Chinese dramas are epitomes of portraying historical themes, especially those mixed with the depiction of social issues. These dramas have been widely appreciated for their marvelous set designs, cinematography, acting, and dialogue delivery. The characters written and portrayed through the dramas, tend to resonate with the reality of the present times. This aspect of depiction attracts the hearts of audiences worldwide. Let’s look at some of the Top 10 Chinese Historical dramas:
1. The Princess Weiyoung
This historical drama was based on a Princess named Xiner, from the Liang Kingdom who replaced her identity with the Prime Minister’s daughter, Weiyoung, who died while saving Xiner’s life. Princess Xiner’s kingdom had been seized due to a false allegation of treason against her father, so she resolved to seek revenge against those who plotted this feud. The story later revealed different phases of wars, enemies, and a romance in between the chaos. This drama gained worldwide attention and was one of the most popular dramas of 2016.
2. The Rebel Princess
This 2021 drama was adapted from the novel ‘Di Wang Ye’ and revolved around a 15-year-old spoiled and wealthy daughter of a noble family, Wang Xuan, who aspired to marry the third Prince, Zitan, but had been forced into a marriage with a powerful yet poor general, Xiao Qi. Despite a rocky start in their marriage, they formed a strong bond of trust and understanding. They battled against the devious family members and their political attempts to win the throne.
3. A Dream Of Splendor
An adaptation of a play, ‘Saving The Courtesan’, written by a playwright of the Yuan Dynasty, A Dream of Splendor revolved around an intelligent and thoughtful teahouse owner, Zhao Pan Er, in Qiantang County who was engaged to a scholar named Ou Yang Xu and Gu Qian Fan, a commander of a powerful force. Pan Er was awaiting her fiancé's return from the Imperial Examination when she was informed about him eloping with someone else. Determined to find out the truth, she sets on a journey to the capital city, where she met the commander and they eventually fall in love. This was an inspiriting drama that portrayed women as strong and independent, even in those times.
4. Eternal Love
This novel adaptation of ‘The Hilarious Pampered Consort: Lord I Will Wait For Your Divorce’ was released in 2017 and revolved around a girl named Tan Er, who was compelled to get married despite being in love with someone else. So, she committed suicide to avenge her misfortune. Things started to take a comic turn when her failed suicide attempt resulted in someone else's soul cohabiting inside her body. The plot revealed multiple humorous and engaging incidents, making this historic drama binge-worthy!
5. The Romance Of Tiger And Rose
This drama followed the story of a screenwriter who had suddenly been transported to the world of one of her creations and gets trapped in the body of a villainess named Chen Qianqian. Eventually, the story depicted different hilarious twists and turns which kept the audience engaged. A unique feature of this plot was its focus on the matriarchal society, where the women were the ones who dominated the Kingdom, rather than the men.
6. The King's Woman
This fictional and historical drama revolved around Gongsun Li, the granddaughter of a military commander, and her childhood lover, Jing Ke, who had been thrown out of the Kingdom when the place had been attacked by the enemies. They met each other as kids when Gongsun saved Jing Ke's life, which sowed the seeds for their blooming romance. This drama is a must-watch for its highly advanced setting, beautiful costumes, and well-directed cinematography.
7. Love And Redemption
This historical drama revolved around a myth that thousand years after the war between the gods and the demons ended, the souls of the Star Mosha and the God of War had been sent to the mortal world. The central characters of the mortal world were Chu Xuan Ji, the daughter of the Commander of Shaoyang Sect, and Yu Si Feng, a skilled trainee at the Lize Palace, who coincidentally met each other and became friends. The story later revealed the different secrets of their past lives and a beautiful perception of all the 3 realms of the world.
8. Song Of Phoenix
This drama was set in the period of Warring States and revolved around the love story between a genius, Qu Yuan, and a slave of their place, Mo Chou Nu, who fell in love in a state full of internal and external conflicts. With the desire to be together, the couple journeyed through multiple obstacles and vicious schemes that were thrown at them. The story also showed the development of Qu Yuan's character and the lessons he learned for his kingdom’s betterment.
9. The Untamed
This fantasy and historical drama revolved around the story of 5 magical clans, named Gusu Lan, Yunmeng Jiang, Qinghe Nie, Qishan Wen, and Lanling Jin. Two students, Wei Wu Xian, and Lan Wang JI were the disciples of elite clans, who quickly became friends when they met during the cultivation training. Together, they unveiled the secret of the evil leader of the Wen clan and his master plan of wreaking havoc upon the lands. Eventually, they sailed through different obstacles and solved the mysteries of the past.
10. Scarlet Heart
This fantasy and historical drama was based on a novel named ‘Bu Bu Jing Xin’ and revolved around a 25-year-old, city woman who gets transported to her past life after she met with an accident. She had been trapped in the body of a 16-year-old girl, the daughter of a general from the Qing Dynasty. After multiple failed attempts, she eventually accepted her new reality and adapted to the changes and the blooming romance around her. This drama spanned 2 seasons and gained worldwide attention.
