Watching historical Chinese dramas is one of the best ways to learn more about traditional Chinese culture and history. And there’s no better time than now as 2020 has been a major year for the historical genre in Chinese dramas. Historical dramas have become more popular because of the recent cultural appreciation of traditional Chinese heritage, and the diverse plots would appeal to almost anyone’s taste.
Once you start familiarizing yourself with the trending historical dramas, you can’t but help end up looking for new recommendations to watch on different streaming sites.
Among all the numerous hit releases in 2020, here are the top 5 Chinese historical dramas that you should watch:
1. Ever Night: Season 2 (将夜2)
Genre: Romance, Wuxia, Adventure
Episodes: 43
Cast: Dylan Wang, Ireine Song
The hit drama, Ever Night, is now out with season 2! The drama follows Ning Que protecting Sang Sang after her identity and her connection to the eternal night are discovered. He continues to shield the Tang Country which is at risk of being destroyed and handed over to warlords. Ning Que leads an army while preventing a foreboding prophecy from coming true — a calamity that will destroy all of humanity.
Courtesy of Tencent Video
2. Eternal Love of Dream (三生三世枕上书)
Genre: Romance, Xianxia, Fantasy
Episodes: 56
Cast: Dilraba Dilmurat, Vengo Gao
A spin-off of Eternal Love & Love and Destiny, the drama is adapted from the web novel titled, Three Lives, Three Worlds, The Pillow Book by Tang Qi Gong Zi. Bai Fengjiu, the last red nine-tailed fox in the world, is attacked by a savage beast and saved by the first emperor of Heaven named Donghua. Queen of Qing Qiu Feng Jiu accompanies Donghua to conquer the Demon Lord after being indebted to her protector. The two slowly fall in love as Donghua’s cold heart starts to melt because of Fengjiu’s passionate love.
Courtesy of Tencent Video
3. The Wolf (狼殿下)
Genre: Romance, Wuxia, Fiction, Political
Episodes: 49
Cast: Darren Wang, Li Qin, Xiao Zhan
Set in the last periods of the Tang Dynasty, military governor and warlord Chu Kui discovers and adopts Chu Youwen, who was raised by wolves. But the Tang monarch falls after Chu Kui’s successful coup. Chu Kui then proclaims himself as the first Emperor of the Yang Dynasty. Royal prince Chu Youwen starts to form a strong romantic bond with Ma Zhaixing, the daughter of a government official. With the two holding a strong sense of justice, Youwen plans to put a stop to the harsh and strict reforms of his father as he also faces a series of battles plotted by his foster brothers.
Courtesy of Tencent Video
4. In a Class of Her Own (漂亮书生)
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Youth, School
Episodes: 36
Cast: Ju Jingyi, Song Weilong, Richard Wang, Bi Wenjun
In a Class of Her Own centers on Wenxi, who disguises herself as a male writer to pay for her family’s debt and her brother’s medicine. Feng Chengjun, the Prime Minister’s son, is impressed by her work and insists she enrolls in an all-male institution, Yun Shang Academy. Wenxi adopts her brother’s name, Wen Bin, and continues to protect her secret while trying to succeed in her studies. Trivia: This was adapted from the famous Korean drama titled, Sungkyunkwan Scandal.
Courtesy of iQiyi
5. The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (如意芳霏)
Genre: Romance, Wuxia, Mystery, Politics
Episodes: 40
Cast: Ju Jingyi, Zhang Zhehan, Liu Yichang
The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion is based on the web novel, Chong Hou Zhi Lu by Xiao Jia Ren. Fu Rong, the second daughter of the Fu family, has the ability to foresee the future in her dreams after she suffers a serious illness. Prince Su Xujin, the one whom she predicted to be her husband, can also see the future in the same dreams as her. Knowing that they’ll face the same tragic fate, they both attempt to change their destiny.
Courtesy of iQiyi
