Best Chinese Dramas of All Time
Chinese dramas are known for sweeping historical epics, martial-arts adventures, fantasy romances and sharp modern stories. This list brings together 25 of the most loved series of the past decade or so, from classics like Nirvana in Fire and Empresses in the Palace to recent favorites such as Hidden Love and Mysterious Lotus Casebook.
How we picked: we started from what viewers rate highest on fan-rating charts and what critics and audiences around the world keep praising, then our editors put the final 25 in order by overall impact, rewatch value and how well each story holds up. Every entry links to its own page with the full story, cast and details, and the list will keep changing as new dramas earn a place.
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1
Nirvana in Fire
琅琊榜
When General Lin Xie was framed for treason, his army was wiped out and only his young son Lin Shu survived.
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2
The Untamed
陈情令
Wei Wu Xian and Lan Wang Ji are gifted disciples from powerful cultivation clans who meet during their training years.
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3
Hidden Love
偷偷藏不住
Sang Zhi develops a quiet crush on Duan Jia Xu, a boy five years older who often visits her home to play games with her older brother. As they grow up, they lose touch and drift apart.
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4
Story of Yanxi Palace
延禧攻略
Wei Yingluo is a sharp-witted young embroidery maid who enters the Forbidden City during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, determined to learn the truth behind her sister’s death.
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5
Joy of Life
庆余年
Fan Xian carries memories of another life and grows up in a remote seaside town, trained in poison and martial arts by teachers his father chose for him.
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6
Mysterious Lotus Casebook
莲花楼
Li Lianhua is a quiet, weathered healer who lives in a crooked old tower and solves puzzles for a living.
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7
Love Like the Galaxy
星汉灿烂
Cheng Shaoshang was left behind as a child while her parents were away at war, and she learned to protect herself by hiding how clever she really is.
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8
When I Fly Towards You
当我飞奔向你
In the autumn of 2012, Su Zai Zai transfers to Yucai High School and quickly develops a crush on the quiet and distant Zhang Lu Rang.
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9
Go Ahead
以家人之名
Three kids from broken homes end up growing under the same roof and slowly become each other’s family.
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10
A Smile is Beautiful
微微一笑很倾城
Xiao Nai is the ultimate campus idol. A top student, star athlete, elite gamer, and president of a game development company, he seems untouchable in every way.
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11
Eternal Love
三生三世十里桃花
Bai Qian, a fox goddess of the Qingqiu clan, and Ye Hua, the crown prince of Heaven, are bound by a love that stretches across three lifetimes.
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12
Ashes of Love (2018)
香蜜沉沉烬如霜
Jin Mi is the daughter of the Flower Deity, and before she was born a prophecy warned that she would suffer a great love trial.
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13
Word of Honor
山河令
Zhou Zishu, a weary former leader of an elite organization that protected the throne, walks away from his old life and drifts into the martial world, only to be pulled into a conspiracy.
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14
The Story of Ming Lan
知否知否应是绿肥红瘦
Sheng Minglan is the sixth child of a large, scheming household. Clever and observant but overlooked by her father and family, she learns to hide her talents while quietly working toward…
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15
Go Go Squid!
亲爱的，热爱的
As Tong Nian becomes more involved with K&K, she discovers the intense dedication, rivalries, and camaraderie that define the world of professional esports.
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16
You Are My Glory
你是我的荣耀
Qiao Jing Jing is a top celebrity whose perfect image starts to crack when a leaked video exposes her terrible gaming skills, putting her endorsement at risk.
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17
Love Between Fairy and Devil
苍兰诀
Long ago, Dongfang Qing Cang, the feared leader of the Moon Tribe, abandoned all emotion to gain absolute power.
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18
Meet Yourself
去有风的地方
After the loss of her best friend, Xu Hong Dou leaves behind her stressful city life and retreats to the peaceful village of Yun Miao near Dali.
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19
Reset
开端
Game designer Xiao Heyun and university student Li Shiqing are strangers on the same city bus when it explodes, and then they wake up back at the beginning of the same ride.
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20
Till the End of the Moon
长月烬明
In a world where demons rule, cultivators send a young woman, Li Susu, back in time with a mission: find out where the terrifying Demon Lord Tantai Jin came from and prevent his rise.
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21
Falling Into Your Smile
你微笑时很美
In the fiercely competitive world of e-sports, the all-male ZGDX OPL team reigns supreme, drawing massive attention and devoted fans wherever they go.
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22
First Frost
难哄
Wen Yi Fan is a reporter who drops by a bar called Overtime to meet her best friend, Zhong Si Qiao.
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23
A Journey to Love
一念关山
Ren Ruyi and Ning Yuanzhou are top assassins from rival organizations who were never supposed to be on the same side.
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24
Empresses in the Palace
后宫·甄嬛传
Young and innocent Zhen Huan enters the emperor’s harem as one of many new concubines.
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25
Story of Kunning Palace
宁安如梦
Jiang Xuening once schemed her way to the top of the palace, only to meet a tragic end. Given a second chance, she wants nothing more than to stay away from power and live a quiet life.
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Questions about this list
What is the best Chinese drama of all time?
Opinions differ, but our editors put Nirvana in Fire at the top of the list, followed by The Untamed and Hidden Love. You can open any entry to read the story, see the cast and check when and where it aired.
Where can I watch these C-dramas?
Streaming rights change from country to country and over time, so each drama page shows the network it originally aired on. Many of these series are available on services such as Netflix, Viki, Disney+, iQIYI or Prime Video depending on where you live.
How is this list ranked?
It is an editors’ list, not a vote. We started from fan-rating charts and long-running critical praise, then ranked the final 25 by overall impact, rewatch value and how well each story holds up. As DramaHog members rate dramas, community ratings will play a bigger part.
Episode, cast and poster data from TVmaze. Descriptions are written by DramaHog.