DRAMA ARCHIVE · 54 FEATURED
Featured Period Dramas
A curated archive of 54 representative Chinese period (costume) dramas — from Nirvana in Fire to Lost You Forever — organized by era, genre, and reception. Each drama is a set of SEO entry points: drama details, character dossiers, and actor pages form a unified trio.
Huayang Jianghu
《花样江湖》
Beneath the Millennia Inn, four squabbling clerks — Mengye, Xiaoxin, Jianci and Dahao — dream of doing a hundred bad deeds to earn entry into the villains' circle and a life of indulgence. Their schemes keep backfiring into good deeds as a parade of oddballs storms the inn, forcing the mismatched trio-and-a-girl to discover that the truest happiness is found in looking out for one another.
Love Like the Galaxy
《月升沧海》
Left behind by her warring parents, the clever and stubborn Cheng Shaoshang grows up a 'left-behind' girl who hides her brilliance to survive a hostile household, until fate throws her together with the brooding young general Ling Buyi. As they unravel his family's bloody secrets and weather the intrigues of powerful clans, the two heal each other's wounds and stand side by side to save the realm.
The Cang Hai
《藏海传》
As a child, Zang Hai witnesses the slaughter of his entire family by a powerful enemy. Ten years later, after mastering geomancy, architecture, and political strategy, he returns to the capital under a new name, joining the very court that destroyed his family. With the help of allies and the brilliant Xiang An-tu, Zang Hai climbs the political ladder — but as he closes in on revenge, he discovers a far greater conspiracy that threatens the empire itself.
Love Between Fairy and Devil
《苍兰诀》
Thousands of years after the Moon Lord Dongfang Qingcang destroyed the Xixin tribe, the tribe's goddess is reborn as Xiao Lanhua, a low-ranking fairy in the heavenly realm. When she accidentally releases Dongfang Qingcang from the Haotian Tower, a soul-snake curse binds the two together. The cold-blooded demon lord who has never known love gradually falls for the gentle fairy — and she, in turn, becomes the key to ending a three-thousand-year war between the realms.
The Longest Day In Chang'an
《长安十二时辰》
On the eve of the Lantern Festival in the third year of Tianbao of the Tang dynasty, suspicious Wolf Guards infiltrate Chang'an. Li Bi, Vice Magistrate of the Jing'an Bureau, is tasked with neutralizing the threat. He recruits condemned prisoner Zhang Xiaojing to root out the conspiracy and save the city — all within twelve hours.
The Untamed
《陈情令》
Wei Wuxian, ward of Yunmeng Jiang clan, and Lan Wangji of Gusu Lan clan form a bond while uncovering the truth behind a chain of mysteries. Sixteen years after a great catastrophe, they reunite at Mo Family Village, expose the schemes of Jin Guangyao, uncover the death of Nie Mingjue, and solve the Yicheng serial case — each finally finding their own peace.
Palace of Devotion
《大宋宫词》
Liu E, played by Liu Tao, is the empress of Song Zhenzong. She helps govern the empire and exerts significant influence on the politics of the early Northern Song dynasty.
Douluo Continent
《斗罗大陆》
Tang San, a disciple of Tang Sect's Outer Court exiled for secretly learning Inner Court techniques, is reincarnated into the Douluo Continent at Holy Soul Village. There he meets Xiao Wu, and together they enter Shrek Academy to cultivate Martial Souls. With Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, they form the Shrek Seven Devils and battle the Spirit Hall.
Untouchable Lovers
《凤囚凰》
Liu Chuyu, a princess of the Southern Dynasties' Liu Song, is forced into a political marriage with Rongzhi, the regent of Northern Wei. Rongzhi becomes enamored with Zhuque, a maid-in-waiting at Chuyu's side — unaware of a hidden substitute-identity secret between the princess and her attendant.
Flourished Peony
《国色芳华》
In the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong, merchant's daughter He Weifang marries into the Jiang family by an arranged match. After a divorce, she strikes out on her own in Chang'an, leveraging her rare skill in cultivating peonies. With the help of dye-shop heir Liu Chang and the reclusive physician Jiang Changyang, she builds a thriving peony business across the capital — and finds true love.
