20 Chinese Shows to Learn Chinese (and Where to Stream Them)

You can learn Mandarin Chinese through TV. But if you haven’t really watched Chinese TV before, how do you know where to get started? What should you watch?

I’ve picked out the top 20 TV shows for learning Chinese, from fun variety shows and cartoons to imperial dramas with more complex language. You’ll also find out about popular Chinese streaming websites so you can access thousands of Chinese TV shows (and movies too).

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. 非诚勿扰 (If You Are the One)

Available on: YouTube

This show features around 24 female guests and about four or five male contestants every episode.

The female guests evaluate each male contestant based on video clips and questions asked by the hosts. If a female guest doesn’t like what she sees, she can hit a buzzer. Once every female guest hits the buzzer, the male contestant is eliminated.

This is one of the most controversial game shows in China, but it’s also among the most popular for that reason!

2. 中国达人秀 (China’s Got Talent)

Available on: YouTube

In this show, people showcase their talents in front of a panel of judges who come from various professions in the entertainment industry.

The contestants come from different walks of life and also talk about personal topics sometimes. There are no restrictions on what you can show off, but the most popular auditions are the ones with singing and dancing.

3. 康熙来了 (Kangsi Coming)

Available on: YouTube

“Kangsi Coming” is a hilarious talk show where the hosts bring up controversial questions. But they do it in a fun, entertaining way so the show participants and the audience feel relaxed enough to join in the conversation.

The show has featured people who are obsessed with taking selfies, or 自拍 (zì pāi) in Chinese (and how different they are in real life), people who have had plastic surgery, Chinese-born celebrities who are raised abroad and their experiences overseas and so on.

4. 初恋那件小事 (A Little Thing Called First Love)

Available on: Netflix

Xia Miao Miao is shy. So when she catches feelings for the popular basketball player Liang You Nian, she knows she has to change. But it’s not just her outward appearance that she wants to improve—it’s her inner confidence and overcoming her timid nature.

The show follows Miao Miao as she goes on a journey of self-improvement. She feels like compared to You Nian, she’s ordinary and won’t be exciting enough for him. So she improves her self-confidence and puts herself out there by getting accepted into a highly esteemed fashion university, joining the Fine Arts club, transferring departments and more. Slowly working up the courage to confess her feelings to him.

5. 下一站，幸福 (Autumn’s Concerto)

Available on: Viki

任光晞 (rén guāng xī) is a son from a wealthy family, but he feels empty and purposeless, with a deep mistrust for women. That is, until one day when he meets a simple delivery girl, 梁慕橙 (liáng mù chéng).

The two of them fall in love, but then it turns out 任光晞 has a brain tumor. He miraculously gets better, but at a heavy price: The love between 光晞 and 慕橙 vanishes into nothingness from a bout of amnesia. And thus, the real love story begins.

6. 醉后决定爱上你 (Drunken to Love You)

Available on: Viki

When an interior designer and a head waitress propose to their respective significant others, both of them are turned down. They respond to this by getting really drunk—only to wake up the next day officially married to each other!

Now the two must work backward to find out how they wound up in this situation in the first place. Is this a terrible mistake or a blessing in disguise? Only time will tell!

7. Miaomiao

Available on: Amazon Prime | YouTube

This Mandarin-learning series is aimed at preschoolers, but it’s still entertaining to watch for adults. It follows the adventures of a young Chinese-Canadian girl named Miaomiao, her puppy Doudou and the rest of her animal friends.

Through the obstacles and problems they encounter, Miaomiao and her friends learn character-building lessons and the power of friendship, along with simple Chinese words and phrases.

8. 天庭小子 – 小乾坤 (Heavenkid)

Available on: YouTube

This award-winning Taiwanese cartoon is based on the book 弟子规 (dì zǐ guī), known in English as “Ti Tzu Kui, Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child.” The show educates children on discipline, morals and virtues deeply rooted in Ancient Chinese wisdom and Confucian teachings.

It offers a well-rounded education in terms of language and culture. This show is actually a popular reference for immersion daycares and kindergartens!

9. 伍六七 (Scissor Seven)

Available on: Netflix

Also known as “Killer 7” or 刺客伍六七 (cì kè wǔ liù qī), this show was the first Chinese animated series on Netflix.

