Chinese history spans over 4,000 years, of which many Chinese series are produced & entertained us. Having been fascinated with the history, whenever I am watching any ancient series, I will always look up the history behind the characters included, as it is always interesting to see how history documents the characters vs how the characters are portrayed in different series. A chronology of the series that I have watched & the timeline in the long Chinese Dynasty is compiled to my best knowledge.
| eriod | Dynasty | Keys | Series/ Travels | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1045 – 221 BC | Qi State | Jiang ZiYa | Investiture of the Gods (2014) 封神英雄榜 | 7/10 |
| 476 – 221 BC | Warring State Period Qin (嬴 Ying) | King Hui Wen (Ying Si) 356 – 311 BC | Legend of Mi Yue (2015) 羋月傳 the-legend-of-miyue-2015-羋月傳-theme-song | 8/10 |
| 221 – 206 BC | Qin Dynasty (嬴 Ying) | Qin Shi Huang 259 – 210 BC | Great Wall of China (travel) musical-journey-leading-to-maiden-passage-to-great-wall | NA |
| The Myth (2010) 神话 the-myth-神话-theme-song | 7/10 | |||
| A Step into the Past (2001) 寻秦记 | 9/10 | |||
| The King’s Woman (2017) 秦时丽人明月心 | 8/10 | |||
| Saga of the Lost Kingdom 赢单传奇 (1985) 难得糊涂-theme-song-of-the-saga-of-the-lost-kingdom-赢单传奇-by-anita-mui | 7/10 | |||
| 206 BC – 9 AD | Western Han (刘 Liu) | Gaozu (Liu Bang) 256 – 195 BC | The Conqueror’s Story (2004) 楚汉骄雄 TVB | 9/10 |
| Wen (Liu Heng) 203 – 157 BC | Beauty’s Rival in Palace (2010) 美人心計 or Schemes of a Beauty | 7/10 | ||
| Wu (Liu Che) 157 – 76 BC | Virtuous Queen of Han (2014) 大汉贤后卫子夫 | 7/10 | ||
| Sound of the Desert (2014) 风中奇缘 | 7/10 | |||
| Zhao (Liu FuLing) 94 – 74 BC | Love Yunge from the Desert (2015) 大汉情缘之云中歌 | 6/10 | ||
| 23 – 220 AD | Eastern Han (刘 Liu) | Guangwu (Liu Xiu) 5BC – 57AD | Singing All Along (2016) 秀丽江山之长歌行 | 7/10 |
| Love Like the Galaxy (2022) 星汉灿烂 love-like-the-galaxy-2022-星汉灿烂-c-drama-series-review | 8/10 | |||
| Xian (Liu Xie) 181 – 234 | Secret of the Three Kingdoms (2018) 三国机密 | 8/10 | ||
| 220 – 265 | 3 Kingdoms Cao Wei (曹Cao) | Cao Pi (Zi Huan) 187 – 226 | Where the Legend Begins (2002) 洛神 TVB | 9/10 |
| Sima Yi 179 – 251 | The Advisors’ Alliance I (2017) 大军师司马懿之军师联盟 The Advisors’ Alliance II (2018) 大军师司马懿之虎啸龙吟 | 8/10 7/10 | ||
| 221 – 263 | 3 Kingdoms Shu Han (刘 Liu) | Liu Bei 161 – 223 | Red Cliff (2008) movie | |
| 265 – 420 | Jin Dynasty | Sima Yao Sima Dezong Sima Dewen | The Rebel Princess | 8/10 |
| 420 – 479 | Northern Dyn : Southern Liu Song | Liu Yu | The Rebel Princess rebel-princess-2021-上阳赋-c-drama-series-review | 8/10 |
| 386 – 589 | Northern & Southern Dynasties | Unknown | Princess Silver (2019) 白发王妃 princess-silver-2019-白发王妃-series-review | 6/10 |
| 386 – 535 | Northern : Northern Wei (拓跋 Tuoba) | Grottoes in Yungang & Longmen (travel) a-pair-of-grottoes-in-yungang-datong-and-longmen-luoyang | ||
| Wencheng (Tuoba Jun) 445 – 465 | Princess Weiyoung (2016) 锦绣未央 | 8/10 | ||
| Unknown | Princess Agent (2017) 特工皇妃楚乔传 | 6/10 | ||
