Historical C-Drama Chronology sorted by Historical Periods
PRIMITIVE
Paleolithic【旧石器时代】
Mesolithic【中石器时代】
Neolithic【新石器时代】
Ages 【时代】[Stone, Bronze]
ANCIENT
Yu【虞朝】[3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors]
Xia【夏朝】
Shang【商朝】
Zhou【周朝】[Western Zhou, Gonghe*, Eastern Zhou]
Spring and Autumn【春秋时代】[5 Hegemons]
Warring States【战国时代】[Qin, Zhao, Yan, Wei, Qi, Han, Chu]
IMPERIAL
Qin【秦朝】[18 Kingdoms, Chu-Han Contention*]
Han【汉朝】[Western Han, Xin*, Eastern Han]
Three Kingdoms【三国】[Cao Wei, Shu Han, Eastern Wu, Yan]
Jin【晋朝】[2 Jins (Western, Eastern)]
Sixteen Kingdoms【十六国】[5 Liangs (Former, Later, Northern, Southern, Western), 4 Yans (Former, Later, Northern, Southern), 3 Qins (Former, Later, Western), 2 Zhaos (Former, Later), Cheng Han , Xia, Zhai Wei]
Northern and Southern Dynasties【南北朝】[3 Northerns (Wei, Zhou, Qi), 2 Weis (Eastern, Western)/Liu Song, 3 Southerns (Qi, Liang, Chen), Western Liang]
Sui【隋朝】
Tang【唐朝】[Wu Zhou*]
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms【五代十国】[5 Laters (Liang, Tang, Jin, Han, Zhou)/Yang Wu, Wuyue, Min, Ma Chu, 2 Shus (Former, Later), Jingnan, Southern Tang, 2 Hans (Southern, Northern)]
Liao【辽朝】[Later Liao]
Song【宋朝】[2 Songs (Northern, Southern)]
Jin【金朝】
Western Xia【西夏】
Western Liao【西辽】
Yuan【元朝】[Chen Han, Northern Yuan]
Ming【明朝】[Southern Ming, Shun*, Later Jin]
Qing【清朝】
MODERN
Republic of China【中华民国】
People's Republic of China (PRC)【中华人民共和国】
* Interregna
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1. The Legend of Jade Sword
Chinese Drama - 2018, 65 episodes
ANCIENT - Xia dynasty .
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2. The Legend and the Hero
Chinese Drama - 2007, 38 episodes
ANCIENT - Shang <-> Zhou dynasties .
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3. The Legend and the Hero 2
Chinese Drama - 2009, 40 episodes
ANCIENT - Shang <-> Zhou dynasties .
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4. The Investiture of the Gods
Chinese Drama - 2014, 50 episodes
PRIMORDIAL <-> ANCIENT - Creation by Pangu <-> Shang <-> Zhou dynasties .
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5. The Investiture of the Gods II
Chinese Drama - 2015, 72 episodes
ANCIENT - Shang <-> Zhou dynasties .
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6. Investiture of the Gods
Chinese Drama - 2019, 65 episodes
ANCIENT - Shang <-> Zhou dynasties .
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7. Zhao Ge
Chinese Drama - 0000, 50 episodes
ANCIENT - Shang <-> Zhou dynasties .
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8. Fighter of the Destiny
Chinese Drama - 2017, 52 episodes
ANCIENT - Zhou dynasty .
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9. A Slender Gentleman and A Good Lady
Chinese Drama - 2020, 30 episodes
ANCIENT - Zhou dynasty .
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10. King is Not Easy
Chinese Drama - 2017, 20 episodes
ANCIENT - Western Zhou dynasty .
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11. Legend of Mi Yue
Chinese Drama - 2015, 81 episodes
ANCIENT - Western Zhou dynasty <-> Spring and Autumn period <-> Chu, Qin, and Yan kingdoms (from the Warring States period) .
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12. Legend of Wu Zi Xu
Chinese Drama - 0000, 70 episodes
ANCIENT - Western Zhou dynasty <-> Wu kingdom (from the Spring and Autumn period) .
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13. Eastern Zhou, Spring and Autumn Period
Chinese Drama - 1996, 30 episodes
ANCIENT - Eastern Zhou <-> Spring and Autumn period .