The story is about a hairdresser named Seven who suffers from amnesia and lives on Chicken Island with his friend and boss Daibo, who also happens to be a chicken.

Because his past is a mystery, Seven figures that he needs to save up for an expensive medical operation, and he believes that becoming an assassin is the best way to earn that money. Although he has the power to control his scissors, his weapon of choice, Seven is a goofball and pretty much fails at killing anything.

10. 老表，你好嘢！(Inbound Troubles)

Available on: YouTube

This Hong Kong drama follows a couple who set out to achieve their dream of opening a travel agency but go bankrupt after being cheated out of a lot of money.

The story follows a colorful cast of characters. There’s the protagonist’s wife who falls in love with his best friend, the protagonist’s younger cousin who dreams of becoming a singer, an old diva who cons people for food and living accommodations and other fun personalities.

The show is centered around the theme of the conflicts between mainland China and Hong Kong.

11. 巾帼枭雄 (Rosy Business)

Available on: Tubi | YouTube

“Rosy Business” is an acclaimed Qing Dynasty show that revolves around a wealthy family operating the largest rice trade business in Wuxi.

When the father of the family becomes sick, he hands control of the business to his fourth wife, but his other wives and their children scheme to take it for themselves.

Centered around the themes of family, love and betrayal, the story follows the interactions between the fourth wife and the other wives, who each have very distinct motivations and personalities.

12. 溏心风暴之家好月圆 (Moonlight Resonance)

Available on: Tubi

The protagonists, 钟笑荷 (zhōng xiào hé) and 甘泰祖 (gān tài zǔ) are owners of a small up-and-coming bakery in Hong Kong. However, all dreams for their little cafe fall apart when the husband cheats on his wife. The wife then leaves her husband, sparking a court battle between the couple to settle custody of their children.

Many years later, the husband and his new companion are rich and very well off, thanks to the expansion of their bakery business. Meanwhile, the wife remains in the original store, still working hard with the help of her children. As the two families cross paths again, a new legal battle full of love, hatred and jealousy ensues.

13. 愛愛內含光 (Let’s Talk About CHU)

Available on: Netflix

This isn’t your typical Chinese romance drama. It’s a steamy, comedic, modern Taiwanese drama that follows a woman named Chu Ai who’s skeptical about love and casual about sex. Her motto is “Only Sex, No Love”—she only does casual flings and never develops feelings.

But when she starts hooking up with someone new, she finds herself breaking her own rules unexpectedly.

The show also follows an older couple. The wife misses the passion from when they were young and in love, but her husband rejects her at every attempt she makes to reignite their romance.

How does a woman who has only had casual sex for years handle unexpected feelings and the sudden want for something more? And how does the relationship of a couple married for decades survive when they feel their fire has burned out?

14. 宫心计 (Beyond the Realm of Consciousness)

Available on: Tubi | YouTube

This drama is set in ancient China, where a mother and the two girls in her care are thrown into service in the imperial palace as handmaids.

As they grow older in the palace, one girl lives by the words of her mother—to always do good and be kind—while the other is only out for her own survival, lying and cheating her way up the ranks. She sees the kind-hearted girl as a rival, so she plots to murder the empress and then blame the other girl.

15. 美人心计 (Beauty’s Rival in a Palace)

Available on: YouTube

This Imperial drama tells the story of Empress Dou and how she helped her husband rule during his reign. The show follows the future empress from her childhood. Because of her miserable upbringing, she learns to be witty in dealing with people, and her resourcefulness to survive is shown through many pressing circumstances and dangerous situations.

When she grows up, she’s once again embroiled in the sinister affairs of the imperial palace harem. Through her wits and cunningness, Dou manages to get herself out of many sticky situations.

16. 極道千金 (Triad Princess)

Available on: Netflix

Triads are top-secret Chinese societies involved in underground crime, and Angie’s father is the boss of one. She was raised with the same skillset, but instead of submitting to his wishes and dedicating herself to a life of crime and a forced marriage, she runs away from home and uses her training to land a celebrity bodyguard gig.

Her job is to protect an actor known for his good looks and charming personality. So much so that Angie can’t help but develop a crush on him. But having grown up in a completely separate world, she has to learn how to navigate fame, do her job and now, love.

