The first half of 2026 has already delivered more than a few surprises from mainland China’s drama landscape — Taiping Nian‘s record-breaking run on CCTV-1 generated the kind of national conversation that premium scripted drama has not produced in years, while the streaming platforms have maintained a pace of IP-driven production that shows no sign of decelerating. What the second half promises is, if anything, more consequential. Several of the year’s most technically ambitious productions are scheduled to arrive between July and December, covering a range that runs from dynasty-era political drama to xianxia fantasy to Republican-era espionage.
The following eight titles represent EntertainLens’s assessment of the productions most likely to define the second half of the year — whether as cultural events, box office benchmarks, or signals of where Chinese content production is heading next. For international buyers, distributors, and content professionals tracking the outward movement of Chinese IP, these are the titles worth watching closely.
1. The Wind and Grain Rise: Zhang Juzheng(风禾尽起张居正)
Platform: Tencent Video | Genre: Historical Drama | Anticipated: Q3–Q4 2026
One of the most closely watched historical drama projects in China’s current pipeline, The Wind and Grain Rise: Zhang Juzheng brings together a high-prestige combination of source material, institutional backing, and top-tier creative talent.
Hu Ge leads as Zhang Juzheng, the Ming dynasty’s Chief Grand Secretary during the Wanli era, whose reform program reshaped late imperial governance while ultimately triggering political backlash that defined his posthumous reputation. Rather than a cradle-to-grave biographical sweep, the series concentrates on Zhang’s rise to power and the implementation of the Wanli Reforms—particularly administrative performance evaluation and large-scale land surveys—framing his career through the lens of systemic transformation and political trade-offs.
Directed by Hu Mei and written by Chang Jiang and Li Jie, the project is supervised by Chen Daoming, whose involvement signals a strong emphasis on historical tone and performance calibration. Notably, Chen’s role is positioned behind the camera rather than as a confirmed on-screen presence.
The series adapts Xiong Zhaozheng’s Mao Dun Prize–winning novel Zhang Juzheng, a work long regarded as one of the most authoritative literary interpretations of late Ming political history.
2. A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains (千里江山图)
Platform: Tencent Video / Dragon Television | Genre: Espionage | Anticipated: Q3 2026
Adapted from Sun Ganlu’s Mao Dun Prize–winning novel, A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains positions itself as a psychologically driven espionage drama set in 1930s Shanghai. The narrative opens with a compromised underground Communist meeting, where half of the attendees are arrested before proceedings even begin—establishing a closed-circle paranoia structure centered on identifying a traitor within the organization.
Zhang Ruoyun leads as Chen Qianli, the operative tasked with uncovering the defector while safeguarding a parallel high-level covert operation under mounting pressure. The cast includes Liu Shishi in a special appearance, alongside Guan Xiaotong and Zhang Youhao, with Chen Daoming also appearing while serving as executive producer—a dual role that has reportedly extended into script development and performance calibration.
Directed by Wang Jun and written by Wang Juan and Jin Haishu, the 36-episode series emphasizes ideological tension and character psychology over pure action mechanics. Chen Daoming’s stated creative approach—that espionage drama must foreground “the warmth of faith” rather than rely solely on spectacle—signals a tonal alignment closer to internal conflict and moral inquiry than high-frequency set pieces.
Produced by Tencent Video, New Classics Media, and SMG Shangshi Pictures, the project has been repeatedly included in major 2025 drama lineups across platforms and broadcasters, indicating strong institutional backing. Filming began in late 2025, with early materials released in 2026.
While espionage remains one of Chinese television’s most exportable genres—driven historically by titles such as The Disguiser and Nirvana in Fire—A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains appears less oriented toward fast-paced intrigue and more toward controlled narrative density and ideological texture. Its international performance will likely depend not on scale alone, but on how effectively it translates its internal tension and historical specificity to non-domestic audiences.
3. The Golden Hairpin (青簪行)
Platform: Tencent Video | Genre: Historical Mystery / Suspense | Anticipated: Q3 2026
The Golden Hairpin stands as one of the most resilient high-budget productions in recent C-drama history. Following an extensive period of restructuring and a comprehensive reshoot phase, the project has transitioned into a new chapter of its production lifecycle. With Peng Guanying officially stepping in as the male lead to complete the revamped production alongside modern post-production integration, the series is now positioned for a strategic release in 2026.
Yang Zi headlines the series as Huang Zixia, a brilliant investigator framed for her family’s murder who must go undercover to clear her name. Known for her immense commercial appeal and acclaimed performances in hits like Lost You Forever and Ashes of Love, Yang Zi provides the project with a reliable foundation of audience trust. She is joined by Peng Guanying, whose professional profile has risen sharply following standout roles in The Rose Mansion and Unexpected Falling. His casting is viewed as a significant refresh, bringing a new dynamic to the long-anticipated adaptation of the novel The Memo of the Hairpin.
