The 25 Best Romantic Chinese Drama to Watch (2023)

Chinese TV and film industry has a wide range of audiences and is popularly known as C-Drama. What makes Chinese dramas one of the favorites among the fans is the dramas that it makes that covers a wide range of themes. Who doesn’t like romantic dramas? C-dramas guarantee you some of the finest romantic tv drama series that will give you a roller coaster ride of emotions. Let’s look at the 25 most unique and best romantic Chinese drama series that you can watch.

25. Lost Love in Times (2017)

Director: Lin Yufen, Liang Sengquan, Yu Cuihua, Ren Haitao
Writer: Rao Jun, Han Peizhen, Shi Siye, Chen Whenjuan, Dong Xinru
Cast: Cecilia Liu, William Chan
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

This Chinese drama series is based upon Shi Siye’s novel, Lost Love in Time, and the plotline revolves around the love story of Qincheng, a witch, and Yuang Ling of Wei, a prince. The prince is saved by the witch, after which their beautiful love story begins.

However, the state is not accepted even after they get engaged. The drama is full of fantasy, complicated love, and fantastic chemistry. Will the lovers save their relationship, or will their relationship spell a disaster?

Chinese romantic dramas are a must-watch if you want a roller coaster ride of emotions and want to explore something new. These drams are depicted the different aspects of love which are portrayed in the most realistic yet beautiful ways.

24. My Huckleberry Friends (2017)

Director: Sha Mo
Writer: Ba Yue Chang An
Cast: Li Landi, Zhang Xincheng
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki, iQIYI

The series can be considered as one of the romantic Chinese dramas that depicts a beautiful love story of two very aspiring and ecstatic teenagers. A young maths prodigy Yu Zhou Zhou defies her family and teachers and chooses to study liberal arts.

On the other hand, Lin Yang, her friend, is someone she relied on. However, both of them drift apart due to misunderstandings. However, both of them try to mend their broken friendship.

Will the protagonists fall in love with each other while trying to mend the broken friendship, or a completely new twist await them?

23. Cinderella Chef (2019)

Director: Zhao Jin Tao, Zhang Jin Qing
Writer: Lin Wei Rui, Yang Zhi Li, Yu Ge, Liu Yuan Yu
Cast: Zhong Dan Ni, Bie Thassapak Hu, Zhang Yi Cong, Chen Chian Yang
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

Cinderella chef is one of the most loved romance dramas that depict Ye Jia Hao’s story, whose time travels to the past and stays under the identity of a magistrate’s daughter named Ye Jin Xian. She meets the leader of a bandit group named Xia Chun Yu.

Both of them indulge in a fake marriage; however, they eventually start to fall in love with each other. Will Ye Jia Hao leave behind her modern life and choose to stay with the love of her life, or will the lovers have to part ways?

22. Sweet Combat (2018)

Director: Ke Hanchen
Writer: Ru Ping
Cast: Lu Han, Guan Xiaotong
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

Sweet Romance is a romantic love story of two young people who have two very different lives and how their life changes after meeting each other.

Ming Tian had struggled in his life and wanted to make it big by becoming a sportsperson, and Fang Yu, the heir of a big company, has defied her family to learn mixed martial arts. However, these two completely different people fall in love when Fang Yu has to train Ming Tian.

What new challenges do the young people have to face, and will both of them succeed in achieving their dreams?

There is much to explore in this drama that presents a beautiful picture of love and friendship.

21. Meteor Garden (2018)

Director: Lin Helong
Writer: Sharon Mao
Cast: Shen Yue, Dylan Wang, Darren Chen, Ceaser Wu, Connor Leong
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

Meteor Garden revolves around Dong Shancai, an ordinary young girl Shancai who gets into a prestigious institution but fights with an elite and arrogant boys’ group. An exciting love triangle is formed between Dong Shancai, Daoming Si, and Hauze Lei.

However, things take an exciting turn when Daoming Si’s mother gets involved in making her son away from Dong Shancai. Who will Dong Shancai end up with, and will the boys ever accept Shancai as an equal?

The drama is an exciting teen romance that grabbed quite a lot of attention.

20. Ode to Joy (2016)

Director: Kong Sheng, Jian Chuanhe, Zhang Kaizhou
Writer: Yuan Zidan
Cast: Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Wang Ziwen, Yang Zi, Qiao Xin
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

This is one of the offbeat Chinese romantic dramas about five modern-day women. These women stay on the 22nd floor of an apartment, and their space is called ‘Ode to Joy’. Each of the women has completely different character traits due to their different ages, upbringing, social circles, and professions.

