When it comes to learning Chinese, Chinese TV shows is a huge resource. It especially can help you to practice your Chinese listening skills.
Here is a list of 5 popular Chinese TV shows.
So, get a bowl of popcorn and let’s get started!
Chinese TV Show #1 – Keep Running (奔跑吧 bēn pǎo bā)
For those who enjoy reality shows Keep Running might just be what you need minus all the drama.
The show has popular Chinese celebrities participate in competitive games against each other.
The celebrities are tested on their physical strengths as well as brain power. Winners are rewarded and losers punished.
Despite the competition, this Chinese reality TV show is friendly, fun and often hilarious.
What makes the show a favorite among Chinese views is the engagement of pedestrians on the streets, whose participation can often change the course of the game.
Chinese TV Show #2 – Informal Talks (非正式会谈 fēi zhèng shì huì tán)
Ever wondered what happens when you put a group of millennials from different countries and cultures together in the same room?
This Chinese talk show has the answer. Informal talks gather a group of eleven guests from different countries and cultures to discuss trending topics and current events that you and I care about.
This Chinese TV show is international, multicultural and entertaining, perfect for those who are looking for some intellectual stimulation in a friendly and relaxed context.
Chinese TV Show #3 – If You Are the One (非诚勿扰 fēichéngwùrǎo)
Most people will probably already be familiar with the concept of the Chinese dating show If You Are the One as it’s based on the Taken Out/Take Me Out format.
For those who don’t know it’s a dating show where there are 24 female contestants who each stand behind a numbered podium with a light on it.
Single men are then invited one at a time onto the stage and the female contestants will indicate if they are interested in him by leaving their light on or turning it off if not interested.
The show started running in 2010 and was an instant hit, it has now been running for over 10 years!
Chinese TV Show #4 – iPartment (爱情公寓 ài qíng gōng yù)
Often referred to as the Chinese version of the popular American TV show “Friends”, iPartment is a light Chinese TV show to practice Chinese listening comprehension while having fun at the same time.
Like the show “Friends”, iPartment it’s also a story of the day to day life of a group of friends living inside the same apartment.
Although the idea is similar, the characters, plot, acting and almost everything else about this successful Chinese TV show cannot be more different.
The first season of the show aired more than 10 years ago.
Chinese TV Show #5 – Princess of Pearl (还珠格格 huán zhū gé gé)
This is a classic Chinese TV show many Chinese millennial grew up watching. The first version aired in 1998.
It’s one of those TV series that an entire Chinese family would gather around the TV and watch together.
It’s so influential almost everyone in China has either watched or know about.
The story is based on a historical fiction about a lost princess of Emperor Qian Long (乾隆) that took place in the Qing Dynasty. The lost princess was given the title of Returned Pearl (还珠).
But it’s not happily ever after from here; that’s just the beginning. The princess is met with an evil queen who is always putting her in trouble.
Credit: mandarinmorning
