The 40 most popular chinese history movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Hero
2002 · 1h 39m
country: Hong Kong
During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.


Red Cliff
2008 · 2h 25m
country: China
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.


Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants
2025 · 2h 27m
country: China
Under Genghis Khan, the Mongolian army pushes west to destroy the Jin Dynasty, setting its sights on the Song Dynasty next. Amid internal conflicts among martial arts schools, Guo Jing unites the Central Plains' warriors to defend Xiangyang, embodying courage and loyalty in the fight for the nation.


Three Kingdoms: The Beginning
2026 · 2h 17m
country: China
Toward the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, amid nationwide unrest, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao sought to enlist General-in-Chief He Jin’s support to check the power of the eunuchs and restore the Han Dynasty to its rightful order. Unexpectedly, Dong Zhuo seized the chaos to march his troops into the capital, plotting to dethrone the reigning emperor and install a new one.Swept up in the torrential tide of troubled times, a host of warlords emerged one after another: Yuan Shu, Lü Bu, Sun Jian, as well as Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Turmoil engulfed Luoyang, and the fate of the great Han Empire stood at a crossroads…


Ip Man
2008 · 1h 46m
country: China
A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. The film focuses on events surrounding Ip that took place in the city of Foshan between the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Directed by Wilson Yip, the film stars Donnie Yen in the lead role, and features fight choreography by Sammo Hung.


Ip Man 3
2015 · 1h 45m
country: China
When a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand.


Red Cliff II
2009 · 2h 21m
country: China
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?


The Eight Hundred
2020 · 2h 27m
country: China
In 1937, eight hundred Chinese soldiers fight under siege from a warehouse in the middle of the Shanghai battlefield, completely surrounded by the Japanese army.


Chang'an
2023 · 2h 48m
country: China
A few years after the Anshi Rebellion, Tang dynasty military commander Gao Shi suffers a defeat in a battle threatening Chang'an. Trapped in the besieged city, he recalls his lifelong friendship with the acclaimed poet Li Bai.


The Flowers of War
2011 · 2h 26m
country: China
A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.


Air Strike
2018 · 2h 7m
country: China
An American pilot is sent to a Chinese province to teach a crew of would-be pilots how to fly war planes against the Japanese during World War II.


The Warlords
2007 · 2h 6m
country: China
The civil war in China has ruined many lives including General Pang's. A wounded General Pang is saved by a beautiful young woman along with two other men. Together they vow to eradicate the rebels.


Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
2010 · 1h 45m
country: Hong Kong
The Japanese forces occupy Shanghai and slowly start spreading terror in the city. Chen Zhen, who was presumed dead, returns to fight against the Japanese and put an end to their tyrannical rule.


Dragon Blade
2015 · 2h 7m
country: Hong Kong
Huo An, the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions, was framed by evil forces and becomes enslaved. On the other hand, a Roman general escapes to China after rescuing the Prince. The heroic duo meet in the Western Desert and a thrilling story unfolds.


I Know Who You Are
2026 · 2h 22m
country: China
On 1949 October 1, the day of the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China, Xiao Dali enters the city and is reorganized as the director of the public security police station. He finds that primary school teacher Feng Jingbo is full of doubts. With the high vigilance of a soldier and the sense of responsibility of a public security official, Dali insists on partnering with Feng and becomes his neighbor. He then spends his whole life carrying out a nearly four-decade pursuit without regrets.


Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
2008 · 1h 41m
country: China
The aging Zhao embarks on his final and greatest campaign, a road to adventure that will crown his name in glory for all time.


Dead to Rights
2025 · 2h 17m
country: China
During the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, a postman poses as a photo developer, helping Japanese forces while secretly sheltering Chinese refugees. He later risks his life evacuating them and revealing evidence of the atrocities.


Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield
2017 · 2h
country: China
An imperial guard searches for the truth behind a conspiracy that framed him and his partners. The proof of his innocence lies with a wanted woman named Bei Zhai... but will she reveal what she knows? In this intense prequel to BROTHERHOOD OF BLADES, the only thing he can truly trust is his sword.


God of War
2017 · 2h 8m
country: China
During the 16th century, pirates rule the Chinese coastline, pillaging the small villages and terrorizing the citizens. When maverick leader Commander Yu enlists the help of a sharp young general, they devise a plan to defeat the pirates. A violent clash of wit and weapons will decide who will rule the land.


Ip Man 4: The Finale
2019 · 1h 45m
country: China
Following the death of his wife, Ip Man travels to San Francisco to ease tensions between the local kung fu masters and his star student, Bruce Lee, while searching for a better future for his son.


An Empress and the Warriors
2008 · 1h 39m
country: China
After the death of her father, a woman is forced to take over as empress and fight to save her kingdom.


Bodyguards and Assassins
2009 · 2h 19m
country: China
In 1905, revolutionist Sun Yat-sen came to Hong Kong to meet revolutionary comrades. The Qing government sent a group of killers to murder him. Ordinary citizens from all walks of life joined together, blocking the streets and fighting off the assassins to keep Sun Yat-sen safe.


A Tapestry of a Legendary Land
2024 · 1h 29m
country: China
As a modern artifact researcher prepares for the exhibition of "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains," he unexpectedly travels back nine hundred years to the Northern Song dynasty, entering the heart of young painter Xi Meng. There, he witnesses Xu Meng's passionate journey and the collaboration with dedicated laborers as they overcome great challenges to create a timeless masterpiece.