Even though these women’s relationship as neighbors and friends was not that great, later on, they began to confide with each other. They try to navigate through their love and career. Will these women achieve what they dream of, or are there setbacks awaiting them?

19. The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love (2018)

Director: Leste Chen, Hsu Chao Jen
Writer: Freddie Shen
Cast: Victoria Song, Huang Jingyu
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love is a brilliant romantic Chinese drama that revolves around the life of Guan Pipi and Helan Jingting and a love that is spread across ages. The revolves around how Helan searches Guan Pipi in each lifetime as she dies at 25 years.

Helan Jingting has lived for hundreds of years, and to cure him, Guan Pipi has to sacrifice herself. Will Helan search for a cure for Guan Pipi or will the lovers never be able to spend their lives together?

18. Sweet Dreams (2018)

Director: Jin Sha
Writer: NA
Cast: Dilraba Dilmurat, Deng Lun
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

Sweet Dreams is one of the most liked romantic Chinese dramas based on the life of Ling Ling Qi has a crush on Bo Hai, who is a well-known florist. She starts working in his company to stay close to him.

However, one day when their paths cross due to a technical glitch of sleep controlling bracelets, Ling Ling Qi is transported to Bo Hai’s dream, where their bond develops. The two protagonists help each other in overcoming their trauma.

Will both of them realize their feelings for each other, or will they end up remembering nothing at all?

17. Accidently in Love (2018)

Director: Zhong Qing
Writer: Qianxun Qianxun
Cast: Guo Jun Chen, Sun Yi Ning, Ma Li, Zhao Yi Qin
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

His romantic story is based on Chen Qing Qing, a cheerful young woman who decides to leave her wealthy grandfather and forced marriage.

She tries to escape her grandfather by creating fake names and instances, which lead to quite humourous instances in the show.

Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the arrogant music sensation, Situ Feng. How will the lovers take their relationship, and what new challenges for the protagonists make the audience watch the show until the end?

16. If I Can Love You So (2019)

Director: Wang Lei
Writer: Qianxun Qianxun
Cast: Liu Shishi, Tong Dawei, Bao Jianfeng
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

Considered one of the best romantic Chinese dramas, If I Can Love You So revolves around Bao Kaoer, who tragically finds out about her husband’s affair after he dies with another woman in the accident.

While Geng Mochi was also processing Ye Sha’s death and her affair, these estranged spouses met. Both of them blame each other for their spouse’s infidelity.

However, they slowly fall in love. Things become complicated with Qi Shuli’s arrival. Will the couple save their relationship, or will Qi Shuli’s plan succeed?

15. Diamond Lover (2015)

Director: Chen Mingzhang, Wu Qiang
Writer: Li Jian
Cast: Rain, Tiffany Tang, Luo Jin, Dilraba Dilmurat
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

The story revolves around the female lead Mi Mei Li, who has little confidence and suffers professionally and personally. However, she falls in love with Xiao Liang, the head of a diamond company. Before she confesses, she meets with an accident, and due to cosmetic surgery, she becomes slim, and no one recognizes her.

However, she realizes that her appearance has nothing to do with love, and she becomes optimistic in life and determines to become the best jewelry designer. Xiao Liang falls in love with her, but at the same time, Lei Yiming too confesses his love to her as she can Yiming are childhood friends.

Who will Mi Mei Li choose, and will she get her shot at love this time?

14. Stay With Me (2016)

Director: Billy Tang, Ruan Weixin, Chen Guangyu
Writer: Qian Jingjing, Xu Ziyuan, Jiang Guangyu
Cast: Joe Chen, Wai Kai
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

Stay With Me is a fantastic drama that revolves around the life of Li Weiwei, who loses her memory in an accident and remembers things the way they were seven years back. However, things in the present are not the same, and she cannot digest the fact that she broke up with her then love Chen Yidu and that Huo Xiao is her fiancé.

Determined to get answers, she went on a journey of self-discovery, trying to find her love and lost passion. Will Li Weiwei finally find her passion and the love she craves, or will Huo Xiao be able to convince Weiwei to stay back with him or will fear come true?

