best historical cdrama (NO FANTASY)
I looooveee historical cdramas, there is just smth about them that keeps me interested. But at the same time, personally I dont really like the ones which have some kind of fantasy involved, most of the times the animations are just horrible and straight up unwatchable and the plots involve way too many cliches. So I have made this list for people like me. Add whatever you have binged-watched, however:
- Period Cdramas ONLY
- With romance as a main or sub plot
- NO FANTASY (except time-travel or returning after death or smth of that sort, little bit fantasy for the setting is okay)
- I have already a few that i hv previously enjoyed a lot and rewatch them frequently
Zara Nov 1, 2025
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![Fated Hearts]()
When Jinxiu Kingdom is on the brink of defeat in the battle at Pingling, the female archer in red, Fu Yi Xiao, shoots an arrow at Susha's eldest prince, Feng Sui Ge, ...more -
![Legend of the Female General]()
To protect her family's noble title, He Yan, the eldest daughter of the He family, is forced to don a mask and pose as the family's eldest son, "He Ru Fei." As ...more -
![Blossom]()
After a tragic life filled with betrayal and injustice, noblewoman Dou Zhao unexpectedly wakes up years in the past, armed with the memories and regrets of her previous life—and a mysterious prophetic ...more -
![The Double]()
Xue Fang Fei, the daughter of a wealthy magistrate, loses everything after a major upheaval. She’s saved by Jiang Li, the daughter of the Secretariat Director, and takes on Jiang Li’s identity ...more -
![The Glory]()
Abandoned as a child, Zhuang Han Yan grows up in the southern countryside before returning to her family in the capital. She catches the eye of Fu Yun Xi, a deputy minister ...more -
![The Prisoner of Beauty]()
Xiao Qiao, a clever girl from the Qiao family, marries Wei Shao, the sharp and kind master of the Wei family, as part of a family alliance. With bad blood between their ...more -
![A Dream of Splendor]()
Zhao Pan Er, a clever teahouse owner in Qiantang, embarks on a journey to the Capital, Bian Jing, after discovering her fiancé left her for another woman. Along the way, she saves ...more -
![Love Like the Galaxy: Part 1]()
Ling Bu Yi, the foster son of Emperor Wen and a talented & ruthless general of the Black Armour Army, was on a personal mission to uncover hidden truths about the past, ...more -
![Who Rules the World]()
Hei Feng Xi is handsome and elegant, while Bai Feng Xi is majestic and unrestrained. Opposites attract as both are unrivaled in skill and intellect. Caught in the warfare and chaos of ...more -
![New Life Begins]()
Because of a marriage selection, girls from all over the world gather in Xin Chuan. Yin Zheng, one of the six young masters of Xin Chuan, who keeps a low profile, and ...more -
![The Long Ballad]()
In the year 626 C.E., the Tang Dynasty faces upheaval following the successful Xuanwu Gate Incident, a coup orchestrated by a cunning prince. During the chaos, Li Chang Ge's family is slaughtered, ...more -
![Destined]()
Liu Yu Ru is the only legitimate daughter of a former cloth merchant living a stoic life with her mother in a household where they're mistreated despite their status. Due to a ...more -
![Blossoms in Adversity]()
After a sudden tragedy strikes the Hua family, the men are forced into exile, leaving the women and children struggling to survive. Hua Zhi, the young lady of the family, steps up ...more -
![Perfect Match]()
During the Northern Song Dynasty under Renzong, Mrs. Li, from a wealthy Luoyang family, moves to Bianjing with her daughters, each unique in personality, to reunite with her second daughter and resolve ...more -
![Ripe Town]()
In the 37th year of the Wan Li Period of the Ming Dynasty, a series of bizarre murders occur in Jiangnan County, with unrelated victims posed strangely and a cryptic sentence left ...more -
![Youthful Glory]()
In the eleventh year of Chengkang, Prince Jiang Xu of Dingbei, who had guarded the border for eight years, returned to the Daxian Dynasty to investigate the case of embezzlement of military ...more -