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14. Confucius
Chinese Drama - 2011, 38 episodes
ANCIENT - Zhou dynasty <-> Spring and Autumn period .
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15. The Ultimate Master of War
Chinese Drama - 2009, 41 episodes
ANCIENT - Qi state (during the Spring and Autumn period) .
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16. The Legend of Laozi
Chinese Drama - 2016, 33 episodes
ANCIENT - sometime during the Spring and Autumn period .
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17. Your Highness 2
Chinese Drama - 2019, 22 episodes
ANCIENT - sometime during the Spring and Autumn period .
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18. Xi Shi: Beauty of Spring and Autumn
Chinese Drama - 1994, 21 episodes
ANCIENT - sometime during the Spring and Autumn period .
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19. The Rebirth of a King
Chinese Drama - 2006, 41 episodes
ANCIENT - sometime during the Spring and Autumn period .
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20. The Ugly Queen
Chinese Drama - 2018, 12 episodes
ANCIENT - sometime between the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods .
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21. The Ugly Queen II & III
Chinese Drama - 2022, 26 episodes
ANCIENT - sometime between the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods .
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22. For the Holy Guiguzi
Chinese Drama - 2019, 52 episodes
ANCIENT - Spring and Autumn period <-> Warring States period .
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23. Legend of the Military Seal
Chinese Drama - 2012, 30 episodes
ANCIENT - sometime during the Warring States period .
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24. Sun Tzu's The Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems
Chinese Drama - 2000, 36 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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25. Legend of the Warring States: The Tale of Mi Yue
Chinese Drama - 2015, 31 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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26. Bloody Path
Chinese Drama - 0000
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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27. A Story of the Warring States
Chinese Drama - 0000, 40 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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28. Changping of the War
Chinese Drama - 2004, 30 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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29. The Warring States Period
Chinese Drama - 2019, 7 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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30. The Qin Empire
Chinese Drama - 2009, 51 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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31. The Qin Empire 2
Chinese Drama - 2012, 51 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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32. The Qin Empire 3
Chinese Drama - 2017, 40 episodes
ANCIENT - Warring States period .
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33. The Qin Empire 4
Chinese Drama - 2020, 78 episodes
ANCIENT <-> IMPERIAL - Warring States period <-> Qin dynasty .
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34. The Legend of Hao Lan
Chinese Drama - 2019, 62 episodes
ANCIENT <-> IMPERIAL - Zhao, and Qin kingdoms (from the Warring States period) <-> Qin dynasty .
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35. The King's Woman
Chinese Drama - 2017, 48 episodes
ANCIENT <-> IMPERIAL - Warring States period <-> Qin dynasty .
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36. Assassinator Jing Ke
Chinese Drama - 2004, 32 episodes
ANCIENT <-> IMPERIAL - Warring States period <-> Qin dynasty .
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37. Expressway of First Empire
Chinese Drama - 2010, 45 episodes
ANCIENT <-> IMPERIAL - Warring States period <-> Qin dynasty .
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38. A Step into the Past
Chinese Drama - 2018, 40 episodes
ANCIENT <-> IMPERIAL - Warring States period <-> Qin dynasty .
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39. Sword Dynasty
Chinese Drama - 2019, 34 episodes
ANCIENT <-> IMPERIAL - Warring States period <-> Qin dynasty .
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40. The Legend of Qin
Chinese Drama - 2015, 58 episodes
IMPERIAL - Qin dynasty .
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41. The Legend of Ba Qing
Chinese Drama - 0000, 66 episodes
IMPERIAL - Qin dynasty .
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42. The Myth
Chinese Drama - 2010, 50 episodes
IMPERIAL - Qin dynasty .
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43. King of Nanyue Kingdom
Chinese Drama - 2007, 40 episodes
IMPERIAL - Nanyue kingdom and Qin <-> Han dynasties .
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44. Legend of Chu and Han
Chinese Drama - 2012, 80 episodes
IMPERIAL - Qin dynasty <-> Chu-Han Contention <-> Han dynasty .