13. Put Your Head on My Shoulder (2019)

Director: Zhu Dongning
Writer: Zhao Qianqian
Cast: Xing Fei, Lin Yi, Tang Xiaotian
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

Considered one of the best romance dramas, Put your Head on my Shoulder is the love story between As Si Tu Mo, an ordinary girl, and a Physics prodigy called Gu Wei Yi. These two very different people are set up by their mothers and start to live together and eventually fall in love.

While Si Tu Mo likes Fu Pei, she is pretty uncertain about the decisions she needs to make. How will Gu Wei Yi change her life, and will both the protagonists face the challenges that life has in store for them?

12. The Fox’s Summer (2017)

Director: Yu Zhongzhong
Writer: Shen Cangmei, You Er
Cast: Jiang Ciao, Tan Songyun
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

This Chinese drama tells the story of Gu Cheng Ze and Li Yan Shu, who are brought together under adverse circumstances.

To motivate Gu Jin Yu to come and work for the company, Cheng Ze decides to hire Li Yan Shu, Jin Yu’s ex-girlfriend. Even though the former couple has some strings attached, Mrs. Gu is determined to separate them, leading to Cheng Ze and Yan Shu falling in love.

It is heartwarming to see Cheng Ze and Yan Shu overcoming the hurdles on their way and forming a solid bond. But will Jinyu let her go quickly, or will the new couple have any more hurdles on their way?

11. The King’s Woman (2017)

Director: Liu Xin
Writer: Zhu Xianzhong
Cast: Dilraba ilmurat, Vin Zhang, Li Tai, Liu Chamg , Zhang Xuan
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

This Chinese drama revolves around the first emperor of China and Sun Li, the daughter of a commander. The story centers around how Sun Li gets married to Ying Zheng, the first emperor of China, to save her childhood lover’s life.

However, she falls in Love with Zheng and is loved and respected in the harem with time due to her intelligence and kindness. The wuxia drama is full of Romance, palace politics, suspense, and a love triangle that will put lives at stake.

The king’s Woman is one of the most loved Chinese dramas.

10. A Love So Beautiful (2017)

Director: Yang Long
Writer: Zhao Qianqian, Wu Tong, Duan Yuyue, Yu gu, Zhou Chucen, Wang Yanpei
Cast: Hu Yitian, Shen Yue
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

A Love so Beautiful is an excellent Chinese drama that depicts the story of two classmates, Chen Xiaoxi and Jiang Chen, who are neighbors and classmates and have admiration towards each other.

However, their lives are full of ups and downs that lead them to drift apart with time, only to meet again after years.

This love story is full of Romance, heartbreaks, and emotional drama that keeps the audience hooked. Will Jiang Chen take back his girl and clear all the misunderstandings, or will the lovers be separated again?

Love so Beautiful.

9. Bloody Romance (2018)

Director: Yi-Jun
Writer: Banming Banmei
Cast: Li Yitong, Qu Chuxiao
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten Viki

Bloody Romance is one of the best Chinese romantic dramas that centers around the life of a woman who is forced to work in a brothel. Qi Xue turned into a cold-blooded assassin during the Tang Dynasty to survive.

On her journey, she has to face criminals, psychopaths, and murders in the Tang Dynasty, making the series fascinating. However, her life turns less cruel when she meets Chang An, who discovers a strong connection.

But, with Chang An as her savior, will both get out of the deadly controversy for the power they get involved in, or will their love be at stake?

8. Here to Heart (2018)

Director: Huang Tianren
Writer: Zhao Weina, Xie Xiaomi
Cast: Hans Zhang, Janine Chang, Jing Chao, Jenny Zhang
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

Based on An Ning’s novel The Warm Chord, Here to Heart is a story full of love, hate, Romance, and revenge.

The story revolves around a young couple who get separated due to an accident. Even though decades have passed and both of them have found new partners, something makes them feel lonely. However, things become complicated when one wants to seek revenge for something that happened years ago.

Will their eternal love story fall into the clutches of hate, or will love to find its way back to the young couple? The drama is a must-watch for those who love a love story full of romance and hate drama.

7. The Endless Love (2017)

Director: Gu Yun Yun
Writer: Li Qiong
Cast: An Yu Xi, Chen Ruo Xuan, Miles Wei, Luo Yu Tong
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Viki

Endless love is one of the most liked romantic Chinese dramas that revolves around the life of Gu Ye Bai, who is a brilliant painter. His life turns upside down when he loses his eyesight just before a crucial competition. However, Lu You Yan helps him reach his dream, and the two develop feelings for each other.

On the other hand, Lu You Yan gets an offer to go to Paris. Will the love story end before it even began, or does life has something else in store for the young lovers?

