Best movies & TV Shows like The Forbidden City

In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.

During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as his wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.

When internal strife leads to a conspiracy to assassinate the emperor, it is up to a group of loyal warriors to protect the emperor and defend the kingdom.

The tragic story of a Tang Dynasty imperial consort who was the favorite of the Emperor Xuanzong.

Four days after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, American airmen are flying the last and longest bombing mission of the war. In Tokyo, a fanatical group of Japanese officers stage a daring coup d'etat in an effort to prolong the war. As the rebels take over Japan's Imperial Palace, and with it - Emperor Hirohito; radio operator Jim Smith and the men of the 315th Bomb Wing are facing their own dangers in the sky above Japan. In a development not anticipated by generals or world leaders - the Last Mission and the coup d'etat converge, helping to bring an end to the most destructive war the world has ever known.

In Qing Dynasty, Chen Xiang and Liuli became maids and friends in the imperial palace. Liuli wanted to be famous whereas Chen Xiang just wanted to live a normal life. Liuli attempted to change her life by knowing the prince, even at the cost of betraying Chen Xiang.

Dramatization of events from the Second Opium War which culminated in the looting and destruction of imperial estate "Yuan Ming Yuan", AKA the Old Summer Palace by invading English and French troops.

Hou is sent by the emperor to the city of Fengtian to capture the leader of the revolutionary forces, code named Baihu, whose identity is not known, not even to his own followers. Hou meets his younger sworn brother Lei, the commander of the forces of Fengtian, whom he had not seen for years. Hou receives reports that Baihu is bringing 'Lotus Heart' from Japan to use against the Imperial government.

The smart and witty Wei Yingluo enters the palace as a seamstress to find the truth behind her older sister’s death. Believing the imperial guard Fucha Fuheng to be her sister's killer, Yingluo purposely attracts the attention of his sister the Empress Fucha, and is successfully transferred to Changchun Palace as a maid. Over time, she learns that the Fucha siblings are honest and kind-hearted people, and also develops romantic affections for Fuheng.

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.

Palace, also known as Gong, Gong Suo Xin Yu, and Palace: The Locked Heart Jade, is a Chinese television series produced by Yu Zheng. The series was directed by Lee Wai-chu and starred cast members from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The series was first broadcast on Hunan TV in China in 2011. It is later followed by Palace 2.

Zhen Huan, a 17-year-old innocent introduced into the imperial court as the latest concubine of Emperor Yong Zheng. Her dreams of a new life of love and prosperity are swiftly dashed as she enters a dog-eat-dog world of treachery and corruption.

Zhang Xiao, a Chinese young woman from the 21st century, accidentally travels back in time to the Qing Dynasty period during the reign of Kangxi Emperor after experiencing a deadly combination of traffic collision and electrocution, resulting her somehow reliving the life of one of her previous incarnations and forcing her to assumes the identity belongs to her past: Maertai Rouxi (Liu Shi Shi), the teenage daughter of a Manchu nobleman, who also had a near-fatal incident in her own time which Zhang awakes from.

As a lowly servant's daughter, Wei Zifu does not have many means, yet she is undeniably beautiful and virtuous. When she is later recruited to entertain Princess Pingyang, she immediately captivates the attention of the court, including Emperor Wu Liu Che. Zifu's life soon changes in an unexpected way when she becomes Liu Che's beloved empress, but can Zifu's innocence and purity survive in a high society filled with disingenuous courtiers and intentions?

Ma Fuya is a princess of the Chu state in 10th-century imperial China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. In this time of warring kingdoms and political upheaval, Fuya's uncle usurps the throne and brutally kills her father. Ma Fuya is left an orphan, and she escapes with the help of a eunuch. She also falls in love with Meng Qiyou, the Prince of Later Shu. He instead uses her as a political tool, and he brings her back into his kingdom. Many of his brothers are attracted to her, such as Meng Qixing and Meng Qiyun. Due to her resemblance as Meng Qiyun's mother, the Emperor also falls in love with her. Ma Fuya is forced to marry the Emperor, but the procession is interrupted by Liu Liancheng.

Yun Zhong Ge also known as Song in the Clouds is a sequel to Ballad of the Desert. During the Western Han Dynasty, an eight-year-old Emperor Zhao of Han meets a girl Huo Yunge (daughter of Huo Qubing and Jin Yu from Ballad of the Desert), who rescued him from the cold of the desert. Ten years later, Huo is now a beautiful young woman, who could not forget the boy she saved. However, she mistook another Liu Bing Yi as Emperor Liu Fu Ling. Yunge helplessly watched him marry Xu Pingjun. The heartbroken Huo later meets a handsome Meng Jue, only later to find herself embroiled in a power struggles within the imperial palace.

Growing up in a family of physicians, Tan Yun Xian was adored by her grandparents for her intellect, curiosity and medical acumen. Despite the many barriers for female physicians in ancient China, Yun Xian nevertheless proved herself to be a skilled family and female doctor — and ultimately the most famous female doctor of the Ming Dynasty.

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?

Da Ming Palace is the biggest ever royal palace in the history of human archaeology, with a building area 3.5 times that of the Forbidden City. This film tells the stories of the rise and fall of Da Ming Palace in glorious Tang dynasty through fantastic visionary effect, and tries to find out the pride and honorable days and the true value of the great Tang dynasty.

This program reveals the unorthodox life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, through the use of rare footage from the period. Puyi's story, set against the immense luxury of the Chinese nobility, the decadent 1930s in Tianjin, the upheaval of World War II, the bleakness of prison, plus the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, reflects the turbulent history of China and its people during the early and middle 20th Century.

