From costume dramas to soap operas, the Chinese dramas become so popular around the world recent years. Unlike TV series or soap operas from many other countries, Chinese dramas always end after a fixed amount of episodes, usually somewhere from 30 to 50 episodes. Because of streaming sites, like iQiYi, LeTV and Youku, Chinese dramas are more accessible to international viewers. What's more, you can watch all the Chinese dramas online totally free. What you need is a
China VPN. If you don't know how to
use VPN unblock TV Channels, refer to
how to watch iQiYi, Youku, LeTV, Souhu TV from outside of China. 2016 seems to be a lucky year for Chinese drama fans, different genres of attractive dramas have emerged earlier this year. Below I will list the most watched and most discussed
TV dramas of Mainland China 2016.
Go Princess Go (太子妃升职记)
Go Princess Go is a time travel Chinese drama, which was produced entirely for web broadcasting. Go Princess Go broadcasts on LeTV exclusively start from December 13, 2015. There is not much "wow" factor in this little drama besides some very hilarious lines and an attractive cast. Go Princess Go started off as a relatively unknown before becoming a major hit. If there is one word that best describes LeTV's newest online drama Go Princess Go, that word is "addictive."
Number of Episodes: 35
Duration: Usually around 25-30 minutes
Cast Members:
- Zhang Crystal as Zhang Peng Peng (Crown Princess/Empress)
- Sheng Peter as Qi Cheng (Crown Prince/Emperor)
- Yu Alan as Jiu Wang
- Jiang A-Joe as Zhao Wang
- Guo Fiction as Yang Yan (Eunuch)
- Hai Karina as Lu Li (Maid to the Empress)
The Imperial Doctress (女医·明妃传)
Tangren's latest series - The Imperial Doctress, starring Liu Shi Shi and Wallace Huo, become so popular. The Chinese drama depicts the legendary life of Tan Yun Xian (Liu Shi Shi), who through her enthusiasm and persistence, overcame many difficulties and rose through the ranks to become the most famous female doctor of the Ming Dynasty. The Imperial Doctress is available on online TV channels iQiYi, Sohu TV, LeTV, Tencent TV and PPTV.
Genre: Historical & Romance
Episodes: 50
Producer: Karen Tsoi
Chief Director: Lee Kwok Lap
Broadcast network: Dragon TV, Jiangsu TV
Broadcast Date: February 13, 2016
Broadcast Days: Sundays - Saturdays (2 episodes per day)
Duration: 45 min
Cast:
Liu Shi Shi - Tan Yun Xian
Zhang Zi Mu - Young Tun Xian
Wallace Huo - Zhu Qi Zhen
Lou Yun Hao - Young Zhu Qi Zhen
Huang Xuan - Zhu Qi Yu
Wu Ze Jin Zi - Young Zhu Qi Yu
Yuan Wen Kang - Ye Xian
Li Chao - Bayan Temur
The Legend Of MiYue (芈月传)
After the hit period c-drama The Legend of Zhen Huan (甄嬛传), a new Chinese historical drama comes at the end of last year, that's The Legend of Miyue (芈月传). The Legend of Miyue is based on Jiang Shengnan's novel with the same name. The series tells the story of Mi Yue, who is the first stateswoman in the history of China. Starring Sun Li, Liu Tao, Huang Xuan, Jiang Xin, Ma Su, Gao Yunxiang, and Alex Fong, the drama has picked up pace near the end.
Legend of Fox (青丘狐传说)
Legend of Nine Tails Fox is a 2016 Chinese fantasy television drama based on six tales in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling. The drama was separated into six plots based on the corresponding stories in the Strange Tales.
Cast: Guli Nazha, Jiang Jinfu, Xiao Xaiqi, Chen Yao, Zhang Ruoyun, Yao Yichen, Wang Kai, Fu Xinbo, Tang Yixin, Zhang Xueying, Jiang Kaitong, Di Tianlin
Episodes: 32
Air date: February 15th, 2016
Chronicle of Life (寂寞空庭春欲晚)
A beautiful melody, played by a young maiden, catches the attention of Na Lan Rang Ruo, as he recognizes performer to be his cousin, Wei Lin Lang. Seeing his loyal subject's affection, emperor Kang Xi orders Lin Lang to be found and bethrothed to Rong Ruo.
Genre: Fiction, Love, Period
Director: Wú Jǐnyuán, Liú Zifù, Dèng Yǎnchéng
Episodes: 37
Broadcast Date: February 1, 2016
Cast:
Hawick Lau
Zheng Shuang
Zhang Binbin
Michelle Yim
Zhang Zhixi
Zhang Xiaochen
Wang Ruoxin
Cheng Yanqiu
Eastern Palace (东宫)
YES!!!!!!! I recently read the spoiler summary of the story on Xia0er's tumblr and the story is so goood and so sad! I don't see Fan Bingbing as the female lead because she is supposed to be a teenager. Plus, Fan Bingbing always changes the character description to make herself look good (keuf keuf Empress of China).
Episodes: 30
Broadcast Date: 2016
Cast: Fan Bingbing, Chen Kun
Translator (亲爱的翻译官)
Very curious to see how this big production will land. They filmed in Paris and Europe in general. Huang Xuan looks really good in modern costumes. Worth trying.
Episodes: 42
Air date: 2016
Cast: Yang Mi, Huang Xuan
Ice Fantasy (幻城)
Guo Jingming's first venture in dramaland. Will he become another Yumama or a Shandong TV producer? Hummm, only time will tell. Ice Fantasy is an upcoming Chinese epic fantasy television drama, produced by Shanghai Youhug Media and will broadcast on Hunan Satellite Television Diamond independent broadcast theater. I am quiet curious about this production since it is full of my fave actors/actresses. The costume seems very fairy like and I don't mind the use of CGI to reproduce the setting.
Episodes: 60
Broadcast Date: 2016 summer
Cast: Feng Shaofeng, Victoria Song, Ma Tianyu, Zhang Meng
Just One Smile Is Very Alluring (微微一笑很倾城)
Definitely worth watching because you can be sure any Gu Man story will be sweet and healing for the soul. What is it that makes a man fall in love with a woman at first sight? Appearance? Aura? Wealth? NO, when campus prince and gaming expert, student Xiao Nai first saw Bei Wei Wei, what made him fall in love was not her extraordinary beauty, but her slim and slender fingers that were flying across the keyboard and her calm and composed manner!!!
Episodes: 32
Air date: 2016
Cast: Zheng Shuang, Yang Yang
Zhu Xian (诛仙)
There are so many names attached to this project so I feel like it is a big messy. The story is based on a video game and I guess that’s why there are so many characters. This is probably one of the most watched C-drama productions due to the casting and popularity of the source novel so I’ll jump on the casual observer wagon for now.
Air date: 2016
Cast: Li Yifeng, TFBoys, Yang Zi