Best tv shows like Palace of Desire
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Palace of Desire, also known as Da Ming Gong Ci, is a Chinese television series based on the life story of Princess Taiping, a daughter of China's only female emperor Wu Zetian. Directed by Li Shaohong and Zeng Nianping, the series starred Chen Hong, Zhou Xun, Gui Yalei and Winston Chao in the leading roles. It was first broadcast on CCTV-8 in mainland China on March 30, 2000.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 145
Genere: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 47 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing
Best tv shows and movies like Palace of Desire (2000):
Similar in 76%
The Song of Glory (2020)
Plot Summary:
Set in the Liu Song Dynasty (420-479), with powerful aristocrats clamoring for power, the people of the Liu Song Empire have succumbed to the ensuing chaos. Desperate to bring peace to his crumbling nation, the young emperor, Liu Yi Kang, son of Emperor Wu of Liu Song, the founder of the Liu Song Dynasty, is willing to do whatever it takes to save his people, but the road before him will not be easy. With most of the country’s powerful families plotting against him, Yi Kang’s list of allies is growing dangerously thin. Knowing the only way to strengthen his position is to ally himself with a mighty family, Yi Kang agrees to an alliance through marriage with the powerful Shen family. A family with deep military roots, the Shen family can provide the strength Yi Kang needs to enact the reform necessary to oust the aristocrats bent on destroying the nation. With the family’s brilliant and beautiful, Shen Li Ge by his side, the two begin the arduous task of reformation.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 56
Genere: Action, Drama, History, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 76%
The Story of Ming Lan (2018)
Plot Summary:
The Story of Ming Lan, based on the novel written by Guan Xin Ze Luan, follows our heroine through her youth, into her adulthood, and well into her marriage life as well. She’s the 6th child of the Sheng household. Though she is an intelligent and beautiful child, she was not loved by her family (her dad, her sisters, her mom dies early.) She has to hide her intelligence and suffers through the years, hoping to avenge for her mom. During this process she will meet many friends and foes, one of which is our male lead, Gu’s second son, Gu Ting Ye. He has helped and mistreated her before, but also the one to witness her sharp wits and lonely soul. After they get married, they will work together as a power couple, managing the new King’s regime as well as harvesting a world of happiness on their own.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 664
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, costume drama
Similar in 88%
The Four (2008)
Plot Summary:
Using the political decline of Northern Song dynasty as the background, this is the story of the Four Great Constables upholding justice while punishing the wicked.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 22
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Hong Kong
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 86%
Song of Phoenix (2017)
Plot Summary:
There are some relationships that are doomed from the start. During the Warring States period, Qu Yuan is born into a prominent family and grows up to be a prodigy scholar. But Qu Yuan bucks convention when he falls in love with Mo Chou Nu, a slave. Society forbids such class-breaking relationships, so the lovers decide to elope so that they can be together. Despite their efforts to lead a quiet life, Qu Yuan and Chou Nu become entangled in the political struggles of the power elites within the palace. Can their relationship survive the many obstacles?.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 19
Genere: History
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 84%
Beyond the Realm of Conscience (2009)
Plot Summary:
Beyond the Realm of Conscience is a 2009 Hong Kong television series. Produced by Mui Siu-ching, the serial is one of the two grand TVB productions to celebrate along with the channel's 42nd anniversary, the other being Born Rich. The drama aired five days a week on the TVB network with 45-minute episodes starting October 19, 2009. Set in the latter years of the Tang Dynasty, Beyond the Realm of Conscience tells the story of palace maid Lau Sam-ho and her relations in the Imperial Palace, beginning with her experiences in the Imperial Household Bureau. The series title roughly means "Plots in the Palace" and is a play on the phrase, a homonym which roughly means "Plots that target and attack the heart".
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 103
Genere: Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 85%
Mendirman Jaloliddin (2021)
Plot Summary:
Jalal al-Din Khwarazmshah, the ruler of the Khwarazmian Empire, initiated a tragic but united struggle against the Mongol invasion. After unsuccessful attempts by the Khwarazm shahs to stop the Mongol invasion that began in the Central Asian steppes, Jalal al-Din, the last ruler of the empire, put dynastic fights between Seljuks and Khwarazmians aside, and tried to establish a united front to stop the Mongols.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 957
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: Uzbekistan, Turkey
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, costume drama
Similar in 77%
Legend of Dragon Pearl (2017)
Plot Summary:
The story of the ill-fated romance between Zhu Yi Huan, the last princess of the Ming Dynasty and Kangxi, the young emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 51
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 35 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, historical drama
Similar in 88%
Beauty's Rival in Palace (2010)
Plot Summary:
A dramatized account of Empress Dou and how her efforts and achievements in the royal court positively influenced the reign of her husband Emperor Wen, which paved the way for the creation of the Rule of Wen and Jing. Set in Chang'an, China during the beginnings of the Han Dynasty.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 60
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, costume drama
Similar in 81%
Lady of the Dynasty (2015)
Plot Summary:
The tragic story of a Tang Dynasty imperial consort who was the favorite of the Emperor Xuanzong.