Dancing with the Tide
《何不同舟渡》
In the shattered Southern Song after the fall of the north, the general Xie Queshan wears the hated name of a traitor while secretly serving as a deep-cover spy who has spent eight years inside the enemy camp. When the street-thief Nanyi accidentally steals a pouch holding the secret of the new emperor's whereabouts, the two are pulled into a deadly game of cat and mouse. From enemies and reluctant allies they grow into comrades who, together with a band of patriots, steer a leaking boat across a collapsing world.
Under the Power
《锦衣之下一下CP版》
Set in the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, Brocade Guard investigator Lu Yi is sent south to investigate a case. He is partnered with Yuan Jinxia, a female constable of the Six Doors. What begins as mutual disdain gradually turns to affection as they crack a series of bizarre cases together, exposing Yan Shiben's treason — and ultimately unite.
Joy of Life
《庆余年》
Fan Xie travels from Danzhou to the capital of Qing and is drawn into the royal power struggles. He uncovers the secret of his birth and the death of his mother Ye Qingmei, eventually pacifying Northern Qi and reforming the court.
Kangxi Dynasty
《康熙王朝》
Qing Emperor Kangxi ascends the throne at age 8. Guided by his grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, he captures Oboi, pacifies the Three Feudatories, recovers Taiwan, and personally leads campaigns against Galdan — inaugurating the Kangxi golden age.
Nirvana in Fire
《琅琊榜》
Mei Changsu, played by Hu Ge, returns from hell under the alias Jiangzuo Meilang. He rebuilds the Jiangzuo Alliance and backs Prince Jing Hanjingyu in the succession fight, taking down the Crown Prince, Prince Yu, Xie Yu, Xia Jiang and other scheming ministers — finally clearing the name of the wrongly-purged Chiyan army.
The Long Ballad
《长歌行》
After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Princess Li Changge, daughter of the slain Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, disguises herself as a man and flees to Shuozhou. There she meets the steppe warrior Ashina Sun, and together they defend both the Tang dynasty and the Ashile tribe — finding love and purpose in the fires of war.
Lost You Forever
《长相思》
Abandoned and lost, Xiao Yao becomes Wen Xiaoliu in the town of Clearwater. Through a web of complex love and rivalry with Tu Shan Jing, Xiangliu, Cang Xuan and A Nian, she eventually witnesses Cang Xuan unify the great wilderness — and at last retreats into seclusion with Tu Shan Jing.
Mysterious Lotus Casebook
《莲花楼》
Ten years ago, the leader of Sigumen Li Xiangyi and the leader of the Golden Peacock Alliance Di Feisheng vanished in a duel at sea. Now, Li Xiangyi reappears in the jianghu under the name Li Lianhua. Together with Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng, he solves a string of bizarre cases and rediscovers the meaning of life.
Love Like the Galaxy
《星汉灿烂》
Abandoned by her family during the war, Cheng Shaoshang grows up distant from her parents. She meets three very different men — Ling Buyi, Yuan Shen, and Lou Yao — and, amid the turmoil of the times, matures into a generation's great female general.
A Dream of Splendor
《梦华录》
Zhao Pan'er, a teahouse owner in Qiantang, travels north to the Eastern Capital with her sisters Song Yinzhang and Sun Sanniang. Along the way she rescues Imperial City Bureau Vice Commissioner Gu Qianfan, falls in love with him, and together they help Song Yinzhang escape indentured servitude. Through Imperial City Bureau intrigues and court upheaval, they hold fast to their teahouse — and each finds her own happy ending.
Dream of Ning'an
《宁安如梦》
Once-ambitious Empress Jiang Xuening is forced to take her own life during a coup — only to awaken, reborn. This time she vows to break free of palace politics and live for herself. But fate pulls her back into the imperial court, where the brilliant, secretive Imperial Tutor Xie Wei and the righteous official Zhang Zhe are fighting their own battles. Together, Xuening, Xie Wei, and the Crown Prince Yan Lin must expose a decades-old conspiracy — and perhaps, finally, choose love over power.
Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Changlin
《琅琊榜之风起长林》
Xiao Tingsheng of the Changlin Army defends the northern border of Great Liang. His sons Xiao Pingzhang and Xiao Pingyi successively fall victim to the schemes of Puyang Ying and Mozihou. In the end, Xiao Pingyi upholds the Changlin name and quells the rebellion.