![An Ancient Love Song]()
Professor Shen Bu Yan accidentally travels to the ancient era of Acacia, where he becomes obsessed with finding the ancient secret of this era. With the help of the warm girl, Lu ...more -
![Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2]()
After a series of twists and turns, Cheng Shao Shang and Ling Bu Yi are engaged to be married by Imperial consent and decree. However, they still have many hurdles to overcome. ...more -
![The Rise of Ning]()
Despite being the first-born daughter of an official, Luo Yi Ning grew up being mistreated by her father's concubine. With help from Luo Shen Yuan, Yi Ning's estranged half-brother, she moves back ...more -
![The Romance of Tiger and Rose]()
Having finally sold her TV series script, aspiring screenwriter Chen Xiao Qian soon falls under the scrutiny of the male lead, who refuses to act out the role. Vowing to make her ...more -
![The Princess Royal]()
Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan married at 18 for political gain, with no affection between them. She used his family background to avoid disaster, and he used her royal status to ...more -
![Coroner's Diary]()
The story follows Shen Wan, the daughter of Shen Yi, a high-ranking official of the Supreme Court, whose entire family is massacred after being implicated in the Prince of Jin case. Shen ...more -
![Si Jin]()
Jiang Si, reborn after being killed by her lover Yu Jin, is determined to change her fate. She breaks off her engagement, outsmarts her cruel aunt, opens a perfumery, and investigates mysterious ...more -
![A League of Nobleman]()
Zhang Ping, an impoverished orphan from a rural area, moves to Beijing to take the civil service exam but ends up selling noodles on the street. Despite his unsophisticated manners, he is ...more -
![Everlasting Longing]()
To outsiders in the Yannan region and beyond, Jun Qi Luo is Jun Fei Fan, the illegitimate son of the family, at a time when women weren't considered anything but mere window ...more -
![Battle of Changsha]()
'Battle of Changsha' retells the turbulent events of the second Sino-Japanese War from the perspective of the Hu family, particularly through the eyes of a 16-year-old girl named Hu Xiang Xiang and ...more -
![The Story of Ming Lan]()
Set in the Northern Song dynasty, the story follows Sheng Ming Lan, an unfavored concubine-born 6th daughter of an official. After losing her mother at a young age, Ming Lan is raised ...more -
![Story of Kunning Palace]()
Jiang Xue Ning’s obsession with becoming empress strains her friendship with Yan Lin and leads to the arrest of Official Zhang Zhe. After a brief reign, guilt takes hold as rebels, led ...more -
![Flourished Peony]()
Set in the Tang Dynasty, the story follows He Wei Fang, a merchant's daughter skilled in cultivating rare peonies. With the help of Jiang Chang Yang, an official in Chang'an, she leaves ...more -
![In the Name of Blossom]()
He Wei Fang, the gifted proprietor of Chang’an’s thriving Fangyuan Garden, earns renown when she orchestrates a stunning peony display for foreign envoys. After uncovering the truth behind her mother’s death, she ...more -
![The Legend of Zhuohua]()
Mu Zhuo Hua, an illegitimate woman, defies traditional roles by escaping her wedding and seeking a position as a female official. Along her journey, she meets Liu Yan, a battle-hardened general determined ...more -
![Winter Begonia]()
A story that revolves around a Peking opera performer and a wealthy businessman who are brought together by their love for Peking opera. Set in the 1930's, it follows Shang Xi Rui, ...more -
![Red Devil and Heroine Su]()
One belongs to a righteous sect while the other comes from a demonic sect, Both possessing very different personalities... and that's how their contrasting love begins. (Source: bilibili; kisskh) -
![Are You the One]()
The clever and decisive Liu Mian Tang, as the first lord of Yang Shan, led the people of Yang Shan to punish the wicked, promote goodness, and uphold justice. However, she suffered ...more -
