Sora
One thing you can always trust a human being to do is pursue love, and in these romantic Chinese historical movies, their stories will pull you in from the first scene.
I’ve listed the best Chinese historical romance films, and I can tell you for a fact that these movies will make you feel everything.
The amazing romantic historical C-movies on this list aren’t to be missed, so get your favorite blanket, your best watching device, and your favorite snack – you’re going to be glued to your seat.
1. Dangerous Liaisons
In 1939 Shanghai, China, Madam Mo Jie Yu, wealthy and powerful, wants love, and then she crosses paths with Xie Yi Fan, a wealthy playboy known for pursuing many women.
At a party, she notices his interest in the widow Madam Du Fen Yu. To settle matters, Madam Mo Jie Yu challenges Xie Yi Fan to a high-stakes bet: if he can seduce Madam Du Fen Yu, he can also have her.
But if he fails, a waterfront property owned by Xie Yi Fan becomes Madam Mo Jie Yu’s. And so, the game begins. But, what neither of them expect is that they will fall recklessly in love with each other.
2. Rebirth
Ten years ago, Prince Ji Yu met Long Yang, a commoner who saved peasants from harm, and he then gave Long Yang a token before parting ways.
In the present, Long Yang serves as a palace guard, and he never had the opportunity to meet Ji Yu again. When assassins attack, Long Yang gets hurt while protecting Ji Yu, and after passing out, he wakes up a year in the past.
He then takes the chance to change things and reveals himself to Ji Yu using the token, and they start growing closer. But Ji Yu’s jealous fiancée, Chang Qin, is still very much present, so they do all they can to hide their feelings.
3. Time To Love
Wen, a city girl, unexpectedly faints in a bathroom and wakes up over 200 years in the past, in the Qing dynasty. Thinking it’s a reality show, she goes along with it but soon gets caught up in palace politics and passionate games of power and love.
I live for the time-travel trope, and it’s all the more fantastic when the leads are able to deliver tense yet funny scenes with aplomb. This is one of the best Chinese historical romance films released in recent years that you absolutely need to check out if you’re in the mood for something new & interesting to watch.
4. The Promise
A young peasant girl, hungry and desperate, strikes a deal with a mysterious woman. She’s offered wealth but at the cost of never being with her true love.
Years later, the woman is saved by a slave in a Warlord’s disguise. She falls for him, but a mix-up and her longstanding promise place them in a dangerous situation.
5. Love In The Kitchen
This charming story takes place during the Republic of China era. Bai San Qian, whose ancestors raised 3000 pigs, is the male lead, and the female lead is a skilled cook who coincidentally works in his household.
They develop feelings for each other but struggle to confess, and the movie follows their relationship, which is filled with funny and heartwarming moments.
6. Mermaid Bound
Fish demon Bai Qiu Lian and General Liu Meng Bai fall in love with each other at first sight, but they soon discover that they come from opposing lineages.
Now, they face the choice of either embracing their love or succumbing to the enmity between their families.
Don’t you just love a good old forbidden love? I know I do, and this historical Chinese romance movie promises sweet love and angst that will keep you up all night.
7. Queen Of Attack
Liang Wei Wei, an online writer, crafts a love story between Queen Liang Wei Luo and King Jing Qing. Upset, she makes her book’s heroine, Liang Wei Luo, a bad character, but then, Wei Wei herself gets stuck in her story and faces the angry queen.
To escape, she asks for help from the male lead, Jing Qing, and now, with two queens interested, there’s no telling what he could choose to do.
8. The Female Doctor And The Rabbit Spirit
In this historical Chinese lesbian short film, a physician rescues an injured rabbit, only to discover it’s a rabbit spirit that’s become human after 500 years of cultivation.
Later on, the rabbit spirit returns to the physician in human form, and this sparks a relationship between the two.
But, after finding out that humans and demons aren’t meant to be together, the rabbit spirit wonders if she should continue living with the physician.
9. The Chinese Widow
Set during World War II, this story revolves around an American pilot, Captain Jack Turner, who crashes in China. He’s then rescued by a widow named Ying Zi, and they start getting closer to each other even as the war is underway.
I can tell you for a fact that everything about this Chinese historical romance movie made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside, so if you want a movie that will accompany you this weekend, this is a perfect choice.
10. The Meaning Of Promise
Empress Dowager Yang Yuhuan’s spirit travels into a young man’s body in modern times after a car accident. The driver, who works for an architecture company owned by Huan Yi, brings him home.
They name him Chang Du and try to help him adjust to modern life. But, trouble brews when Huan Yi’s fiancée finds out about their unexpected guest.
11. The Fox Lover
This story centres around Xiao Chui, a white fox spirit deeply in love with the innocent mortal, Wang Yuan Feng. In their world, the most fearsome sea demon terrorizes people, and Wang has a hidden power that can vanquish even the fiercest demons.
When a conflict arises between humans and demons, Xiao Chui faces a test of loyalty and is willing to sacrifice everything for love. This romantic Chinese historical film is adapted from The Fox Lover in Pu Song Ling’s novel, Liaozhai Zhiyi, and it’s perfect if you’ve been looking for a new historical Chinese movie to watch.
12. My Heroic Husband
Su Wen Xing, son of the second lady at Su’s Cloth Store, once wanted to lead the family business, so he took charge after his sister and Ning Yi left, but felt like he was just a figurehead.
This hurt him, so he left for Fuyuan to start something new. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well, and just when he was desperate, an old classmate offered help, but with a condition – a contract marriage.
13. My Queen Of Capricious
In the Time and Space Game, Qi Hao and his childhood neighbor Lin Yan Yan are both on missions to leave the game. Concerned for Yan Yan’s safety, two of her friends enter the game, and they create a bug that makes her switch between their personalities.
To fix it, the game starts an antivirus program, and this traps them inside temporarily. Now, they must complete their missions before a potential crash, and these former enemies must learn to work together.
14. Imperial Portrait Of Consorts
This movie follows Zhao Zhi Zhi, from the Zhao family, who falls in love with the male lead, Duan Zhe. But, she soon realizes they’re not compatible and can’t be together.
Imperial Portrait Of Consorts is a tale of love, personal growth, and the sacrifices a woman makes – you don’t want to miss it.
I’ve watched this movie, and I’ll tell you for a fact that it’s as interesting and soulful as described here, and if you want a must-watch Chinese historical romance movie to try, you’ll enjoy this one.
15. The Flowers Of War
In 1937 China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, a mortician named John arrives at a Catholic church in Nanjing to prepare a priest for burial.
But, he finds himself the only adult among a group of convent girls and prostitutes from a nearby brothel. As the invading Japanese army threatens them, he becomes their protector, and through this, he learns the true meaning of sacrifice and honor.
Every movie on this list made it to my list of favorites, so you can be rest assured that they’re so good, and all you need to do is check the trigger warnings and you’re good to go.
Don’t miss out on any of these superb Chinese historical romance movies, and let me know what you think about them in the comments below.
And, check out the related posts if you want some more recommendations for Chinese movies to watch and I’m sure you’ll find something.
