Best Historical Chinese Dramas of All Time
Chinese historical dramas are known for enormous scale: imperial courts, generals and schemers, and palace intrigue told across dozens of episodes. This list brings together 14 of the best historical Chinese dramas on DramaHog.
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 14 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
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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3
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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4
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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5
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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6
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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7
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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8
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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9
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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10
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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11
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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12
Spring of the Blade
瓯春
Orphaned young and left to survive on the streets, Xie Qing Yuan finds an unlikely ally in Shen Run, a boy sent off to the army after his own family's tragedy.
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13
Gladiator in the Theater
云雀叫天录
Born into poverty with nothing that marks him as special, Meng Jin Fu finishes a brutal opera apprenticeship at eighteen and starts at the very bottom of the theater world — a minor acrobat…
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14
Key to the Phoenix Heart
雀骨
During a time of rebellion and political turmoil, Northern Army commander Xiao Wu Yi enters a marriage of convenience with Xie Jia Yu, the clever and ambitious daughter of the Grand Tutor…
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Questions about this list
What is the best historical Chinese drama?
Opinions differ, but our editors put Nirvana in Fire at the top of the list, followed by Story of Yanxi Palace and Joy of Life. 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 14 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.