![Melody of Golden Age]()
Yan Xing, a concubine’s daughter from the Yan family, was trained from a young age by the Ministry of Justice’s chief inspector, acquiring exceptional investigative skills and the ability to find answers ...more -
![Maiden Holmes]()
It is the sixth century CE and the Qi Kingdom, in what is now Eastern China, is a land at war. The young teenage prince Xiao Yan Zhi, a prodigal young military ...more -
![The Killer Is Also Romantic]()
Si Xiao Nian, the graceful owner of a garment shop, and the gentleman Yan Wu Ming tied the knot. However, on the day of their wedding, the two left one after another. ...more -
![Serenade of Peaceful Joy]()
When Zhao Zhen discovers his biological mother is not the Empress Dowager Liu E, but her maid Li Lanhui, he arranges a marriage between his beloved daughter Princess Fukang and the Li ...more -
![The Longest Day in Chang'an]()
744 A.D., Chang’an, the cosmopolitan heart of the Tang Empire. The remnants of a vanquished Central Asian kingdom have infiltrated the world’s largest city for a planned attack during the Lantern Festival. ...more -
![Arsenal Military Academy]()
During the early 20th century, China is embroiled in a brutal war with the Imperial Japanese army. In an effort to defend the northeast, the government drafts young men, but Xie Xiang ...more -
![The Long River]()
After a huge flood during the 15th year of his reign, the young Emperor Kang Xi conducts civil service examinations to recruit talented individuals to solve the problems plaguing the Yellow River, ...more -
![The Rise of Phoenixes]()
Feng Zhi Wei is the unfavored daughter of the Qiu Family, who has to flee due to unfortunate circumstances. Owing a favour to the 6th prince Ning Yi, Zhi Wei cross-dresses as ...more -
![The Rebel Princess]()
Wang Xuan and Xiao Qi marry for power but soon fall in love as they fight to protect their homeland. The imperial family is corrupt, and the nobles are indifferent to the ...more -
![My Roommate Is a Detective]()
Set in the mid-1920s, police officer Qiao Chu Sheng forms a special detective team to catch a cunning killer. He recruits Lu Yao, a sharp-minded returnee from Britain, and Bai You Ning, ...more -
![Snowfall]()
During the Republican Era, Shen Zhi Heng, a famous vampire who lived for over a century, was almost assassinated by a group of corrupt soldiers and was saved by a blind girl ...more -
![Love in Flames of War]()
Early in the twentieth century, the Republic of China was struggling to establish itself, despite the looming threat to its sovereignty from the Imperial Japanese. During this uncertain time, hot-headed teen Xiao ...more -
![A Journey to Love]()
Female assassin Ren Ru Yi, the former left envoy of the Scarlet Guards, becomes a member of the Wu's State's escort delegation to save the King of Wu who has been taken ...more -
![Couple of Mirrors]()
You Yi is a young, innocent, and kind-hearted socialite and a successful author, living with everyone's adoration and envy. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when she discovers a betrayal by the ...more -
![Stand by Me]()
In Shanghai in the year 1936, Huang Wei Jie, a member of the patriotic organization, happened to meet Feng Guan Yu, a patriotic businessman, during his mission. The two were childhood friends ...more -
![Princess Jieyou]()
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Princess Jie You was sent to the western regions for a marriage alliance with the Wusun Kingdom. There, she must learn to adapt to ...more -
![Killer and Healer]()
A story that follows two men who are polar opposites; one kills while the other heals. One is a violent cop, and the other is a compassionate doctor. Together, they support and ...more -
![Wonderland of Love]()
Li Ni, the emperor’s grandson, is stuck defending the border and dealing with a rebellion. Though royal, he’s always been neglected by his father and prefers life as a carefree general. On ...more -
![The Story of Pearl Girl]()