The production’s prolonged journey to the screen has, paradoxically, heightened its market visibility. Rather than fading, anticipation has solidified into a unique form of “industrial curiosity.” For the industry and viewers alike, The Golden Hairpin is no longer just a historical mystery—it is a testament to production resilience and a litmus test for how high-stakes creative restructuring can breathe new life into a premier IP.
4.Fifteen Days Between Two Capitals (两京十五日)
Platform: iQIYI | Genre: Historical Legendary / Adventure | Anticipated: Summer 2026
Adapted from Ma Boyong’s 2020 novel of the same name, Fifteen Days Between Two Capitals was widely regarded as one of the most cinematically structured works of recent Chinese historical fiction. The series reinterprets a brief record from the History of Ming, expanding it into a high-stakes narrative centered on Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji’s urgent return from Nanjing to Beijing within fifteen days following the critical illness of the Hongxi Emperor.
Directed by Zhang Li and An Wei, the project is positioned as a large-scale historical television production rather than a film adaptation. It stars Cheng Yi as Zhu Zhanji and Lin Gengxin as Wu Dingyuan, supported by Wu Xingjian and Jiang Peiyao. The narrative follows a perilous northbound journey along the Grand Canal, where the protagonists evade layered assassinations and political conspiracies while racing against time to secure the succession.
Compared to the original novel’s more linear escape structure, the series introduces expanded character arcs and additional plotlines, including political intrigue and original cases, while adopting a distinctive “waterway narrative” framework that situates much of the action on the canal system. This structural choice positions the series as a rare “waterway adventure” within the Chinese historical drama landscape.
Produced by iQIYI alongside Straw Bear Film and other partners, the project consists of 40 episodes and is scheduled to premiere on iQIYI’s premium drama slate in summer 2026. With its emphasis on practical effects, large-scale action choreography, and stylized visual language influenced by traditional Chinese opera aesthetics, the series aims to balance mainstream spectacle with formal experimentation—potentially appealing to both mass audiences and critics.
5. Magnolia Blossoms, You Return(玉兰花开君再来)
Platform: Tencent Video | Genre: Biographical / Women’s Drama | Anticipated: Q2–Q3 2026
Positioned within Tencent Video’s expanding slate of female-led prestige dramas, Magnolia Blossoms, You Return adapts the life story of Dong Zhujun—the founder of the Jinjiang Hotel and a figure whose life intersected with commerce, revolution, and modern Chinese state formation.
Yang Zi stars as the protagonist (from A Yuan to Dong Zhujun), charting a trajectory that moves from early-life marginalization—being sold into a songstress house—to eventual social and economic agency. The narrative spans multiple geographies, from Shanghai to Japan and Sichuan, before returning to Shanghai, where she establishes the Jinjiang Sichuan Restaurant and Tea House—ventures that later evolve into the Jinjiang Hotel. The cast also includes Oho Ou, anchoring the central relationship that shapes the character’s early transformation.
Directed by Yang Yang and written by Pan Pu, the 36-episode series adopts a “female legendary” framework common in Chinese long-form storytelling, combining personal struggle, romantic narrative, and socio-political backdrop.
Produced by Tencent Video and Shengxi Huashi (with Golden Media as co-producer), the project has appeared consistently across Tencent’s annual drama lineups from 2023 through 2026, indicating sustained platform prioritization. Filming officially commenced in late 2025.
Compared to more contemporary “urban female narratives,” Magnolia Blossoms, You Return aligns more closely with the historical “female epic” tradition—where individual destiny is framed against structural upheaval. For international buyers, its appeal lies in this intersection of gendered storytelling and Republican-era history, a combination that has maintained steady demand, particularly in markets receptive to long-form period narratives centered on female agency.
6. Hundred Flowers Kill (百花杀)
Platform: Tencent Video | Genre: Wuxia / Action | Anticipated: Q3 2026
Meng Ziyi leads as Shen Xihe (Princess Zhaoning), a character driven by revenge and political calculation following the destruction of her family. Opposite her, He Yu plays the ostensibly frail Crown Prince Xiao Huayong, whose concealed intelligence and long-term positioning introduce a dual-protagonist dynamic structured around mutual testing and eventual alliance. The cast further includes Xu Zhengxi and Fan Shuaiqi, reinforcing the ensemble’s positioning within the costume drama market.
Directed by Zhong Qing with Guo Feng as co-director, and produced by Tencent Video alongside Yaoke Media, the 36-episode series wrapped filming in August 2025 following a four-month production cycle. It adapts Jin Huang’s novel After My Flowers Bloom, Hundred Flowers Kill, a work rooted in rebirth-driven narrative mechanics and court conspiracy plotting.
Narratively, the series combines familiar genre elements—revenge arc, hidden identity, political ascent—with a romance framework that evolves from mutual exploitation to strategic partnership. This places it closer to recent “intrigue-romance hybrids” than traditional wuxia, with character positioning and court dynamics functioning as the primary drivers of tension.