Han Yun Xi is the daughter of an imperial physician who lost her mother when young, but maintains a cheerful and optimistic disposition. Yun Xi is naturally talented in medical science and proficient in traditional medicine, but suffers from the jealousy and avoidance of others. By a stroke of fate, she marries the Duke of Qin, Long Fei Ye, and becomes embroiled in the changing politics of the imperial court. Yun Xi relies on her high-level medical skills, wisdom, far-sighted brain, and compassionate heart to expel the poisons of a great official, get rid of secret agents for the Duke of Qin, eliminate the plague for the common citizens, and cure the crown prince’s strange illness.

A picture book collection shot by NHK showing the great treasure kept at the world famous Palace Museum in Beijing and Taiwan. Included in this documentary are the footages shot in Hi-Vision mode that was not aired by NHK, showing China's five thousand years of history, ceramics, books, paintings, heritage of the emperor.

Chu Yuan is at the palace courtroom while Duan Baiyue is at the Southwest. Everyone believes they’re in opposition to each other, but turns out that may not be the case. Chu Yuan needs to become a good Emperor, and Duan Baiyue will be his best assistant.

Chang'an. The city of Eternal Peace. China's ancient imperial capital and the world's most magnificent metropolis. Its treasures and wealth are now under siege from a mysterious army. In 24 hours the enemies will launch a devastating attack. While the nobles panic and flee, the city's most notorious criminal will be its savior!

A behind the scenes look through the corridors of power in ten of the most opulent and historic royal residences on Earth. We reveal the stories behind the Kings and Queens who lived in these grand homes and uncover the secrets of the architects, engineers and courtiers who brought them to life.

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.

Young girl Chu Chu came from a family of coroners. She meets Prince Xiao Jinyu, a dignified prince in charge of criminal lawsuit who appeared weak and sickly. Prince Xiao lacks reliable manpower to investigate case, while Chu Chu lacks people to stepup, take charge and be a man. Together, they manage to unravel a shocking case that has dragged on for 18 years. After solving the case, she won the Emperor's approval and is finally certified as the Imperial Coroner, fulfilling her life goal.

Story of the only daughter of the Grand Marshal, Sang Qi, who becomes the only female student at the Imperial College due to a gamble. She was tasked to make Yan Yunzhi, the number one young master of Yan Kingdom, accept her embroidered pouch and her invitation to the Lantern Festival. If she does not succeed, she must replace the famed musician to perform in the festival. Initially, Sang Qi thought this would be an easy task. However she was chased away each and every time she went to Yan Manor. When she knew that Yan Yunzhi is studying at the Imperial College, she decides to enter the college in order to complete her mission. After numerous begging and persuasion attempts by her father, the Emperor finally accepts Sang Qi's requests to enroll into the Imperial College. Thus with her good childhood friend Zhuo Wenyuan and other brocade-uniformed young masters, she embarks on campus life and becomes the only female student to be enrolled in the Imperial College in history.

The documentary series explores different political figures throughout history.

The story is set in the Yuan year of the Yongzheng era. In the time of chaos, Yu Xing and her sister Cai Feng were separated. When Yu Xing knew that Cai Feng had entered the palace as a consort candidate, she decides to follow suit as a chef trainee. Her culinary skills deeply impressed the Emperor, and she was quickly promoted through the ranks. However during the Empress Dowager's funeral, she accidentally breached a taboo and offended the Emperor. She was then sent to the countryside to do manual labour. There, she got to befriend a healer and picked up medical skills. Using her new-found skills, she managed to help the people who were suffering from a widespread pandemic. When she returned to the capital, she enrolled into the imperial medical college and started from the bottom as a trainee practitioner. She also finds love with general Yue Zong Lin.

Set during the Ming dynasty, the drama revolves around the food bureau of the imperial palace. To host diplomatic corps and government intelligence agencies from around the world, the Yong Le Emperor decides to recruit women who are talented in cooking to the food bureau. After a tough selection, Yao Zi Jin manages to enter the food bureau as a palace maid. She meets Lu Xing Qiao, a former beggar and Su Yue Hua, a genius cook. The three of them work together and encourage one another, coming up with unique cuisines which incorporate Chinese medicine, and also re-creating old classic famous dishes. Yao Zi Jin slowly works her way up in the food bureau, and also improving her craft at the same time. Finally, she realizes the real meaning of "food" and decides to give up competing for the position of "Shang Shi", instead deciding to leave the palace and spread the beauty of Chinese cuisine among the ordinary folks.

A talented and kind chef, Ling Xiaoxiao, is accepted into the delicacy role of chef in an Imperial palace thanks to the appreciative appetite of the Crown Prince, Zhu Shoukui. Set on becoming the best Imperial Chef, with the Prince's help, Ling tries to navigate the pitfalls of palace life while remaining true to her goals in the face of forbidden love.

In the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo wreaked chaos in the capital city by holding the Emperor hostage to threaten the Imperial Marquises. He also held the family members of the Imperial Marquises as hostages. Using Lü Bu's scheme, the coalition forces were lured into Luoyang before it was set ablaze. To save the hostages, the coalition forces had to use various tactics and tricks. All the famous figures came to aid the cause. A battle deciding the future of the country ensued.

Aisin Gioro Puyi, the last emperor of Qing dynasty, as well as the last emperor of entire Chinese history. This TV series explore modern history and its main incidents in Puyi's perspective.