The 40 most popular chinese war & politics TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Pursuit of Jade
2026 · CN
This drama follows Fan Changyu, a butcher’s daughter, and Xie Zheng, a fallen noble seeking revenge. Their fake marriage turns into true love, but war tears them apart. Determined, Fan Changyu wields her butcher’s knife on the battlefield, searching for justice and her husband. Meanwhile, Xie Zheng reclaims his title, fighting to protect his country and love. Reunited in battle, they stand together, defying fate, uncovering the truth, and returning home without forgetting their vows.


Joy of Life
2019 · CN
Zhang Qing, a present-day college student in culture and history major wants to study in professor Ye's postgraduate class, so he decides to write a historical fiction to elaborate his perspective of analyzing ancient literature history with modern concept. In the fiction, Zhang himself acts as a young man Fan Xian with mysterious life who lives in a remote seaside town of Kingdom Qing in his childhood, under the help of a mysterious mentor and a blindfolded watchman. Fan goes to the capital when he grows up, where he experiences plenty of ordeal and temper. Fan persists in adhering the rule of justice and goodness and lives his own glorious life.


The Qin Empire
2009 · CN
The rise of the Qin state in the Warring States period during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin.


The Advisors Alliance
2017 · CN
The story of Sima Yi, a great politician and strategist who lived during the Three Kingdoms era. By his side, Sima Yi has his politically-astute distaff members of his household, and pitted against them are the formidable Cao Cao and his heirs. After defending the Kingdom of Wei from Kongming formidable talents, who will end up with the ultimate power?


Romance of the Three Kingdoms
1994 · CN
Adapted from the classical 14th century novel of the same title by Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is part historical, part legend, and part mythical – romanticises and dramatises the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it. The focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han dynasty, and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu.


Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties
2012 · CN
Heroes emerged in large numbers during the tumultuous and short-lived Sui to early Tang dynasty period. Most famous among them are Qin Qiong, Luo Cheng, Cheng Yao Jin, Shan Xiong Xin and Wei Chi Gong, known as the "Five Tigers of Sui and Tang", who would help Li Shi Min defeat rebels and rivals and pacify the land. The drama will start with the establishment of the Sui dynasty and end with Li Shi Min's ascension to the throne.


Love Like the Galaxy
2022 · CN
Cheng Shaoshang, left behind by her parents who went off to war, faces challenges from a scheming aunt and struggles with estrangement from her family. Lacking love and security, she is cautious in choosing a marriage partner and meets three suitors: Ling Buyi, the emperor's adopted son; Yuan Shen, a talented figure from Bailu Mountain; and Lou Yao, an aristocrat. Despite a rocky path to love, Shaoshang remains steadfast. Her involvement with Ling Buyi leads them into a mystery surrounding his family and identity and together they confront a national crisis, growing through their experiences and upholding their ideals.


Legend of Chu and Han
2012 · CN
The events in the late Qin Dynasty and the Chu–Han Contention that led to the founding of the Han Dynasty.


The Legend of Qin
2007 · CN
The Legend of Qin follows the Qin dynasty from when the Emperor of the Qin, King Zheng conquered the other 6 nations and unified China, to the rise of the king of Western Chu, Xiang Yu, who capture the capital city, Xianyang.


Ice Fantasy
2016 · CN
A century after the war between the Ice and Fire Tribes, Prince Ka Suo of the Ice Tribe becomes king, searching for his missing lover and brother. He uncovers a dark conspiracy within his tribe, unaware that his brother, now the Fire Prince with no memory of his past, is leading the Fire Tribe. As tensions rise, the brothers are forced into a new conflict, this time against each other.


Arsenal Military Academy
2019 · CN
In 1910s China, nineteen year old Xie Xiang follows in her deceased brother's footsteps and enrolls in military school disguised as a man. She befriends her fellow cadets and and earns the respect of her instructors during the intense training. However, when the unfortunate arrival of the Imperial Japanese troops creates a web of distressing conspiracies, the batch and their allies are forced to prove their courage and resilience.


In the Name of the Brother
2024 · CN
In 1945, Harbin has come under the rule of Japan's puppet state known as Manchukuo. Communist agent Song Zhuo Wen successfully infiltrates Harbin Secret Service where Guan Xue holds a post as the chief of special police.


For the Sake of the Republic
2003 · CN
Towards the Republic, also known as For the Sake of the Republic and Zou Xiang Gong He, is a Chinese historical television series first broadcast on CCTV in China from April to May 2003. The series is based on events that occurred in China between the late 19th century and early 20th century that led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the founding of the Republic of China. Owing to its portrayal of historical issues deemed politically sensitive by the Chinese government, the series has been subject to censorship in mainland China.