Within Tencent Video’s broader slate, Hundred Flowers Kill occupies a commercially oriented segment of the costume drama market—less focused on formal experimentation than projects like Fifteen Days Between Two Capitals, but aligned with audience-proven narrative structures. Its performance will likely depend on execution efficiency—particularly pacing, character chemistry, and plot density—rather than genre innovation.
7. Zhe Tian (遮天)
Platform: iQIYI | Genre: Xianxia / Cultivation Fantasy | Anticipated: H3 2026
Adapted from Chen Dong’s genre-defining web novel, Zhe Tian represents one of iQIYI’s most ambitious long-cycle xianxia projects—both in terms of source material scale and development history. The series is directed by Zhao Xiaoding, with Tian Liangliang and Chen Chen serving as head writers, alongside Chen Dong’s involvement in the screenplay process.
Yin Zheng leads as Ye Fan, a modern-day figure transported into the Beidou cultivation world, where he must overcome an initially “unfit for cultivation” constitution to survive and advance. The narrative unfolds through a dual-character dynamic: Ye Fan’s gradual ascent contrasted with his companion Pang Bo (Wang Lixin), whose body becomes entangled with the power of an ancient entity. Zhu Xudan co-stars as Ji Ziyue, linking the central characters to aristocratic clan politics within the cultivation system.
Produced by iQIYI and Shanghai Haogushi Film, the project has undergone an extended development cycle dating back to the mid-2010s, reflecting both the complexity of adapting large-scale cultivation IP and the platform’s sustained commitment to the genre. First introduced in iQIYI’s slate in 2020, the series released its first major promotional materials in 2024, signaling entry into a more active pre-release phase.
Narratively, Zhe Tian leans heavily into core xianxia conventions—multi-realm progression, ancient relic quests, clan conflict, and body-possession antagonism—while maintaining a strong character-centric throughline anchored in survival and return (Ye Fan’s objective of finding a path back to Earth). Compared to earlier genre hits such as The Journey of Flower and Ashes of Love, which emphasized romance-forward structures, Zhe Tian is structurally closer to progression-driven epics, prioritizing world expansion over interpersonal melodrama.
From an international distribution perspective, cultivation fantasy remains one of the more challenging Chinese genres to export due to its dense terminology and cosmology. However, Zhe Tian benefits from a pre-existing global reader base and long-term brand recognition within online literature ecosystems. Its overseas performance will likely hinge on adaptation clarity—particularly how effectively it translates progression mechanics and lore density into accessible screen language.
8. Orchid Fragrance as Before (兰香如故)
Platform: Tencent Video | Genre: Historical Romance | Anticipated: Q3 2026
Positioned within Tencent Video’s commercially calibrated costume slate, Orchid Fragrance as Before combines romance with household intrigue and class mobility narrative—aligning with a proven structural template in recent Chinese period dramas.
Tan Songyun and Liu Xueyi lead, reuniting after Under the Power—a pairing with demonstrated audience traction. The series centers on Shen Jialan, a Grand Secretary’s granddaughter whose family is destroyed in a political purge. Forced to assume the identity of a servant’s daughter (Xu Lanxiang), she infiltrates the Lin household, navigating rigid class hierarchies while gradually reclaiming agency, influence, and ultimately control over her fate.
Directed by Huang Yingxiang and Chen Dan, and written by Tong Hua and Xiao Lou, the series adapts He Yanshan’s novel Orchid Fragrance Destiny. Beyond its central romance, the narrative incorporates court politics and intra-household power struggles, creating a dual-layer structure that alternates between “inner chamber” dynamics and broader political shifts.
Produced by Tencent Video and Xinglian Film and Television, the project completed filming in late 2025 after beginning production in Hengdian. The production places notable emphasis on costume and visual design, with character development reflected through evolving color systems and styling—an approach aligned with current aesthetic-driven costume drama trends.
From a market perspective, Orchid Fragrance as Before sits firmly within the “high-certainty” segment of the slate: a recognizable narrative engine (revenge + identity shift + upward mobility), a proven lead pairing, and a controlled production scope. For international buyers, particularly in overseas Chinese-speaking markets, this type of project offers strong legibility and predictable engagement metrics—though it lacks the formal or thematic ambition seen in higher-end prestige titles.
A Note on International Relevance
Several of the productions on this list — The Wind and Grain Rise: Zhang Juzheng, A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains, The Golden Hairpin — carry international IP profiles that extend beyond their domestic broadcast context. The espionage and historical genres continue to generate the most consistent acquisition interest from international buyers, while the xianxia productions (Zhe Tian) command substantial existing audiences in overseas Chinese-speaking markets and across Southeast Asia.
As the second half schedule crystallizes, EntertainLens will provide ongoing coverage of the productions listed here and the international distribution conversations they generate.
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