy of Life
Rating: 7.9/10 Douban; 8.1/10 IMDb
Episodes: 46 (45 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki
Joy of Life is a 2019 series based on the novel Qing Yu Nian (《庆余年》), the same name in Chinese. It has received high viewership with positive reviews and won two awards at the Shanghai Television Festival, including Best Adapted Screenplay.
The story features Fan Xian who was born in an ancient empire of Southern Qing, a made-up dynasty, but interestingly with memories of the 21st century. Born with a mysterious background, he grows up while learning martial arts in Danzhou, a rural town, and later travels to the capital of Nanqing out of curiosity about his own life. However, he is unexpectedly involved in political infighting among the royal family members.
One of the fascinating parts of the series is the protagonist's knowledge of modern history and technology, and he sure does make good use of it. Of course, the show also makes you wonder why he has this “superpower”. Rest assured, you'll get the answer.
Overall, Joy of Life is an excellent series that combines intense, exciting, and fascinating plots with plenty of comic relief.
One warning before you watch, however, is that the show ends with a cliffhanger awaiting a second season, which is still yet to be produced. Supposedly there will be three seasons in total, and the second season will be in production in late 2022.
5. 梦华录 A Dream of Splendor
Rating: 8.0/10 Douban
Episodes: 40 (45 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki
A Dream of Splendor is a 2022 Chinese streaming TV series. It is adapted from Guan Hanqing's Yuan poetic drama “Sister Courtesan Zhao Pan'er Saving the Wind and Dust” (《赵盼儿风月救风尘》), which is set in the Northern Song Dynasty. It tells the story of three women who go through various difficulties, travel from Qiantang (now Hangzhou) bravely venture into the capital city Dongjing (now Kaifeng), and build up a business - starting with a small tea house and growing it into the largest restaurant in the capital city.
The series shines a light on how women were treated in the context of its era while highlighting the bravery, wisdom, and indomitable spirit of the three heroines. It is an inspiring and empowering show even for our modern day.
In addition, the series also tries its best to restore and show the charm of cultural features and lifestyle of the Northern Song Dynasty as realistically as possible and integrated with historical events.
Apart from everything mentioned above, a major element of the show is romance, focusing on the love story between Zhao Pan'er (the leader of the three heroines) and Gu Qianfan, the commander of the Imperial City Division, who has helped them along the way.
6. 知否知否应是绿肥红瘦The Story of Ming Lan
Rating: 7.8/10 Douban; 8.1/10 IMDb
Episodes: 73 (47 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki and iQIYI
The Story of Minglan is a 2018 TV series adapted from a novel of the same name in Chinese (《知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦》*). Set in the Northern Song Dynasty, the story revolves around Sheng Minglan, the sixth daughter in the Sheng family. Although smart and beautiful since childhood, she's been mistreated by her stepmother, bullied by her half-sisters, and ignored by her father. She learns to hide her intelligence and buries her ambition, enduring humiliation, and adversity while growing up. Remaining self-reliant, she ultimately succeeds in avenging her mother's death. Along the way, Minglan meets with Gu Tingye, who is also born into a powerful family and has helped Minglan. They fall in love and eventually get married. As his wife, Minglan helps to manage the family business and guard against unpleasant relatives, while contributing to purging corrupt ministers and traitors.
The series is highly rated and received wide acclaim, and viewers especially praised the show for revealing societal problems and contradictions that exist in real life among family members.
*The title is a line that comes from the Song Poetry by Li Qingzhao, Like a Dream: Last Night's Rain and Wind (《如梦令·昨夜雨疏风骤》).
7. 后宫甄嬛传 Empresses in the Palace
Rating: 9.3/10 Douban; 8.4/10 IMDb
Episodes: 76 (45 min each)
Available on: Amazon Prime Video
Empresses in the Palace is a 2011 TV series based on a novel of the same name in Chinese, and it is considered one of the best Chinese shows of the past decade or so.
The story is set in the Qing Dynasty, about the endless struggle of royal concubines in the Forbidden City's harem as they quest for love, wealth, and power in exchange for their youth and beauty. It focuses on the heroine, Zhen Huan, who grows from an ignorant girl into a queen mother and a power broker in her own right.
