The Best TV Shows on CCTV-1

In 2003, Lu Changhe, a determined official, is tasked with overseeing the restoration of the Grand Canal in Dongjiang City. He addresses pollution, manages resident relocations, and preserves historical landmarks, ultimately contributing to the canal’s inclusion on the World Heritage List in 2014.

The trials and tribulations of 108 outlaws during the mid Song Dynasty.

Adapted from the classical 14th century novel of the same title by Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is part historical, part legend, and part mythical – romanticises and dramatises the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it. The focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han dynasty, and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu.

This Chinese period drama series follows the fortunes of a prominent merchant family engaged in Traditional Chinese Medicine during the waning years of the Ching dynasty. The affairs of this family of doctors/pharmacists (which in those days were one and the same) are intimately linked with social upheavals of the time such as the encroachment of Christian missionaries and foreign imperialism as well as conflicts that inevitably emerge in a large upper class family. Comparable in scope and production value to such recent titles as "Downton Abbey", the lives and character of both masters and servants intertwine in plot lines that spans more than a generation.

The series was adapted from Eryue He's historical novels, which are loosely based on historical events in the reigns of the Kangxi and Yongzheng Emperors in the Qing dynasty (1644–1911).

A story that details the the lives of ordinary civilians amidst the magnanimous changes in Chinese society over the years. At the end of the 1970s, the Zhou family lived in a provincial city in the north. The father, Zhu Zhi Gang, has just participated in the Third Front Movement in Xi Nan. The eldest son, Zhou Bing Yi, responds to a national call to become part of the first batch of "educated" youths sent to live and work in rural areas. The eldest daughter, Zhou Rong, follows her poet husband to the countryside of Guizhou. The youngest son, Zhou Bing Kun, is the only one left at home with their mother. In the span of 50 years, the Zhou family is swept by the tides of change in China.

Journey to the West is a Chinese television series adapted from the classical novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on CCTV in China on 1 October 1986. The series became an instant classic in China and is still being praised as the best and most authentic interpretation of the novel. Unadapted portions of the original story were later covered in the second season, which was released in 1999.

Stories of a judge who lives in the Song Dynasty of China and familiar with forensic pathology.

The rise of the Qin state in the Warring States period during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin.

Starring two bears, Briar and Bramble, who continuously try to stop Logger Vick from cutting down trees in their forest. Vick constantly tries to carry out his job as a woodcutter, only to be hilariously outwitted by the bears.

A retelling of the story of the strong willed Hua Mulan, who ends up joining an all male army in place of her elderly father.

The story of the legendary martial arts icon Bruce Lee following him from Hong Kong to America and back again, leading up to his tragic death at the age of 32.

After the showdown at Xuan Wu Gate against his brothers Li Jian Cheng and Li Yuan Ji, Li Shi Min officially became the second Tang dynasty emperor, establishing the era name Zhen Guan. Although not without challenges and internal conflicts, his reign brought much-needed peace and prosperity to the country and its people.

Set against the backdrop of the return of Macau's sovereignty to China is a realistic retelling of the lives of one family on Macau's old street running the Liang Kee Bakery.