The Imperial Doctress
《女医明妃传》
In the Zhengtong era of the Ming dynasty, Tan Yunxian, daughter of a Jiangnan medical family, vows to become a physician. Her skill wins the Empress Dowager's favor. Her fate intertwines with the brothers Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen and Emperor Daizong Zhu Qiyu. Through the Tumu Crisis and the Duomen Incident, she becomes a generation's most celebrated woman doctor.
Qianlong Dynasty
《乾隆王朝》
A chronicle of Emperor Qianlong (played by Jiao Huang) and his six-decade reign of prosperity, told through the court stories of He Shen, Liu Yong, and Ji Xiaolan.
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace
《如懿传》
Empress Ulanara Ruyi (Qingying) and Emperor Qianlong's story — from youthful sweethearts to their final tragic severing of the bond. A portrait of late-Qianlong court intrigue and imperial heartlessness.
Three Kingdoms
《三国演义》
At the end of the Eastern Han, warlords rise. Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Wu carve the realm into three kingdoms.
Water Margin
《水浒传》
At the end of the Northern Song, 108 heroes gather on Liangshan Marsh to right wrongs under heaven, and later accept amnesty to campaign against Fang La.
The Lighter and the Princess
《四海重明》
When a spirited country herbalist Nanyan accidentally forms a soul bond — the Lingxi Seal — with a fallen Immortal Emperor Ji Chang, she is pulled into the schemes of the heavenly realms. Together with her three sworn brothers — a dragon prince, a fox prince, and the emperor himself — they unravel a conspiracy that threatens the entire immortal world. Along the way, Nanyan discovers her true heritage and a love that defies the heavens.
The Empress of China
《武媚娘传奇》
From Lady Wu of Taizong's court, to the nunnery at Ganye Temple, to the Empress of Tang Gaozong Li Zhi — and finally, the only woman emperor in Chinese history.
Ashes of Love
《香蜜沉沉烬如霜》
The three-life love tragedy of Jin Mi, daughter of the Flower God, and Xu Feng, son of the Heavenly Emperor. The previous Heavenly Emperor's daughter killed Xu Feng by mistake, and Jin Mi, her emotions numbed by a Meteor Pill, cannot feel. After the realms of the Six Realms clash, Jin Mi trades her eyes to resurrect Xu Feng — and at last retreats to the Demon Realm with him.
The Legend of Xiao Chuo
《燕云台》
In the era of Liao's founder Yelü Abaoji, the Khitan noble girl Xiao Yanyan finds her fate entwined with the Han man Han Derang and her childhood friend Yelü Xian. From a free-spirited girl, Yanyan rises to become a generation's great empress — sharing a life of service and sacrifice with Han Derang, and helping Yelü Xian usher in the Liao golden age.
Story of Yanxi Palace
《延禧攻略》
In the sixth year of Qianlong, Wei Yingluo enters the Forbidden City to uncover the truth behind her sister's death. Starting as a palace seamstress, she navigates the deadly struggles involving the Empress, Consort Fucha, the Imperial Noble Consort, and the Empress Dowager — ultimately rising to become Imperial Noble Consort Ling.
Yongzheng Dynasty
《雍正王朝》
Emperor Yongzheng (played by Tang Guoqiang) — from the fourth prince Yinzhen to the throne. He crushes the Eighth Prince's faction, campaigns in the northwest, and pushes through bold reforms.
Legend of Fei
《有翡》
During the war-torn Southern and Northern Dynasties, Zhou Fei, granddaughter of the leader of the Forty-Eight Stockades Li Zheng, rescues the arrow-wounded Xie Yun at the Ximo River. Together they face the dangers of the jianghu, battle the Disha Mountain Fortress bandits led by Shen Tianshu, uncover the mystery of the Sea-and-Sky treasure — and at last become a couple.
The Longest Promise
《玉骨遥》
The fate of Kongsang prince Shi Ying and the Crimson tribe's Princess Zhu Yan is bound by a prophecy. Cast out by his father, Shi Ying studies sorcery under Grand Commander of Jiuyi Mountain. Reunited with Zhu Yan, the two fall in love, but ultimately Shi Ying sacrifices himself for his kingdom — and Zhu Yan guards Kongsang alone.
My Journey to You
《云之羽》
Yun Weishan, a spy sent by the assassin cult Wufeng, infiltrates the mysterious Gong family by posing as a bridal candidate. But when the Gong patriarch and his eldest son are assassinated, the reckless fourth son Gong Ziyu inherits the throne — and Yun Weishan finds her mission tangled with unexpected love. A deadly game of deception, betrayal, and affection unfolds behind the sealed gates of the Gong family.