White Deer Plain
2017 · CN
Set in the eponymous White Deer Village in Shaanxi Province where the two most important families – Bai and Lu – and their sons have always lived together in peace. But the turmoil leads to a fierce struggle for land ownership. A young woman new to the village soon finds herself caught between the two camps. Director Liu Jin uses the story of these two families as a metaphor for the fate of the Chinese people as first Chinese war lords are overrun by Japanese invaders, then civil war follows hot on the heels of the Second World War and finally the victorious Maoists begin waving their red flags. The drama is based off the novel by Chen Zhong Shi.


Transcend the Gods: The Black Troop
2017 · CN
No overview available


The Long Ballad
2021 · CN
Li Chang Ge's family was murdered by Li Shi Min, the Emperor of Tang, during the Xuanwu Gate Incident. She heads to Shuo Province under the guise of a man with hopes of raising an army to kill Li Shi Min to avenge her family's death. However, as a captain of the army of Shuo Province in Zhangzhou, she loses a siege by the Eastern Turkic Khaganate General Ashina Sun, who takes her to serve him as a personal military strategist.


Who Rules The World
2022 · CN
A legendary wuxia romance that focuses on the decade-long romance between Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi, and the adventures they embark on together.


The Princess Weiyoung
2016 · CN
A princess descended from a ruined noble family disguises herself as the woman who saved her life and embarks on a mission to avenge her loved ones.


The Rebel Princess
2021 · CN
A princess trapped by prophecy and political intrigue finds love with her reluctant husband as they battle rebels and fight to protect their realm.


Good Bye My Princess
2019 · CN
A love story revolves around the 9th Princess of Western Liang as she journeys to the Central Plains to fulfill a marriage alliance with the Crown Prince. Having received overwhelming love and admiration as the 9th Princess, Xiao Feng is forced to leave the life that she has known in order to become the Crown Princess. Her husband, the black-bellied Crown Prince, holds the highest position second only to one, the Emperor. However, the Eastern Palace is the most dangerous place to be. For political reasons, the Prince has no choice but to marry the Princess from a foreign land. He has his own favored concubine while she has her own life. Two parallel lines begin to intersect in a place fraught with danger and deadly power play and buried somewhere deep inside are memories that have yet to resurface.


Wonderland of Love
2023 · CN
Li Ni, the emperor’s overlooked grandson, lives freely as a border general until duty forces him to lead the campaign against a growing rebellion. On the battlefield, he repeatedly crosses paths with Cui Lin, the spirited daughter of a famed general who fights in disguise as a lieutenant. Their strategic duels and constant one-upmanship soon give way to a deeper bond, as rivalry slowly blossoms into love amid the chaos of war.


A Splendid Match
2026 · CN
After years away from her family, Gu Jinzhao returns home and begins a remarkable transformation, from a carefree young woman into a poised and influential noble lady. As questions of marriage arise, she refuses to follow tradition and holds firmly to her own beliefs about love. But when multiple men enter her life, each offering a different future, who will Gu Jinzhao choose?


Royal Nirvana
2019 · CN
A story that follows a Crown Prince who faces enemies from all sides and falls in love with a maidservant who wants to kill him. He is a son simply yearning for his father's love but is feared and suppressed due to his position. Despite the conflicts, the Crown Prince is a man willing to sacrifice his life and reputation for his country.


The Vendetta of An
2025 · CN
Xie Huai'an, son of the Huben Army's creator, survives his family's massacre. After ten long years in hiding, he returns to Chang'an disguised as a lowly registrar, moving step by step through jianghu clashes and palace power plays in a tense battle of wits to avenge his family and safeguard the realm.


The Legend of Xiao Chuo
2020 · CN
Late in the 10th century, the Liao dynasty is at the zenith of its power. The omnipotent Liao rule much of what is now Northeast China, Mongolia, Russia, and much of the Korean Peninsula. Prime Minister Xiao Si Wen and Princess Yan have three daughters, with the youngest, Xiao Chao, their favourite. Her heart belongs to the aspiring military commander, Han De Rang, whose family have served the Liao loyally for decades. However, her parents have other plans, sucessfully arranging her marriage to Liao Emperor, Jin Zhong, whom she eventually concedes to marry. As the Emperor’s queen, she becomes a fierce defender of the Liao by assisting in mobilizing the army, heading a 10,000-strong cavalry and providing support to the civil administration. Eventually, she will earn the title of Empress.


Burning Flames
2024 · CN
After the fall of his kingdom and the slaughter of his family, Prince Wu Geng is forced into slavery, but fueled by grief and guided by powerful allies, he rises to challenge the mighty Yun clan and reclaim his destiny.