| 550 – 577 | Northern : Northern Qi (高 Gao) | Prince of Lan Ling (Gao Chang Gong) 541 – 573 | Prince of Lanling (2013) 兰陵王 prince-of-lanling-2013-theme-song | 7/10 |
| 502 – 557 | Southern : Liang Dynasty (蕭 Xiao) | Unknown | Nirvana in Fire I (2015) 琅琊榜 nirvana-in-fire-i-2015-琅琊榜-series-review | 10/10 |
| Unknown | Nirvana in Fire II (2018) 琅琊榜之风起长林 | 10/10 | ||
| Wu (Xiao Yan) 464 – 549 | Royal Nirvana (2019) 鹤唳华亭 royal-nirvana-2019-鹤唳华亭-series-review | 8/10 | ||
| 618 – 906 | Tang Dynasty (李 Li) | Taizong (Li Shimin) 598 – 649 | Can’t Buy Me Love (2010) 公主嫁到 | 6/10 |
| The Long Ballad (2021) 长歌行 the-long-ballad-2021-长歌行-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | |||
| Court Lady (2021) 大唐女儿行 court-lady-2021-大唐女儿行-c-drama-series-review | 8/10 | |||
| Gaozong (Li Zhi) 628 – 683 | Detective Dee & Mystery of Phantom Flame (2010) 狄仁杰之通天帝国 | |||
| Wu Zetian (Wu Zhao) 624 – 705 | Empress of China (2014) 武媚娘传奇 | 6/10 | ||
| Luoyang (2021) 风起洛阳 luoyang-2021-风起洛阳-c-drama-series-review | 9/10 | |||
| Strange Tales from Tang Dynasty (2022) 唐朝诡事录 strange-tales-from-tang-dynasty-2022-唐朝诡事录-c-drama-series-review | 6/10 | |||
| Xuanzong (Li LongJi) 685 – 762 | Deep in the Realm of Conscience (2018) 宮心計2: 深宮計 TVB | 6/10 | ||
| The Imperial Coroner (2021) 御赐小仵作 the-imperial-coroner-2021-御赐小仵作-c-drama-series-review | 9/10 | |||
| Yang Guifei (Yuhuan) 719 – 751 | Lady of the Dynasty (2015) 王朝的女人·杨贵妃 movie | 5/10 | ||
| Xuanzong (Li Yi/ Li Chen) 810 – 859 | Beyond the Realm of Conscience (2009) 宮心計 | 6/10 | ||
| 903 – 927 | 5 Dynasties : Later Liang (朱 Zhu) | Taizu (Zhu Wen) Prince Bo (Zhu Youwen) | The Wolf (2020) 狼殿下 produced in 2017 the-wolf-2020-狼殿下-series-review | 7/10 |
| Later Zhou (郭 Guo) | Emperor Shizong (Chai Rong/ Guo Rong) | Legend of 2 Sisters in the Chaos 浮世双娇传 (2020) legend-of-two-sisters-in-chaos-2020-浮世双娇传-series-review | 6/10 | |
| 934 – 965 | 10 Kingdom : Later Shu (孟 Meng) | Meng Chang (Meng RenZan) | The Glamorous Imperial Concubine 倾世皇妃 (2011) | 7/10 |
| 916 – 1125 | Liao Dynasty (耶律 Yelu) | Jing Zong (Yelu Xian) 948 – 982 | The Legend of Xiao Chuo (2020) 燕云台 legend-of-xiao-chuo-燕云台2020-series-review | 8/10 |
| 960 – 1127 | Northern Song (趙 Zhao) | Taizong (Zhao Guangyi) 939 – 997 | The Young Warriors (2006) 少年杨家将 | 7/10 |
| Zhenzong (Zhao Heng) 968 – 1022 | A Dream of Splendor (2022) 梦华录 a-dream-of-splendor-2022-梦华录-c-drama-series-review | 6/10 | ||
| Palace of Devotion (2021) 大宋宫词 | ||||
| Renzong (Zhao Zhen) 1010 – 1063 | Serenade of Peaceful Joy (2020) 清平乐 aka Held in the Lonely Castle | 6/10 | ||
| Unknown | Snow Sword Stride (2022) sword-snow-stride-s1-2022-雪中悍刀行-c-drama-series-review | 9/10 | ||
| Unknown | Love in Between (2020) 少年游之一寸相思 love-in-between-2020-少年游之一寸相思-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | ||
| Unknown | Story of Ming Lan (2018) 知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦 | 7/10 | ||
| Unknown | My Heroic Husband S1 (2021) 赘婿 my-heroic-husband-s1-2021-赘婿-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | ||
| 1127 – 1279 | Southern Song (趙 Zhao) | Unknown | Destiny of White Snake (2018) 天乩之白蛇传说 | 7/10 |