After escaping a brutal pearl farm, Duan Wu, a skilled diver, meets merchant Yan Zi Jing and noble Zhang Jin Ran. Joining Yan's caravan, she gets drawn into the glittering world of ...more -
![Love for Two Lives]()
After losing everything in her life, Yao Liang Liang's apartment fuses with the Emperor of an ancient kingdom, allowing them to travel between both worlds. There she meets a future emperor, who ...more -
![I Have a Smart Doctor Wife]()
Yun Ruo Yue, a modern doctor, is electrocuted in the process of saving lives and traveled to ancient times, using her own medical system to practice medicine and cure illnesses. She is ...more -
![The Imperial Coroner]()
Young girl Chu Chu came from a family of coroners. She meets Prince Xiao Jin Yu, a dignified prince in charge of criminal lawsuit who appeared weak and sickly. Prince Xiao lacks ...more -
![Stand by Me]()
In the 9th Century Tang Dynasty-era China, the Emperor is locked in a deadly power struggle with a group of formidable eunuchs who wield enormous power at court. He strikes back by ...more -
![Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty]()
Aspiring architect Xiao Wei time-travels to the Qing Dynasty after receiving a lantern from the Forbidden City. There, she meets the 13th Prince, who has dreamt of her from the future and ...more -
![Yummy Yummy Yummy]()
The story follows the Shen family, who accidentally arrive in Yong'an City and encounter Lin Yan, a royal official. This chance meeting leads them on an extraordinary journey filled with culinary delights, ...more -
![Dong Lan Xue]()
The maid in charge, Shen Yan, has assisted the Seventh Prince Chu Ning Yuan in seizing the heir since she was a child. The two, who also had tragic experiences, became cold-hearted ...more -
![Oh! My Emperor]()
Luo Fei Fei, a 21st-century doctor, was unexpectedly transported to the mysterious ancient nation of Huang Dao, the kingdom of the Zodiac. By chance, it happened to be the monarch rotation system ...more -
![The Ingenious One]()
Yun Xiang, a disciple of Yuntai, entered the world to exact revenge for his massacred family after fifteen years of cultivation. Though lacking any martial arts skills, but having an incredible intelligence ...more -
![Serendipity]()
Jian Ming Shu, the daughter of the Jian family, survives a family massacre after accidentally falling off a cliff and losing her memory. Rescued by her love, Lu Chang, they journey together ...more -
![My Lady General]()
To avenge the late Crown Prince Wei Lin, the rough, illiterate General Wei of Zhangluan Army marries Gu Ming Zhu, the sickly son of Gu Cheng Yuan. However, Ming Zhu is revealed ...more -
![Love Is More Than a Word]()
Tao Mo is a playful guy with a good family background. He buys a county magistrate position in Tanyang, a well-known place for barristers because both of the top barristers, Lin Zheng ...more -
![A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College]()
66. A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College
Chinese Drama - 2021, 30 episodes84 points by 1 votersSang Qi, the only daughter of the Grand Marshal, aspires to fulfill her deceased brother's dream of studying at the Imperial College. Despite facing numerous hurdles, with persistence and determination, she becomes ...more -
![A Dream like the True Love]()
It tells the story of Wen Su, who came to investigate the flood and accidentally rescued Chen Bao Yin, a rural girl who was sacrificed to the river god because of her ...more -
![Royal Rumours]()
Ji Yuan Su is the ice-cold Crown Prince of a powerful kingdom whose safety and prosperity owes much to the loyalty of the Hua clan. The Hua clan stuck by the kingdom's ...more -
![The Princess's Gambit]()
Princess Jiang Tao Hua of Zhao seeks freedom from Empress Lu’s control by proposing a political marriage to the state of Wei. But upon arriving, she’s attacked and falsely accused of an ...more -
![Fight for Love]()
Following her father’s death in battle and given a mysterious warning from her injured brother, Chu Yu vows to uncover the truth of her family's fate. In the guise of the eldest ...more