The show has created a group of vivid characters under a specific historical background with meticulous craftsmanship. The emperor, concubines, palace maids, and eunuchs were all real people from actual history. The interlocking plots are the important reasons for its attraction. What determines the narrative tension of the whole show is not only the historical background but also the ups and downs of the conflicts and emotional entanglements.
This series has won various awards since its release, including Best Director and Best Actress at the Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards, and Excellent TV Series at China TV Golden Eagle Award. The actress, Sun Li, who played Zhen Huan was also nominated for International Emmy Awards.
8. 琅琊榜 Nirvana in Fire
Rating:
Season 1: 9.4/10 Douban; 9.0/10 IMDb
Season 2: 8.5/10 Douban; 8.0/10 IMDb
Episodes: Season 1: 54 (45 min each); Season 2: 50 (45 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki
Both seasons of Nirvana in Fire are highly-rated historical Chinese dramas. The first season came out in 2015 and soon became a phenomenal success with over 100 million streaming views by the second day of release and a total number of views on iQIYI of over 3.3 billion by the end of the season. It also generated over 3 billion posts on the major Chinese social media platform Weibo, which praised its characters and storyline.
Set in 6th-century China, the first season tells the story of Lin Shu, under the alias Mei Changsu. He enters the capital of Liang as a strategist for Prince Yu who is plotting against his rival Prince Xian for the imperial throne. But in fact, Lin Shu uses this opportunity to seek justice for a conspiracy that labeled his family as traitors 12 years before and secretly helps his best friend and cousin, the unfavored Prince Jing in the imperial court intrigues.
The drama received plenty of awards including the Outstanding Television Drama Award at the Flying Apsaras Awards, which is the highest government honor in the television industry.
The series sequel aired in 2017, which is about events that take place after the original series, revolving around Langya Hall, but unrelated to the story in the first season.
Although the sequel did not achieve the same level of success as the first season, it's still a fascinating story that's worth watching.
9. 以家人之名Go Ahead
Rating: 6.7/10 Douban; 8.6/10 IMDb; 9.6/10 Rakuten Viki
Episodes: 40 (45 min each)
Available on: Rakuten Viki and iQIYI
Go Ahead is a 2020 series that revolves around three children who are not blood-related and have suffered from problems in their original family as they become the family they never truly had. They bond over shared family troubles and support each other through ups and downs while growing up, throughout childhood, high school, college, and adulthood. They eventually rekindle relationships with their biological families. There are times when their bond becomes strained, but they always are able to find their way back to each other.
The show became a hit after its release for its warm familial theme. As the People's Daily noted, the series responds to the noble morality and deep emotion that is missing in current society and does so with a unique artistic framing. With a youthful vibe and light comedic style, it is people-centric but not vulgar or kitsch, it's natural, lively, and fresh, and discovers the beauty of life that people often ignore.
10. 隐秘的角落 The Bad Kids
Rating: 8.8/10 Douban; 8.2/10 IMDb
Episodes: 12 (45 min each)
Available on: iQIYI
The Bad Kids is a 2020 Chinese streaming TV series. Adapted from a novel called Bad Kid (坏小孩), it tells a story of interconnected consequences among multiple families in a small coastal town, after three children accidentally filmed a murder when they were playing at a scenic site.
The series received critical acclaim after its release, as the Beijing Times noted: “Some people say that it raises the standard of domestic suspense dramas.” It also became a social media hit, harvesting over one billion topic posts on Weibo the week after its release. A quote from the show, “Wanna go for a hike (一起爬山吗)?”, has become a widely adopted meme, and if you watch the show, you'll get the joke too! As you may have guessed, the series also won several awards including the Best Creative at the Asia Content Awards unit of the 2020 Busan International Film Festival.
Learn More
No doubt watching TV series is a good way to learn Chinese, but you might find it hard to follow and parse exactly what words are used in the shows. You should do a lot of reading and listening practice to help you improve. This will make you a better Chinese speaker and better able to engage with the content you love.
