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. 19 new

    Lao gong zhi ai qing

    1922, in 0 top lists Check
  2. 70 new

    Hongxia

    1929 — a.k.a. Heroine in Red, in 0 top lists Check
  3. 81 new

    Chun can

    1933, in 2 top lists Check
  4. 50 new

    Xiao Wanyi

    1933 — a.k.a. Little Toys, in 2 top lists Check
  5. 36 new

    Shen nu

    1934, in 10 top lists Check
  6. 77 new

    Yu guang qu

    1934, in 0 top lists Check
  7. 9 new

    Dalu

    1935 — a.k.a. The Big Road, in 4 top lists Check
  8. 76 new

    Ye ban ge sheng

    1935, in 3 top lists Check
  9. 15 new

    Lang shan die xue ji

    1936 — a.k.a. Blood on Wolf Mountain, in 0 top lists Check
  10. 84 new

    Ma lu tian shi

    1937 — a.k.a. Street Angel, in 6 top lists Check
  11. 22 new

    Shi zi jie tou

    1937 — a.k.a. Crossroads, in 1 top list Check
  12. 54 new

    Mulan cong jun

    1939 — a.k.a. Maiden in Armour, in 0 top lists Check
  13. 65 new

    Tie shan gong zhu

    1941 — a.k.a. Princess Iron Fan, in 0 top lists Check
  14. 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
  15. 51 new

    Taitai Wansui

    1947, in 1 top list Check
  16. 80 new

    Yi jiang chun shui xiang dong liu

    1947 — a.k.a. The Spring River Flows East, in 5 top lists Check
  17. 56 new

    Wanjia denghuo

    1948 — a.k.a. The Lights of Ten Thousand Homes, in 2 top lists Check
  18. 79 new

    Xiao cheng zhi chun

    1948 — a.k.a. Spring in a Small Town, in 10 top lists Check
  19. 61 new

    San Mao liu lang ji

    1949 — a.k.a. The Winter of Three Hairs, in 0 top lists Check
  20. 23 new

    Wuya yu maque

    1949 — a.k.a. Crows and Sparrows, in 1 top list Check
  21. 89 new

    Wo zhe yi bei zi

    1950 — a.k.a. Life of a Beijing Policeman, in 3 top lists Check
  22. 94 new

    Bai mao nu

    1951 — a.k.a. The White-haired Girl, in 0 top lists Check
  23. 47 new

    Liang Shanbo yu Zhu Yingtai

    1954, in 0 top lists Check
  24. 58 new

    Zhu Fu

    1956 — a.k.a. New Year Sacrifice, in 1 top list Check
  25. 95 new

    Nu lan wu hao

    1957 — a.k.a. Woman Basketball Player No. 5, in 1 top list Check
  26. 48 new

    Lin jia pu zi

    1959 — a.k.a. The Lin Family Shop, in 2 top lists Check
  27. 49 new

    Lin zexu

    1959 — a.k.a. The Opium Wars, in 2 top lists Check
  28. 29 new

    Wu duo Jinhua

    1959 — a.k.a. Five Golden Flowers, in 0 top lists Check
  29. 69 new

    Hong se niang zi jun

    1961 — a.k.a. The Red Detachment of Women, in 1 top list Check
  30. 57 new

    Jia wu feng yun

    1962 — a.k.a. The Naval Battle of 1894, in 0 top lists Check
  31. 38 new

    Da nao tian gong

    1963 — a.k.a. The Monkey King, in 0 top lists Check
  32. 73 new

    Nong nu

    1963 — a.k.a. Serfs, in 0 top lists Check
  33. 25 new

    Zao Chun Er Yue

    1963 — a.k.a. Threshold of Spring, in 2 top lists Check
  34. 92 new

    Wutai jiemei

    1964 — a.k.a. Two Stage Sisters, in 6 top lists Check
  35. 20 new

    Chung Kuo - Cina

    1972, in 2 top lists Check
  36. 78 new

    Shan shan de hong xing

    1974 — a.k.a. Sparkling Red Star, in 0 top lists Check
  37. 45 new

    Tian yun shan chuan qi

    1980 — a.k.a. Legend of Tianyun Mountain, in 1 top list Check
  38. 72 new

    Luo tuo Xiang Zi

    1982 — a.k.a. Rickshaw Boy, in 0 top lists Check
  39. 4 new

    Ren dao zhong nian

    1982 — a.k.a. At Middle Age, in 0 top lists Check
  40. 55 new

    Cheng nan jiu shi

    1983 — a.k.a. My Memories of Old Beijing, in 1 top list Check
  41. 60 new

    Yi ge he ba ge

    1983 — a.k.a. One and Eight, in 1 top list Check
  42. 98 new

    Huang tu di

    1984 — a.k.a. Yellow Earth, in 9 top lists Check
  43. 11 new

    Hei pao shi jian

    1985 — a.k.a. The Black Cannon Incident, in 1 top list Check
  44. 41 new

    Dao ma zei

    1986 — a.k.a. The Horse Thief, in 6 top lists Check
  45. 40 new

    Fu rong zhen

    1987 — a.k.a. Hibiscus Town, in 3 top lists Check
  46. 59 new

    Lao jing

    1987 — a.k.a. The Old Well, in 1 top list Check
  47. 34 new

    Xiangnu xiaoxiao

    1987 — a.k.a. A Girl from Hunan, in 0 top lists Check
  48. 71 new

    Hong gao liang

    1988 — a.k.a. Red Sorghum, in 11 top lists Check
  49. 91 new

    Wan zhu

    1989 — a.k.a. The Troubleshooters, in 0 top lists Check
  50. 12 new

    Ben ming nian

    1990 — a.k.a. Black Snow, in 0 top lists Check
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Last updated on Apr 25, 2015; source