Empresses in the Palace
《甄嬛传》
Zhen Huan enters the palace through the draft selection. From the rank of Wan Changzai, she passes through the schemes of Consort Hua, the Empress, Imperial Noble Consort Xi, and finally rises as Niohuru Zhen Huan — Empress Dowager Shengmu.
Pursuit of Jade
《逐玉》
Butcher girl Fan Changyu meets the wounded Marquis Xie Zheng in a snowstorm — one a penniless orphan guarding her family home, the other a marquis in hiding seeking vengeance for a seventeen-year-old massacre. They agree to a marriage of convenience, but love soon binds them. War tears them apart, until Changyu takes up a butcher's blade on the battlefield and Xie Zheng reclaims his military command. Together they expose the truth behind the bloodbath and find their way home.
Zichuan: King of Light
《紫川之光明王》
After leading his brothers to victory, the brilliant youth Zichuan Xiu is framed by the savage kingdom's schemes and stripped of his name by his own lord, Zichuan Canxing. Adrift with his loyal Xiuzi battalion, he settles in the Far East, restores its ruined people, and earns the title King of Radiant Light. When old loyalties collapse into a new civil war, Xiu must return home and face the brothers he once called family to defend the continent's hard-won peace.
Eternal Brotherhood
《紫川·光明三杰》
On the war-torn Western River continent, the adopted son Zichuan Xiu is framed by the treacherous regent Yang Minghua and exiled to the frontier, only to return a decorated hero to a family on the brink of ruin. With his sworn brothers Dilian and Stirling he purges the traitors within and turns back the looming savage hordes, then sails east to crown himself the radiant King of the Far East. Through blood and betrayal the three brothers grow from reckless youths into the protectors of a fractured world.
Twisted Fate of Love
《今夕何夕》
In the twilight of the Great Yin dynasty, the fallen woman general Dongyue is cast eight years into the past by a magic flute so she can stop the warlord Lu Yuantong from plunging the realm into war. Across three loops of time she is thrown against — and repeatedly saved by — the ruthlessly cunning courtier Feng Xi, and the two slowly fall in love while untangling a court conspiracy. Together they clear Feng Xi's exiled mother clan, place the upright Third Prince on the throne, and bring hard-won peace to the land.
The Prisoner of Beauty
《折腰》
When the warlord Wei Shao marches on Yanzhou to avenge his family's betrayal, the clever Qiao girl Xiaoqiao offers herself in marriage in her sister's place, hoping to defuse the crisis through wit rather than blood. Behind the walls of the Wei household the two circle each other with old hatreds and new respect, until their unlikely love bridges a generational feud and brings peace to the ravaged land.
The Long Ballad
《长歌行》
In the twilight of the Tang dynasty, Princess Li Changge escapes the Xuanwu Gate massacre that wipes out her father Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and her clan. Swearing vengeance, she flees north into Ashile Sun's Turkic camp, only to discover that vengeance is a heavier burden than she imagined. As the new Emperor Li Shimin ascends the throne and the Ashile tribes tear each other apart for supremacy, Changge must choose between blood feud and the fragile peace her cousin Leyan yearns for. War, romance, and redemption converge across the Tang steppe in this sweeping adaptation of Xia Da's beloved manga.
Heroes
《说英雄谁是英雄》
When the cheerful wanderer Wang Xiaoshi descends from his mountain to deliver a mysterious jade box, he is swept into the cutthroat world of the capital's underworld, where the righteous Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower wars with the profit-driven Six and a Half Hall. Beneath it all, the sinister Chancellor Cai pulls the strings of every faction. As friendship curdles into ambition, Wang Xiaoshi must decide what kind of hero he is willing to become.
The Wolf
《狼殿下》
In the twilight of the Tang dynasty, the rival states of Jin and Yang tear the land apart, and a boy raised by wolves is taken in by the ruthless Prince of Yang, who reshapes him into the fearsome Lord Bo. Eight years later he crosses paths with Ma Zhaixing, the kind-hearted noblewoman who once knew him as a wolf-child, and the two are drawn back together amid court intrigue, revenge, and a doomed love that defies the battlefield.