The story is full of cute moments and emotional sequences to keep the audience hooked.

6. My Amazing Boyfriend (2016)

Director: Deng Ke
Writer: Shui Qianmo, Wang Xiongcheng
Cast: Janice Wu, Kim Tae-hwan
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

My Amazing Boyfriend is one of the loved romantic Chinese dramas that revolves around the life of a 500-year-old superhuman named Xue Ling Qiao who cannot age or die. The story takes an exciting turn when Tian Jing Zhi wakes him up from a very long hibernation.

However, both these protagonists have to share a home, and despite being very different from each other, they cannot help but fall in love with each other. The story is full of bitter-sweet moments of the Romance of two souls destined to meet.

Will their love blossom, or does life have something else for them?

5. Love 020 (2016)

Director: Lin Yufen
Writer: Gu Man, Shen Feixuan, Wen Ting, Ou-Yang Cast: Zheng Shuang, Yang Yang
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix, Viki

This romantic Chinese drama is based on Wei Wei Yi Xiao Hen Qing Cheng. The drama’s plotline revolves around two university students, Bei Wei Wei and Ciao Nei, who excel in a video game called Dreaming of Jianghu.

However, Xiao Nei falls for her Bei Wei the moment he sees her due to her extraordinary gaming abilities, and after much effort, he can win his lady love’s heart. This cute love story is a tale of a virtual romance that turns real with a lot of emotional and comical drama that will keep the audience hooked.

4. Eternal Love (2017)

Director: Lam Yuk- fan, Yu Cuihua, Ren Haitao
Writer: Hong Qiu
Cast: Yang Mi, Mark Chao
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

This drama is, also called Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, is one of the most famous Chinese romantic dramas and is adapted from the book of the same names. This Chinese drama depicts a story span spanning several lifetimes and periods.

The story revolves around two deities, Bai Qian and Ye Hua, who fall in love that stand the test of three lifetimes. The story is full of mystical figures, deities, and demons and depicts how love has its complications.

Spread across three different worlds, this story gives the viewers a roller coaster ride of emotions, and one should watch Eternal Love.

3. Ashes of Love (2018)

Director: Zhu Ruibin
Writer: Ma Jia, Xu Zishan, Liu Gelin, Chen Lusha, Zhang Yuan’ang
Cast: Yang Zi, Deng Lun, Luo Yunxi, Wang Yifei, Chen Yuqi, Zou Tingwei
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Netflix

Adapted from Dian Xian’s novel, Heavy Sweetness, Ash Like Frost, Ashes of Love is one famous Chinese romantic drama. The story centers around the love story of the son of a Heavenly Emperor called Xufeng, and the daughter of the Flower Goddess called Jinmi.

The story takes an exciting turn as the heavenly and mortal realms contact each other. What follows is a tale of heart-wrenching Romance, loyalty clashes, battles, the struggle for power, and the test of love across lifetimes.

2. Begin Again (2020)

Director: Xu Chi
Writer: Chen Li Wen, Jiang Yue Hua
Cast: Jun Gong, Yutong Zhou
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: iQIYI

Begin again is one of the gripping romantic Chinese dramas that beautifully depicts love.

The story revolves around a doctor, Ling Rui, who is kind, and a female Ceo, Lu Fanning, who is quite dominant. However, things take an exciting turn when the protagonists have to maintain a fictitious relationship to escape the family pressure of getting married, but they get married.

What follows is a series of incidences that lead them to find love in each other after marriage. Will this powerful young couple handle the difficulties that come with marriage and grow stronger together, or will they fall apart?

1. My Unicorn Girl (2020)

Director: Jong- jong Yu
Writer: Xiaochen Chen, Xinren Chen, Kan Fan, Qiangqing Fang
Cast: Ziyi Ao, Darren Chen, Yao Chen, Yaqi Dai, Juilin Li, Zehan Ma
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: NA
Platforms Available: Rakuten Wiki, iQIYI

This modern love story revolves around the life of Sang Tian, a young girl who wants to join the national figure skating team. Even though she did not get selected in her mother’s school, she selected the ice hockey team because she disguised herself as a man.

The story takes an exciting turn when Wen Bing shows up as her roommate, and both these young people turn into arch-rivals.

However, when Sang Tian is a girl, both Wen Bing and Sang Tian become good friends and eventually fall in love. To what lengths will the young couple go to fulfill their dreams, and what are the challenges that await them?