10 Best Chinese Dramas Set In Shanghai to Watch

Today we will recommend to you the best Chinese dramas set in Shanghai, which includes the modern and pre-modern eras. Shanghai is located on the central coast of China and is the largest city in China.

With history and lots of buildings available, Shanghai is the perfect place to shoot a series. Here is a list of the top 10 C-dramas set in Shanghai!

 

Chinese Dramas Set In Shanghai List

 

1. Thin Ice

Best Chinese Dramas Set In Shanghai

Thin Ice is a Chinese drama filmed in Shanghai. It tells the story of Chen Qian, a military agent who was ordered to kill the Japanese but falls into the trap of Yujiro Ida, the head of the Japanese plum agency.

Once he accidentally learned of a Japanese conspiracy. To stop the evil plans of the invaders, Chen Qian begins to receive special training and disguises himself as a Japanese envoy to visit Mei’s agency again.

The series was released in 2023 with 40 episodes and is available on MangoTV. This tv show stars Peng Guan Ying and Chen Yu Qi.

 

2. Detective L

It is set in the Republican Era in Shanghai in the 1930s when an interesting crime case emerges amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Qin Xiao Man is a girl who just graduated from the police academy and joined the investigation unit.

There he works with the famous Detective Luo Fei, becoming his colleague and neighbor. Together they solve case after case and the conspiracy grows.

It was released in 2019 with 24 episodes. You can watch one of the best Chinese dramas set in Shanghai on WeTV.

 

3. Ode to Joy

The plot follows the story of five women living on the 22nd floor of the same apartment. They are different in personality and each has their own struggles in career, family, and love life.

As they get to know each other and navigate the struggles of life in Shanghai, they each experience significant transformations. This Chinese tv show was released in 2016 with 42 episodes and is available on Viki.

 

4. Fall in Love

Best Chinese Dramas Set In Shanghai

Mu Wan Qing was a woman who brought her mother’s ashes back to China for burial by pretending to surrender to her father.

However, Mu Wan Qing’s real motive was to find out the real reason why her parents separated and her brother died.

Meanwhile, a coup occurs in the Shanghai army, and the once-oppressed Tan Xuan Lin rises to become the new army commander. Despite gaining new authority, Tan Xuan Lin still found himself walking on thin ice.

On the other hand, Xu Guang Yao, the son of Commander Yue Cheng, was a man respected and admired by many. However, he did not like power struggles in politics.

A chance encounter allows Mu Wan Qing, Tan Xuan Lin, and Xu Guang Yao to meet and befriend each other which makes them need each other.

This is one of the best romantic Chinese dramas set in Shanghai that was released in 2021. It has 36 episodes and you can watch it on Viki.

 

5. The Rebel

This happened around 1936 when Lin Nan Sheng was a young student from the Fuxing Club cadre training class who was brought to Shanghai by Chen Mo Qun, head of the Shanghai district Fuxing Club. He was brought there to participate in the capture of the underground party hiding in the Lanyi Club.

In the process of carrying out his activities, the upright and simple Lin Nan Sheng was constantly attracted by his sense of mission and sacrifice. This series was released in 2021 with 43 episodes and is available on iQiyi.

 

6. Arsenal Military Academy

Best Chinese Dramas Set In Shanghai

It tells the story of Xie Xiang, a woman who participates in military service disguised as a man. He decided to assume his older brother’s identity and cut his hair short in an attempt to join the Chinese army.

Despite her feminine physique, Xie Xiang quickly proves herself more than capable in the military and soon wins a place at an elite military academy in Shanghai.

At the academy, she befriends a number of young men, including the quarrelsome rich kid Gu Yan Zheng, and the gentle and introverted Shen Jun San.

However, as they got closer Gu Yan Zheng and Shen Jun San started to develop feelings for Xie Xiang. It creates a love triangle between them.

This tv show stars Bai Lu and Xu Kai. It was released in 2019 with 48 episodes. You can watch one of the best Chinese dramas set in Shanghai on Viki.

 

7. City of Streamer

Best Chinese Dramas Set In Shanghai

The series is set in Shanghai Beach in the early 20th century, where warlords begin to seize power, many heroes emerge, and a revolutionary movement begins to rise.

Meanwhile, the influential Rong family takes advantage of its wealth and abuses its power to commit various heinous crimes.

On the other hand, Feng Shi Zhen, a young woman decides to embark on a path of revenge and uphold justice. The first thing he did was to sneak into the Rong family and become young master Rong Jia Shang’s teacher.

However, amidst testing and exploiting each other, Feng Shi Zhen slowly finds herself falling for Rong Jia Shang. Will he be able to overcome that love and start the plans he has made? or even siding with the enemy for his love?

This C-drama was filmed in Shanghai and was released in 2022. It has 40 episodes and is available on Viki.

 

8. Lucky With You

Best Chinese Dramas Set In Shanghai

Wu Shiyi is a former martial artist who is now a bodyguard. One day while on duty delivering important documents, he rescues Hou Zhi Rong in a hostage situation.

Afterward, Hou Zhi Rong continues to face unexplained death threats and worries about the safety of his son Hou Jue. He then decided to hire Wu Shiyi as Hou Jue’s personal bodyguard.

But Hou Jue immediately rejected the idea of female bodyguards disturbing his life. He had purposely made things difficult for her while on duty, but Wu Shiyi was not the type to back down easily.

This is one of the best Chinese dramas set in Shanghai that was released in 2021. It has 40 episodes and you can watch it on Viki.

 

9. Legacy

Set in the late 1920s, this drama follows the three daughters of Shanghai department store giant, Xinghua, as they face each other to determine the true heir who will ensure the family’s continued prosperity.

The series was released in 2022 with 45 episodes. This tv show stars Qin Lan, Wu Jinyan, and Zhang Nan.

 

10. Love is Sweet

It tells the story of Jiang Jun, a girl who is allergic to tears and has a double degree in economics and psychology. He is unrestrained and idealistic due to his superior family background.

After graduating, he worked at a philanthropic organization where he pursued his dreams. However, a sudden accident experienced by his father puts him in a dilemma.

In the end, he decided to work at MH, a well-known investment company to fulfill his father’s dying wish.

At MH, Jiang Jun meets his childhood playmate, Yuan Shuai. However, the current Yuan Shuai was no longer his gentle protector, but rather his rival.

In MH, where the “wolf instinct culture” is rampant, someone plots against Jiang Jun while someone considers him an eyesore.

It was released in 2020 with 36 episodes. You can watch this one of the best Chinese dramas set in Shanghai on Prime Video. This tv show stars Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu.

 

That’s the list of the best Chinese dramas set in Shanghai that you must watch. Thanks for reading this article, Have a nice day!

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