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45. Beauties of the Emperor
Chinese Drama - 2012, 32 episodes
IMPERIAL - Qin dynasty <-> Chu-Han Contention <-> Han dynasty .
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46. The Virtuous Queen of Han
Chinese Drama - 2014, 47 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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47. Sound of the Desert
Chinese Drama - 2014, 35 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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48. Schemes of a Beauty
Chinese Drama - 2010, 40 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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49. Princess Jieyou
Chinese Drama - 2016, 45 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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50. The Prince of Han Dynasty
Chinese Drama - 2001, 41 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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51. Da Han Tian Zi 2: Han Wu Xiong Feng
Chinese Drama - 2004, 42 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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52. Da Han Tian Zi 3: Tie Xie Hanqing
Chinese Drama - 2006, 48 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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53. Jian Xing Tian Xia
Chinese Drama - 2007, 28 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty .
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54. Love Yunge from the Desert
Chinese Drama - 2015, 45 episodes
IMPERIAL - Western Han dynasty .
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55. Love Through a Millennium
Chinese Drama - 2015, 24 episodes
IMPERIAL <-> MODERN - Western Han dynasty <-> People's Republic of China .
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56. Ban Shu Legend
Chinese Drama - 2015, 42 episodes
IMPERIAL - Western Han <-> Eastern Han dynasties .
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57. Singing All Along
Chinese Drama - 2016, 56 episodes
IMPERIAL - Eastern Han dynasty .
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58. The Taoism Grandmaster
Chinese Drama - 2018, 46 episodes
IMPERIAL - Eastern Han dynasty .
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59. The Peacocks Fly to the Southeast
Chinese Drama - 2009, 30 episodes
IMPERIAL - Eastern Han dynasty .
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60. Three Kingdoms
Chinese Drama - 2010, 95 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty <-> Three Kingdoms period .
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61. Lu Bu and Diaochan
Chinese Drama - 2001, 35 episodes
IMPERIAL - Han dynasty <-> Three Kingdoms period .
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62. Secret of Three Kingdoms
Chinese Drama - 2018, 54 episodes
IMPERIAL - Eastern Han dynasty <-> Shu Han kingdom (from the Three Kingdoms period) .
-
63. Chinese Hero Zhao Zi Long
Chinese Drama - 2016, 49 episodes
IMPERIAL - Eastern Han dynasty <-> Three Kingdoms period .
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64. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Chinese Drama - 1994, 84 episodes
IMPERIAL - Three Kingdoms period .
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65. Feng Qi Long Xi
Chinese Drama - 2022, 24 episodes
IMPERIAL - Three Kingdoms period .
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66. Cao Cao
Chinese Drama - 2015, 41 episodes
IMPERIAL - Three Kingdoms period .
-
67. The Advisors Alliance
Chinese Drama - 2017, 42 episodes
IMPERIAL - sometime during the Three Kingdoms period .
-
68. Growling Tiger, Roaring Dragon
Chinese Drama - 2017, 44 episodes
IMPERIAL - sometime during the Three Kingdoms period .
-
69. Sage of Calligraphy Wang Xi Zhi
Chinese Drama - 0000, 40 episodes
IMPERIAL - Jin dynasty .
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70. Butterfly Lovers
Chinese Drama - 2017, 29 episodes
IMPERIAL - Eastern Jin dynasty .
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71. Trail of the Everlasting Hero
Chinese Drama - 2005, 30 episodes
IMPERIAL - Eastern Jin dynasty .
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72. Faithful to Buddha, Faithful to You
Chinese Drama - 2017, 20 episodes
IMPERIAL - Former Qin (from the Sixteen Kingdoms period) .
-
73. You Are My Peach Blossom Debt
Chinese Drama - 2020, 31 episodes
IMPERIAL - Western Liang , Northern Yan (from the Sixteen Kingdoms period) , Eastern Song* , and Southern Chu** kingdoms , and Qi* dynasty .
* Both Qi dynasty and Eastern Song kingdom are fictional.
** There was a Southern Chu in Chinese History known as Ma Chu, but that was later during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
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74. The Princess Wei Young
Chinese Drama - 2016, 54 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Liang (from the Sixteen Kingdoms period) <-> Northern Wei dynasties (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period), and Rouran khaganate .