Maiden Holmes
《少女大人》
After her family is wiped out, the cold and brilliant Su Ci disguises herself as a man and joins the Mirror Bureau to hunt for the truth, where she meets the idler prince Pei Zhao — really the deposed King of Qi investigating his own ruined campaign. Together with the young sleuths Xie Beiming and Dong Rushuang, she untangles a string of cases that pull them straight into a deadly struggle for the throne.
The Journey of Legend
《赴山海》
Modern-day writer Xiao Mingming is pulled into the martial world of his own novel as the hero Xiao Qiushui, a gentle son of the Huashan Sword Sect whose family is slaughtered by the mighty Power Sect. Banding together with the brotherhood of the 'Quest for the Land,' he grows from a frightened survivor into a true hero, ultimately joining hands with his rival Li Chenzhou to defend the realm against foreign invaders.
The Promise of Chang'an
《长安诺》
As the great Liang dynasty crumbles into the warring states of Shengzhou, Xiqi, and Yonglin, the bright young Helan Mingyu catches the eye of the brave ninth prince Xiao Chengxu, only to be forced into the harem to save his brother. Through decades of rising and falling empires, betrayals, and a love that outlasts thrones, she transforms from a free-spirited girl into the steadfast grand empress dowager who holds a nation together.
Whispers of Fate
《水龙吟》
Tang Lici, an outsider from a vanished realm, bears his dead senior brother's heart within his own chest and is cursed as a monster after his third brother, Liu Yan, frames him for a string of murders. To clear his name he returns to the jianghu, wielding the music-based art of the 'Rebirth Score' while unraveling a poison plot spun by the shadowy organization Fengliu Dian. Rallying allies from the Sword Council and the frozen Bi Luo Palace, he exposes the mastermind Gui Mudan and seals the forbidden drug with his own life.
Guardians of the Dafeng
《大奉打更人》
Xu Qi'an, a modern man thrust into the corrupt court of Great Feng, joins the night-watchmen as a constable and turns his knack for deduction into a weapon against murderous nobles and scheming cults. As he unravels the tax-silver case, the Sangpo mystery, and the truth behind the Prince of Zhenbei's massacre, he is drawn into a war between the dynasty, Buddhism, the Wizard God sect, and the demon realms. In the end he defies an emperor possessed by an ancient spirit and rises to become the realm's guardian.
Ever Night 2
《将夜2》
Ning Que, a border scout who survived the slaughter of his family, becomes the Thirteenth Disciple of the Academy and the sworn guardian of Sang Sang, the maid he loves and the living incarnation of the god Haotian. When the world brands Sang Sang the daughter of the King of Hell and a coalition of nations marches on Tang, Ning Que stands alone against heaven and earth to protect her. Mastering the Prophet's magic and rallying Tang's defenders, he reawakens the great array that holds back the eternal night.
Battle Through the Heavens
《斗破苍穹》
Xiao Yan is the prodigy of the Xiao clan until he mysteriously loses his cultivation and becomes the family's disgraced 'good-for-nothing,' abandoned by his fiancée and scorned by all. Guided by the spirit of the alchemist Yao Chen living in his ring, he rebuilds his power, collects heaven's strange flames, and sets out to avenge his mother and his fallen house. Rallying friends from the Canaan Academy, he topples the arrogant Yun Lan Sect and the lurking Soul Hall to become the continent's liberating Dou Di.
Guardians of the Ancient Oath
《上古密约》
In a mythic age, the kingdom of Da You is torn between the imperial Bai Li clan and the rival Lang tribe, while the ancient beast Jiu Ying stirs toward freedom from its sealed prison. The young heir Bai Li Hongshuo and his adopted sister Hongyi—secretly the earth god who once bound Jiu Ying—are caught between court intrigue and a hidden hand awakening the Five Element gods. As the seal fails, Hongshuo and Hongyi must embrace their divine destinies and sacrifice themselves to lock the calamity away once more.
Encounter Dragon
《遇龙》
Yuchi Longyan, a thousand-year-old flood dragon, is gravely wounded while crossing a heavenly tribulation and is nursed back to health by Liu Ying, a humble maid who mistakes him for a little snake. Bound by gratitude and love, the dragon king sacrifices his chance at ascension to guard her through four reborn lifetimes, even as the heavens and the underworld conspire against them. Across four fates their devotion is tested by destiny, duty, and a star-god who would claim Liu Ying's soul.