17. 模仿犯 (Copycat Killer)

Available on: Netflix

A series of dark murders is ocurring in Taiwan, and not even the most experienced, intelligent prosecutors know what to do anymore. But one prosecutor is determined to see the case through to the finish and bring justice to the tormented families, which leads him down a disturbing path that brings him closer to the killer.

But the murderer—a man who wears a white mask and uses a voice-changing filter to communicate with the investigators—is smart, too. He actively lures him in through the media and playing games with his team, trying to negotiate with them. There’s confusion and chaos among the millions of other emotions the characters are going through as they face wrong conclusions, accusations, heartbreak and fear, but also a hope for justice.

18. 流星花园 (Meteor Garden)

Available on: Netflix

Shan Cai is entering her first year of university as no one but an ordinary girl who was smart enough to get accepted into an elite school. But her life takes a turn when she encounters the school’s most popular students—a group of four senior boys who have an insane talent for playing bridge.

Daoming Si, the leader of the group, steps on and breaks Shan Cai’s phone after she drops it. When she confronts him, he’s nothing but arrogant—which puts a fire in Shan Cai’s spirit to prove she won’t be pushed over so easily. But when they start to fall for each other, their fiery spirits aren’t quite sure how to handle it.

19. 三分野 (Here We Meet Again)

Available on: Viki

Xiang Yuan was born into a family of entrepreneurs and businessmen. But their once-successful company is heading straight for financial ruin—which is why Xiang Yuan is sent to their Xi’an branch to try and save it.

Xu Yan Shi is a navigation engineer fresh out of university who works at the Xi’an branch. He’s fierce, but has been struggling to keep his department afloat amidst the financial pressure. But when Xiang Yuan arrives, there’s just one problem—he was her childhood crush, and the feelings definitely weren’t reciprocated.

Now Xiang Yuan has to save her family’s company and learn how to manage having Xu Yan Shi around. But as time goes by, their relationship becomes closer and closer.

20. 偏偏动了心 (Have a Crush on You)

Available on: Viki

Ruan Liu Zheng has worked hard to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and make a life for herself. She left her ex-husband Ning Zhi Qian after years of a harsh, cruel marriage. And afterward, went on to medical school. Seven years later, she finds herself starting a new job as a junior neurosurgeon.

The only problem? Zhi Qian is her mentor. While he does everything he can to win her back, Liu Zheng is hesitant. But when he has an accident while out of the country, Liu Zheng has to be the one to care for him—which leads to a reunited spark and renewed love, but not without having to heal the wounds of the past.

Where to Stream Chinese TV Shows

You can find plenty of Chinese shows on large video-streaming websites. But there are also P2P websites that offer subtitled Chinese dramas without the need for a VPN.

Here’s a list of streaming platforms:

• Youku
• Tudou
• Fun.tv, Fun.tv Apps
• Viki
• Hulu
• Netflix
• Amazon Prime
• Apple TV
• Vudu
• Tubi
• YouTube

If you come across a website that isn’t listed here, watch out for video mirrors, which are prohibited. Sites that link to video mirrors rather than hosting the videos themselves are problematic because these mirrors can sometimes be taken down over time or stop working altogether when the video hosting sites encounter issues.

Plus, these websites offer a smaller selection of Chinese drama titles.

If you need it for your location, you can get a VPN that allows you to access streaming websites in China from a Chinese server location. On the other hand, if you’re in China at the moment, you can use that VPN to get past the Great Firewall. Either way, geographic restrictions are lifted, and you’re free to access any blocked shows.

The catch is that using a VPN doesn’t always provide a good experience for streaming videos. But you never know—you might be lucky and find a service that provides a smooth streaming experience.

How to Learn Mandarin Through Chinese TV Shows

So now that you have a good selection of shows, how do you actually learn Chinese through TV?

Using a series to improve your Chinese means watching it actively rather than just sitting back and enjoying it. If you hear an unfamiliar word, write it down. Make sure you look up the words in a good dictionary and then review them on a regular basis.

That said, when you set out to learn Chinese with these shows, you’ll have to be realistic in your expectations. Even if you watch the simplest types of TV shows, you’ll need to be at least at the intermediate level to know what’s going on. Otherwise, you’ll be struggling to even understand basic sentence structure and vocabulary.

For more learner support, one tool that you can practice with—no matter what your level—would be FluentU.

 

So, what are you waiting for? Surely one of the 20 has caught your eye!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)