Chinese TV shows becoming more popular overseas

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China produces around 30,000 television episodes every year, making it one of the largest TV drama producers worldwide.

With more and more Chinese-made TV shows introduced overseas, China’s rapidly developing television industry has gained an increasing number of foreign fans. Some shows, although broadcast in China years ago, still remain popular overseas.

It plays a part in China’s efforts to promote its cultural output and tell good Chinese stories to the world.

“Culture, especially traditional culture is the root of a nation and the spiritual gene that makes a certain nation different from the others,” said Xia Yongmin, director of China Media Group West Asian and African Center.

“Every country should tell stories based on their traditional culture so that other countries can better understand their culture.”

Here is a list of some popular Chinese TV dramas overseas.

Princess Agents

Princess Agents /Photio via the Internet

Based on a hit online novel, the spy drama tells the story of how a female slave, Chu Qiao, grows into a brave general and military strategist. The story is set during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534).

The series aired with English subtitles on Youtube last summer and gained over 230 million clicks on the website within just two months.

The show has scored 8.4 points out of 10 on IMDb. It has also proven popular in non-English-speaking countries like Russia, Japan and Vietnam.

Empresses in the Palace

Empresses in the Palace /VCG Photo

This drama tells the story of Zhen Huan, who was chosen to be Emperor Yongzheng's concubine in ancient China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). She learned how to survive in a palace full of cunning plots and deceit, and in the end manages to defeat her enemies.

The 76-episode TV series was broadcast on TV in South Korea and Japan. It was also condensed into a six-episode mini-series for Netflix in 2015.

Princess of Pearl

Princess of Pearl /Photo via the Internet

This drama is set in 18th-century Qing Dynasty during the Qianlong Emperor's reign .The story follows a lovely and innocent orphan who befriends the emperor's illegitimate daughter and somehow becomes a princess by accident.

The drama instantly has become a hit – not only in China but also in countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia – since it was broadcast in 1998. It was broadcast in many other countries, including the US, Russia, Mongolia and Ukraine. Japan and Vietnam even launched their version of the story.

Beautiful Daughter-in-Law

Beautiful Daughter-in-Law /Photo via the Internet

The well-known Chinese TV series talks about the funny stories between a newly-wed couple and conflicts and compromise between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.

The TV series is popular among African audiences, especially in Tanzania where it has attracted six million viewers.

“We translated the TV series into their language – Kiswahili – so that there’s no language barrier. And also the TV series reflects people’s daily life and the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law which is also something common in Tanzanian culture and easily strikes a chord,” said Xia Yongmin, director of China Media Group West Asian and African Center.

Journey to the West

Journey to the West /Photo via the Internet

It’s not an exaggeration to say that almost everyone with a Chinese background has grown up learning the folktale Journey to the West. The TV series is based on the classic novel of the same title, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.

First broadcast in 1986, the drama tells the legend of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled to the place later known as India to obtain sacred texts. Protected by his three disciples, he faced many trials and tribulations on his way there and back.

The TV series has been remade many times over the past few decades, including the Japanese show Monkey Magic and Netflix’s version in 2017.

Scarlet Heart

Scarlet Heart /VCG Photo

In this drama, a 21st-century young woman suffers a near-fatal accident that sends her back in time to the ancient Chinese Qing Dynasty under the Kangxi Emperor's reign. The drama shows her experiences in the imperial palace.

First aired in China in 2011, the drama received extremely high ratings and later became popular in foreign countries such as Japan and the United States.