IMDB Rating: 4.2
IMDB Votes: 726
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: psychological, emotional, sentimental, atmospheric, captivating, scenic, costume drama
Similar in 83%
The Empress of China (2014)
Plot Summary:
Based on events in 7th and 8th-century Tang dynasty and starring producer Fan Bingbing as the titular character Wu Zetian, The Empress of China is the story of the only woman in Chinese history to rule as an emperor.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 429
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: cynical, romantic, touching, captivating, costume drama, sentimental, prehistoric
Similar in 78%
Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018)
Plot Summary:
The road to becoming an empress is paved with treachery. Ruyi is a consort who quickly learns to navigate the treacherous politics of the the royal court and move up the ranks. After becoming Empress, Ruyi still must survive the many conspiracies against her. Her relationship with Emperor Qianlong becomes eroded even when Ruyi is able to overcome the challenges. Can Ruyi maintain her role as Empress under such difficult circumstances?.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 930
Genere: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, factual, touching, captivating, costume drama
Similar in 87%
The Qin Empire (2009)
Plot Summary:
The Qin Empire is a 2009 Chinese television series based on Sun Haohui's novel of the same Chinese title. The 51 episodes long series chronicles the rise of the Qin state in the Warring States period during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin. It was produced in 2006 and first aired on television channels in China in December 2009.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 136
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating
Similar in 82%
Ming Dynasty in 1566 (2007)
Plot Summary:
A series based on the events in the reign of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming dynasty.
IMDB Rating: 9.0
IMDB Votes: 348
Genere: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense
Similar in 83%
Kangxi Dynasty (2001)
Plot Summary:
Kangxi Dynasty is a 2001 Chinese television series based on the novel Kangxi Da Di by Eryue He. The series is a prequel to the 1997 television series Yongzheng Dynasty, and was followed by Qianlong Dynasty in 2002.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 284
Genere: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: captivating, suspense, disturbing, costume drama
Similar in 75%
Three Kingdoms (2010)
Plot Summary:
Three Kingdoms is a Chinese television series based on the events in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The plot is based on Luo Guanzhong's classical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms, and other related stories. Directed by Gao Xixi, the series had a budget of over 180 million yuan and was released in China in May 2010. The series was well received both domestically and internationally, earning an estimated 800 million yuan in total as of May 2012.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: captivating, psychological, tense, factual, period drama
Similar in 89%
The Legend of Dugu (2018)
Plot Summary:
“He who has Dugu, has the world”. Daughters of a court official, Dugu Banruo, Dugu Mantuo, and Dugu Jialou were always destined for greatness. Blessed with beauty, intelligence, and connections, the Dugu sisters grew up knowing they were the subjects of a prophecy that could someday tear them apart. Determined to remain loyal to each other, they vowed to always put their relationship first. But time has a way of changing things, and vows are easily broken.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 45
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 81%
The Bride with White Hair (2012)
Plot Summary:
The Bride with White Hair is a Chinese television series very loosely based on Liang Yusheng's novel Baifa Monü Zhuan. Except for some characters' names, the plot is almost completely unrelated to the original story. It was first aired on Hunan Satellite TV on 14 September 2012. Shooting started on 26 April 2012 in Hengdian World Studios, Zhejiang. The series stars Nicky Wu, Ma Su, Louis Fan, Liu Sitong, Li Jie, Guo Zhenni, and Ye Zuxin.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 18
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 83%
The Last Empress (2018)
Plot Summary:
In an alternate-reality South Korea, where a constitutional monarchical system prevails, Oh Sunny, a musical actress, becomes the empress of the country. Thus begins a dispute for power in the royal palace. Nothing is what it seems, and Oh Sunny is ready to fight until the end to uncover a mysterious homicide within the royal palace, fighting to protect those she loves the most and obtain happiness.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 720
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 59 min
Plot tags: suspense, psychological, tense, captivating, suspenseful, disturbing, dorama
Similar in 84%
The Orphan of Zhao (2013)
Plot Summary:
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IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 15
Genere: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 89%
Lady Wu: The First Empress (2003)
Plot Summary:
A retelling of the life of the first Empress of China.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 70
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 1300 min
Plot tags: captivating, disturbing
Similar in 86%
The Confidant (2012)
Plot Summary:
"The Confidant" depicts how a group of eunuchs survive in the weakening Qing empire, and closely traces imperial eunuch Li Lianying's early life from the first day he entered the imperial palace to become one of the most powerful political figures in the latter years of the Qing Dynasty. The drama also follows Li's relationship with Empress Dowager Cixi, and how he eventually becomes her closest confidant.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 10
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Hong Kong
Duration:
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 89%
Empresses In The Palace (2011)
Plot Summary:
The Legend of Zhen Huan, also known as Hou Gong Zhen Huan Zhuan, is a Chinese television series based on the Internet novel of the same name. It first aired in China on 17 November 2011. It was announced in 2013 that the drama will be exported to the U.S and re-edit into six TV movies and broadcast on mainstream TV channels in the U.S.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: historical drama, costume drama, tense, captivating, dorama
Similar in 88%
The Glory of Tang Dynasty (2017)
Plot Summary:
It is a adapted from a novel by Cang Min Shui 沧溟水 that tells the life of a woman, intelligent and kind, who becomes a concubine of the inner court while her love for the people enables her to do great things for the country. It's standard palace politics that we've all heard before but also the kind of story that can be so addictively good.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 105
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: captivating, suspense, disturbing, soap opera, costume drama, period drama
Similar in 75%
Da Tang Fu Rong Yuan (2007)
Plot Summary:
Da Tang Fu Rong Yuan is a Chinese television series based on a novel by Nangong Bo that tells of the romance between Consort Yang Yuhuan and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. The series was directed by Zhou Xiaowen and starred Fan Bingbing and Winston Chao as the couple. It was first broadcast on CCTV-8 in mainland China in 2007.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 12
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, tragic ending
Similar in 78%
Ekaterina (2014)
Plot Summary:
The life of the Russian Empress Ekaterina II (Catherine the Great), a German born princess who came to Russia as bride for the young Peter III, chosen by his aunt Elisabeth, and who, once she came into power, transformed the Russian empire.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Russia
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: captivating, historical drama, suspenseful, sentimental, romantic, touching, lyrical, period drama
Similar in 85%
Payitaht Abdulhamid (2017)
Plot Summary:
The fight of Abdulhamid II to keep Ottoman Empire and caliphate alive.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: Turkey
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, captivating, islamic, historical drama
Similar in 89%
The Imperial Age (2022)
Plot Summary:
The epic saga of Zhu Di's life, conquests, and, the rebellion to usurp the throne of the Ming Empire from his imperial nephew.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 33
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: political, captivating, disturbing, suspense
Similar in 85%
Atsuhime (2008)
Plot Summary:
The 47th NHK Taiga Drama is a life story of Princess Atsu, who was born in Kagoshima Prefecture, then called Satsuma, and became the wife of Tokugawa Iesada, the 13th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. She accedes to the highest rank in Ooku, the inner palace of the Edo castle where women related to the reigning shogun resided. Iesada dies soon after their marriage and Atsuhime assumes the name Tenshoin at the age of 23. She exerts herself for the Tokugawa clan and for the nation during the upheaval in the Meiji Restoration, headed by those from Satsuma.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 248
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: tense, thought provoking, captivating, disturbing, costume drama
Similar in 80%
Secret History of Xiaozhuang (2002)
Plot Summary:
Xiaozhuang Mishi, also known as Xiaozhuang Epic, is a 2003 Chinese television series produced by You Xiaogang. The series is the first instalment in a series of four television series about the early history of the Qing Dynasty. It was followed by Huang Taizi Mishi, Taizu Mishi and Secret History of Kangxi, all of which were also produced by You Xiaogang.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 34
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 79%
Control by Zhen Guan (2006)
Plot Summary:
Emperor Taizong of the Tang appoints capable and incorruptible people to important positions because he knows his ministers well, and he understands how to harness them. Taizong often invites frank advice or even criticism from his ministers. Trying hard not to abuse his absolute power, he shows his respect for life. Through his employment of upright ministers such as Wei Zheng, he turns out to be a modest Emperor who welcomes advice. In his reign, he puts agriculture first and practices thrift. Also, culture and religion are rejuvenated; the imperial examination system is further completed. Under these circumstances, a stable society is achieved. In military, he puts down the turbulence caused by Tujue power. In ethnic relations, he respects ethnic minorities' mores. As a result, the stability in Tang's border areas is also accomplished. Emperor Taizong's reign title is Zhenguan (from 626 to 649), known as the Reign of Zhenguan in Chinese History. His reign is considered the first golden age of Tang Dynasty, which lays a solid foundation for the Kaiyuan era.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 25
Genere: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, captivating, political