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75. Empress Feng of the Northern Wei Dynasty
Chinese Drama - 2006, 42 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Wei dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
-
76. Mulan Renewal
Chinese Drama - 0000, 36 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Wei dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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77. The Song of Glory
Chinese Drama - 2020, 53 episodes
IMPERIAL - Liu Song and Northern Wei dynasties (both from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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78. Untouchable Lovers
Chinese Drama - 2018, 54 episodes
IMPERIAL - Liu Song dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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79. Joy of Life
Chinese Drama - 2019, 46 episodes
IMPERIAL - Liu Song , Northern Qi (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period), and Southern Qing* dynasties .
* Southern Qing is a fictional dynasty.
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80. Joy of Life: Season 2
Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes
IMPERIAL - Liu Song , Northern Qi (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period), and Southern Qing* dynasties .
* Southern Qing is a fictional dynasty.
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81. Royal Nirvana
Chinese Drama - 2019, 60 episodes
IMPERIAL - Southern Qi* dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
* The aesthetics and the style resemble the Song dynasty representative ones very much.
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82. Royal Nirvana Special
Chinese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
IMPERIAL - Southern Qi* dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
* The aesthetics and the style resemble the Song dynasty representative ones very much.
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83. Nirvana in Fire
Chinese Drama - 2015, 54 episodes
IMPERIAL - Southern Liang, Northern Wei (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period), and Southern Chu* dynasties .
* This one is fictional.
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84. Nirvana in Fire 2: The Wind Blows in Chang Lin
Chinese Drama - 2017, 50 episodes
IMPERIAL - Southern Liang (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) and Yu* dynasties .
* Yu is a fictitious dynasty.
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85. Nirvana in Fire 3
Chinese Drama - 0000
IMPERIAL -
-
86. Maiden Holmes
Chinese Drama - 2020, 32 episodes
IMPERIAL - Southern Liang dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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87. The Wizard of Ten Thousand Worlds
Chinese Drama - 2020, 40 episodes
IMPERIAL - Southern Liang dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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88. General Order
Chinese Drama - 0000, 40 episodes
IMPERIAL - Southern Liang dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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89. Princess Agents
Chinese Drama - 2017, 67 episodes
IMPERIAL - Western Wei, Southern Liang (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) and Yan North* dynasties, and Rouran khaganate .
* This one is fictional, even though it is sometimes referred to as Northern Yan, which, being from the Sixteen Kingdoms period, had already been destroyed for more than 100 years.
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90. Lost Love in Times
Chinese Drama - 2017, 56 episodes
IMPERIAL - Western Wei dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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91. Lost Love in Times SP
Chinese Special - 2017, 12 episodes
IMPERIAL - Western Wei and Southern Liang dynasties (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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92. The Legend of Fei
Chinese Drama - 2020, 51 episodes
IMPERIAL - Chen dynasty* (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
* The male lead is based on a Southern Liang emperor "from the previous dynasty", and since Chen dynasty came right after Southern Liang...
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93. Feng Yue Bu Zhi Qiu
Chinese Drama - 2020, 18 episodes
IMPERIAL - sometime during the end of the Southern Dynasties* (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
* Elements from some of them, like Southern Qi, Southern Liang and Chen dynasties, can be observed in this drama.
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94. Legend of Lu Zhen
Chinese Drama - 2013, 59 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Qi , Chen and Western Wei dynasties (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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95. The Legend of Dugu
Chinese Drama - 2018, 55 episodes
IMPERIAL - Western Wei <-> Northern Zhou (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) <-> Sui <-> Tang dynasties, and Turkic khaganate .
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96. Mu Lan
Chinese Drama - 2013, 40 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Zhou dynasty (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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97. Prince of Lan Ling
Chinese Drama - 2013, 46 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Qi and Northern Zhou dynasties (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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98. Princess of Lanling King
Chinese Drama - 2016, 47 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Zhou and Northern Qi dynasties (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period).
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99. For Married Doctress
Chinese Drama - 2020, 24 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Zhou and Chen dynasties (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .
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100. Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky
Chinese Drama - 2012, 36 episodes
IMPERIAL - Northern Zhou and Chen dynasties (from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period) .