Ip Man: The Awakening
2021 · 1h 16m
country: China
When a young Master Ip stops a kidnapping, he ignites a turf war with a ruthless human-trafficking ring. In retaliation, the gang kidnaps one of Ip Man's close friends, forcing him to face the group's brutal boxing champion head-on.


Rescue at Dongji
2025 · 2h 14m
country: China
Inspired by the real life rescue of over 300 British soldiers in 1942, Dongji Rescue is a rousing, action-packed story of heroism on the high seas. When the Japanese warship Lisbon Maru is torpedoed off the coast of Dongji Island, the lives of over 300 British POWs on board are at risk of being claimed by the sea. Their only hope is a small group of defiant Chinese fisherman who will do anything to rescue and protect them from their captors.


The Battle at Lake Changjin II: Water Gate Bridge
2022 · 2h 29m
country: China
Commander Wu Qianli leads the 7th Infantry Company soldiers to Funchilin Pass where they are tasked to destroy a bridge to stop enemy troops from retreating.


The Story of Yuan Tiangang
2024
country: Unknown
Three hundred years ago, the elegant and spirited young man Yuan Tiangang, born with a doomed fate, unintentionally caused the death of his loved ones from a young age. As a result, he decided to gamble with fate and mastered the skill of "Chenggu Bone Divination," using it to target those whose lives were not supposed to end prematurely. At that time, it happened to be the end of the Sui Dynasty, with widespread chaos in the world. How will Yuan Tiangang change his destiny and become a notorious but respected leader amidst the turmoil of the late Sui Dynasty?


The Founding of a Republic
2009 · 2h 18m
country: China
The tale of one man who fought against the tyranny of a ruler and led his people in battle in the ultimate sacrifice for his country.


Red Sorghum
1988 · 1h 31m
country: China
An old leper who owned a remote sorghum winery dies. Jiu'er, the wife bought by the leper, and her lover, identified only as "my Grandpa" by the narrator, take over the winery and set up an idealized quasi-matriarchal community headed by Jiu'er. When the Japanese invaders subject the area to their rule and cut down the sorghum to make way for a road, the community rises up and resists as the sorghum grows anew.


The Lychee Road
2025 · 2h 2m
country: China
A Tang Dynasty minor official risks everything to deliver lychees across China. Li Shande, middle-aged and struggling, sees this dangerous mission as his last chance for success.


1911
2011 · 1h 39m
country: China
China's first President Sun Yat-Sen and military commander Huang Xing lead the revolutionary Wuchang Uprising in a bid to put an end to the reign of the Qing Dynasty.


1921
2021 · 2h 18m
country: China
Tells the story of a Communist Party's early history during the turbulent era, examining the remarkable Chinese revolutionary leaders' zeal and contrition for the ascension of the Chinese people.


Assembly
2007 · 2h 3m
country: China
Follows a soldier trying to gain recognition for comrades who died in 1948, at a turning point in the civil war between the communists and the nationalist forces of the Kuomintang.


The Guillotines
2012 · 1h 53m
country: China
In the time of the Qing Dynasty, the Emperor Yongzheng created a secret army known as the Guillotines. It was the job of the Guillotines to protect the Emperor by killing anyone who posed a threat to him or his rule. After 348 successful missions to eliminate their target, the 349th assignment proves to be their last.


The Founding of an Army
2017 · 2h 13m
country: China
The Founding of an Army is a 2017 Chinese film commissioned by China's government to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.


The Last Tycoon
2012 · 1h 58m
country: China
Cheng, a young man who is set up by the chief of police, must leave the life he knows and Qiu, the woman he loves, to start again. After escaping prison Cheng quickly and violently moves his way up the ladder of Shanghais criminal underworld to become on the most powerful mob bosses in Shanghais history. But fame and notoriety take their toll when Cheng finds himself stuck between the looming Japanese army and the scheming local secret service. Matters are only made worse when he bumps into the love of his life QIU, along with her writer husband. Will love re-kindle in the dusk of an era?


Youth
2017 · 2h 16m
country: China
A group of performing art troupe members each face their own trials and tribulations in Chengdu; from escaping a family scandal to dealing with unrequited love, each experiences rejection that shapes their lives.


The Lost Bladesman
2011 · 1h 47m
country: China
During the warring period of the three kingdoms, ancient China is in turmoil. To unify the country, general Cao Cao, the real power behind the Emperor, enlists the aid of the greatest warrior in the land, Guan Yu. However, Guan Yu is a loyal friend of Cao Cao's enemy Liu Bei so to persuade the peerless warrior to fight, Cao Cao takes his beloved Qi Lan hostage. After leading Cao Cao's forces to victory Guan Yu sets out with Qi Lan to rejoin Liu Bei. Now Cao Cao has deemed him too great a threat to live, and on the journey he must face all the forces at the Emperor's command sent to destroy him.


Full River Red
2023 · 2h 37m
country: China
During China's Song Dynasty, a mysterious murder occurs at Chancellor Quin Hui's palace after meeting delegates from the neighboring Jin Dynasty. The members become embroiled not just in a murder mystery, but a larger conspiracy concerning the fate of the empire.


Hidden Blade
2023 · 2h 8m
country: China
Follows the story of underground workers who risked their lives to send intelligence and defend the motherland, set after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor when the Wang Jingwei regime declared war on Britain and the U.S.
Chinese cinema encompasses the Fifth Generation directors who broke through internationally in the 1980s, the wuxia martial-arts epic, and one of the largest domestic box offices in the world.
Historical films reconstruct the past, whether faithfully or as deliberate myth-making. The genre attracts big budgets and big performances, and it reveals as much about the era that produced the film as the one on screen.