101 Essential Chinese Movies

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Created by globetrotter.

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An authoritative list of the greatest films from Mainland China by critic and China film historian Simon Fowler.

Missing from IMDb:
1. Reconnaissance Across The Yangtze (1954) by Xiaodan Tang
2. Sons and Daughters of the Grassland (1974) by Fu Jie

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  1. 27 new

    Ba qian li lu yun he yue

    1947 — a.k.a. Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon, in 0 top lists Check
  2. 28 new

    Ba wang bie ji

    1992 — a.k.a. Farewell My Concubine, in 17 top lists Check
  3. 94 new

    Bai mao nu

    1951 — a.k.a. The White-haired Girl, in 0 top lists Check
  4. 5 new

    Bei kao bei, lian dui lian

    1994 — a.k.a. Back to Back, Face to Face, in 0 top lists Check
  5. 37 new

    Beijing ni zao

    1992, in 0 top lists Check
  6. 12 new

    Ben ming nian

    1990 — a.k.a. Black Snow, in 0 top lists Check
  7. 44 new

    Bian Lian

    1995 — a.k.a. The King of Masks, in 0 top lists Check
  8. 17 new

    Bumming in Beijing: The Last Dreamers

    1990, in 1 top list Check
  9. 55 new

    Cheng nan jiu shi

    1983 — a.k.a. My Memories of Old Beijing, in 1 top list Check
  10. 68 new

    Chi bi

    2008 — a.k.a. Red Cliff, in 1 top list Check
  11. 81 new

    Chun can

    1933, in 2 top lists Check
  12. 20 new

    Chung Kuo - Cina

    1972, in 2 top lists Check
  13. 66 new

    Da hong denglong gaogao gua

    1991 — a.k.a. Raise the Red Lantern, in 21 top lists Check
  14. 38 new

    Da nao tian gong

    1963 — a.k.a. The Monkey King, in 0 top lists Check
  15. 10 new

    Da wan

    2001 — a.k.a. Big Shot's Funeral, in 0 top lists Check
  16. 9 new

    Dalu

    1935 — a.k.a. The Big Road, in 4 top lists Check
  17. 41 new

    Dao ma zei

    1986 — a.k.a. The Horse Thief, in 6 top lists Check
  18. 26 new

    Dong gong xi gong

    1996 — a.k.a. East Palace, West Palace, in 1 top list Check
  19. 1 new

    Er shi si cheng ji

    2008 — a.k.a. 24 City, in 2 top lists Check
  20. 21 new

    Feng kuang de shi tou

    2006 — a.k.a. Crazy Stone, in 1 top list Check
  21. 40 new

    Fu rong zhen

    1987 — a.k.a. Hibiscus Town, in 3 top lists Check
  22. 24 new

    Guizi lai le

    2000 — a.k.a. Devils on the Doorstep, in 7 top lists Check
  23. 53 new

    Hei jun ma

    1996 — a.k.a. A Mongolian Tale, in 0 top lists Check
  24. 11 new

    Hei pao shi jian

    1985 — a.k.a. The Black Cannon Incident, in 1 top list Check
  25. 71 new

    Hong gao liang

    1988 — a.k.a. Red Sorghum, in 11 top lists Check
  26. 69 new

    Hong se niang zi jun

    1961 — a.k.a. The Red Detachment of Women, in 1 top list Check
  27. 67 new

    Hong ying tao

    1996 — a.k.a. Red Cherry, in 0 top lists Check
  28. 70 new

    Hongxia

    1929 — a.k.a. Heroine in Red, in 0 top lists Check
  29. 98 new

    Huang tu di

    1984 — a.k.a. Yellow Earth, in 9 top lists Check
  30. 90 new

    Huo zhe

    1994 — a.k.a. To Live, in 7 top lists Check
  31. 3 new

    Ji jie hao

    2007 — a.k.a. Assembly, in 0 top lists Check
  32. 57 new

    Jia wu feng yun

    1962 — a.k.a. The Naval Battle of 1894, in 0 top lists Check
  33. 32 new

    Jian guo da ye

    2009 — a.k.a. The Founding of a Republic, in 0 top lists Check
  34. 33 new

    Jidu hanleng

    1996 — a.k.a. Frozen, in 1 top list Check
  35. 16 new

    Lan feng zheng

    1993 — a.k.a. The Blue Kite, in 8 top lists Check
  36. 15 new

    Lang shan die xue ji

    1936 — a.k.a. Blood on Wolf Mountain, in 0 top lists Check
  37. 19 new

    Lao gong zhi ai qing

    1922, in 0 top lists Check
  38. 59 new

    Lao jing

    1987 — a.k.a. The Old Well, in 1 top list Check
  39. 47 new

    Liang Shanbo yu Zhu Yingtai

    1954, in 0 top lists Check
  40. 2 new

    Lichun

    2007 — a.k.a. And the Spring Comes, in 0 top lists Check
  41. 48 new

    Lin jia pu zi

    1959 — a.k.a. The Lin Family Shop, in 2 top lists Check
  42. 49 new

    Lin zexu

    1959 — a.k.a. The Opium Wars, in 2 top lists Check
  43. 72 new

    Luo tuo Xiang Zi

    1982 — a.k.a. Rickshaw Boy, in 0 top lists Check
  44. 84 new

    Ma lu tian shi

    1937 — a.k.a. Street Angel, in 6 top lists Check
  45. 14 new

    Mang jing

    2003 — a.k.a. Blind Shaft, in 4 top lists Check
  46. 13 new

    Mang shan

    2007 — a.k.a. Blind Mountain, in 0 top lists Check
  47. 31 new

    Mei Lanfang

    2008 — a.k.a. Forever Enthralled, in 0 top lists Check
  48. 54 new

    Mulan cong jun

    1939 — a.k.a. Maiden in Armour, in 0 top lists Check
  49. 64 new

    Nashan naren nagou

    1999 — a.k.a. Postmen in the Mountains, in 0 top lists Check
  50. 73 new

    Nong nu

    1963 — a.k.a. Serfs, in 0 top lists Check
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Last updated on Apr 25, 2015; source