| Unknown | Legend of White Snake (2019) 新白娘子传奇 | 7/10 | ||
| 1115 – 1234 | Jin Dynasty (完顏 WanYan) | Unknown | The Legend of the Condor Heroes 射鵰英雄傳 condor-heroes-a-legend-on-its-own | 10/10 |
| The Return of the Condor Heroes 神鵰俠侶 | 9/10 | |||
| 1279 – 1368 | Yuan Dynasty (孛兒只斤 Borjigin) | Genghis Khan 1158 – 1227 | Mongolia (travel) mongolia-land-of-the-great-khans-and-condor-heroes | NA |
| 1368 – 1644 | Ming Dynasty (朱 Zhu) | Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang) 1328- 1398 | Heaven Sword & Dragon Sabre (2019) 倚天屠龍記 heaven-sword-dragon-sabre-2019-倚天屠龙记-series-review | 9/10 |
| Xuande (Zhu Zhanji) 1399 – 1435 | Ming Dynasty (2019) 大明风华 | 6/10 | ||
| ? | The Sword & The Brocade (2021) 锦心似玉 the-sword-the-brocade-2021-锦心似玉-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | ||
| Jiajing (Zhu Houcong) | Under The Power (2018) 锦衣之下 under-the-power-锦衣之下-2018-c-drama-series-review | 8/10 | ||
| 1644 – 1912 | Qing Dynasty (愛新覺羅 Aisin Gioro) | Kangxi (Xuanye) 1654 – 1722 | Palace (2011) 宫锁心玉 | 5/10 |
| Yong Zheng (YinZhen) 1678-1735 | Scarlet Heart (2011) 步步惊心 | 8/10 | ||
| Empresses of the Palace (2011) 后宫·甄嬛传 or Legend of Zhenhuan | 7/10 | |||
| Qian Long (HongLi) 1711-1799 | My Fair Princess (1998) 還珠格格 | 7/10 | ||
| Ruyi’s Royal Love in Palace (2018) 如懿传 | 8/10 | |||
| Story of Yanxi Palace (2018) 延禧攻略 | 6/10 | |||
| He Shen 1750 – 1799 | Succession War (2018) 天命 TVB | 7/10 | ||
| Jiaqing (Yongyan) 1760 – 1820 | War & Beauty (2004) 金枝慾孽 TVB | 8/10 | ||
| Cixi (Yehe Nara Zingzhen) 1835 – 1908 | Nothing Gold Can Stay (2017) 那年花开月正圆 | 7/10 | ||
| Xuantong (Puyi) 1906 – 1967 | The Last Emperor (1987) | |||
| Republican | The Legacy (2022) 传家 the-legacy-2022-传家-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | ||
| Fantasy | Unknown | Ashes of Love (2018) 香蜜沉沉烬如霜 ashes-of-love-香蜜沉沉烬如霜-series-review | 9/10 | |
| Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (2020) 如意芳霏 | 7/10 | |||
| Douluo Continent S1 (2021) 斗罗大陆 douluo-continent-s1-2021-斗罗大陆-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | |||
| Ever Night 1 (2018) 将夜 | 9/10 | |||
| Ever Night 2 (2020) 将夜 | 7/10 | |||
| Hua Xu Yin City of Desperate Love (2015) 华胥引之绝爱之城 | 8/10 | |||
| Ice Fantasy (2016) 幻城 | 8/10 | |||
| Journey of Flower (2015) 花千骨 | 7/10 | |||
| Legend of Fei (2020) 有翡 | 7/10 | |||
| Legend of Yunxi (2018) 芸汐传 | 7/10 | |||
| Love & Redemption (2020) 琉璃 love-redemption-2020-琉璃-c-drama-series-review | 9/10 | |||
| Love Between Fairy & Devil (2022) 苍兰诀 love-between-fairy-devil-2022-苍兰诀-c-drama-series-review | 9/10 | |||
| Novoland Pearl Eclipse (2021) 斛珠夫人 novoland-pearl-eclipse-2021-斛珠夫人-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | |||
| Rise of the Phoenixes (2018) 天盛长歌 rise-of-the-phoenixes-天盛长歌-2018-c-drama-series-review | 9/10 | |||
| Who Rules the World (2022) 且试天下 who-rules-the-world-2022-且试天下-c-drama-series-review | 7/10 | |||
Ratings are personal views and some may be representative of the views at time of viewing (which may be long ago!).
Cheng's Musings 