霹雳勇士之元气勇者
2014 · CN
No overview available


Love in Flames of War
2022 · CN
During the period of the Republic of China, the cardamom talented girl Lin Hangjing was imprisoned because of her father’s murder. She went to her father’s friend Xiao Dashuai. Although she was under the fence, she was not humble or overbearing. Xiao Beichen, the overbearing three young master of the Xiao family, had bullied her from the very beginning to gradually attracted by her strong independence.


Fearless Whispers
2020 · CN
In post-war Shanghai, idealistic law graduate Gu Yaodong becomes a policeman, only to face corruption and political turmoil. Caught between the Communists and Nationalists, he teams up with unexpected allies and sets out on a path of resistance, determined to fight for justice.


Sparrow
2016 · CN
This drama is set during the revolutionary time in Shanghai, based on a novel of the same name of Hai Fei. During the republican revolution, Chen Shen is a secret agent under Special Operations Executive Director Bi Zhongliang, among the agents called “sparrow” (similar to the program “zero” in Japan)


Winter Begonia
2020 · CN
In 1937 Beijing, a revered opera star and a businessman unite to preserve culture, love, and hope as their city falls under the shadow of invasion.


The Song of Glory
2020 · CN
In the Liu Song dynasty, Chancellor Liu Yikang seeks to reform a corrupt government by marrying Shen Lige, a woman from a powerful military family. As they fight to implement change, political rivals strike back, leading to the downfall of the Shen family. Driven by grief and vengeance, Shen Lige rises to challenge the forces that destroyed her world.


Siege in Fog
2018 · CN
An arrogant third master of a powerful family falls in love at first sight with a pretty young maiden and uses every means possible to force her hand in marriage, despite her harboring a crush on another man. In the beginning of a coerced marriage, she resents him and rejects all his advances and gestures of love, but their love story slowly develops after going through obstacles in times of war and chaos. However, things get complicated when her old flame returns and becomes her husband’s assistant.


Renascence
2020 · CN
After Queen Yao Moxin is killed in a palace conspiracy, her soul transfers into her younger sister Yao Mowan. Surviving an attack and losing her memories, she slowly recovers her past and sets out to exact revenge—taking down her enemies one by one within the treacherous royal court.


Decisive Victory
2021 · CN
For the first time, the drama "Decisive Victory" presents a panoramic view of the three major battles of Liaoshen, Huaihai and Pingjin in the form of a TV series, presenting a dramatic battle of China's destiny. It presents the three battles in three dimensions by telling the stories of strategy, tactics and battles and presents a vivid individual in the grand war through colorful characters.


Da Gou Gun
2013 · CN
A folk militia leader rises during the Anti-Japanese War to fight invasion and corruption while leading a civilian resistance force in Rehe.


Yangko Dance
2015 · CN
No overview available


Liberation of Shanghai
2022 · CN
The series provides a comprehensive look at Communist Party of China members' attempts to reconstruct the city and resurrect its economy after Shanghai was liberated in May 1949. It depicts how the Party liberates the city and uses its wisdom, faith and unity to tackle a number of political, economic and social issues. They were successful in guiding Shanghai into a new era of peace, stability and development. Based on true historical events, the drama focuses on the challenges faced by the city leaders in the first year after liberation. Party members had to fight bandits and enemy agents to stabilize social and political order and restore the city's production and trade.


My Chief and My Regiment
2009 · CN
The series is about the Chinese National Revolutionary Army Expeditionary Force in Burma fighting the Imperial Japanese Army during the 1942 Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road at the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Chinese troops landed in Burma to support the British allied forces operations. The aim was to protect the road since it served as an important supply route after China's ports fell under Japanese control. When the British forces withdrew their support and surrendered, part of the remaining Chinese troops was forced to abandon their heavy equipment and retreat in loose formations through the harsh Burmese jungles, experiencing constant enemy pursue and ambush. Of the 100,000 strong Chinese Expeditionary Force sent to fight, only around 40,000 returned home. The story follows a small group of soldiers being refuged in Yunnan, and is narrated through the eyes of a limping young Beiping student-turned-soldier named Meng Fanliao.


Eternal Brotherhood
2024 · CN
In the war-ravaged land of Zichuan, a heroic general and his sworn brothers battle internal rebellion and an invading enemy. As they fight to protect their homeland and loved ones, they forge a powerful tale of loyalty, sacrifice, and the pursuit of peace.
Chinese television is built around costume drama and wuxia serials running to substantial episode counts, with a production scale that has few equivalents anywhere.
War and political series use serial length to show process: campaigns, negotiations, and institutions grinding forward. The genre works best when it's interested in systems rather than just speeches.