101 Essential Chinese Movies

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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. 1 new

    Er shi si cheng ji

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

    Lichun

    2007 — a.k.a. And the Spring Comes, in 0 top lists Check
  3. 3 new

    Ji jie hao

    2007 — a.k.a. Assembly, in 0 top lists Check
  4. 4 new

    Ren dao zhong nian

    1982 — a.k.a. At Middle Age, in 0 top lists Check
  5. 5 new

    Bei kao bei, lian dui lian

    1994 — a.k.a. Back to Back, Face to Face, in 0 top lists Check
  6. 6 new

    Xiao cai feng

    2002 — a.k.a. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, in 0 top lists Check
  7. 7 new

    Ye yan

    2006 — a.k.a. The Banquet, in 0 top lists Check
  8. 8 new

    Shiqi sui de dan che

    2001 — a.k.a. Beijing Bicycle, in 2 top lists Check
  9. 9 new

    Dalu

    1935 — a.k.a. The Big Road, in 4 top lists Check
  10. 10 new

    Da wan

    2001 — a.k.a. Big Shot's Funeral, in 0 top lists Check
  11. 12 new

    Ben ming nian

    1990 — a.k.a. Black Snow, in 0 top lists Check
  12. 13 new

    Mang shan

    2007 — a.k.a. Blind Mountain, in 0 top lists Check
  13. 14 new

    Mang jing

    2003 — a.k.a. Blind Shaft, in 4 top lists Check
  14. 15 new

    Lang shan die xue ji

    1936 — a.k.a. Blood on Wolf Mountain, in 0 top lists Check
  15. 16 new

    Lan feng zheng

    1993 — a.k.a. The Blue Kite, in 8 top lists Check
  16. 18 new

    Shou ji

    2003 — a.k.a. Cell Phone, in 1 top list Check
  17. 24 new

    Guizi lai le

    2000 — a.k.a. Devils on the Doorstep, in 7 top lists Check
  18. 25 new

    Zao Chun Er Yue

    1963 — a.k.a. Threshold of Spring, in 2 top lists Check
  19. 26 new

    Dong gong xi gong

    1996 — a.k.a. East Palace, West Palace, in 1 top list Check
  20. 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
  21. 28 new

    Ba wang bie ji

    1992 — a.k.a. Farewell My Concubine, in 18 top lists Check
  22. 30 new

    Zhao le

    1993, in 0 top lists Check
  23. 31 new

    Mei Lanfang

    2008 — a.k.a. Forever Enthralled, in 0 top lists Check
  24. 32 new

    Jian guo da ye

    2009 — a.k.a. The Founding of a Republic, in 0 top lists Check
  25. 33 new

    Jidu hanleng

    1996 — a.k.a. Frozen, in 1 top list Check
  26. 34 new

    Xiangnu xiaoxiao

    1987 — a.k.a. A Girl from Hunan, in 0 top lists Check
  27. 35 new

    Wu Qingyuan

    2006 — a.k.a. The Go Master, in 1 top list Check
  28. 36 new

    Shen nu

    1934, in 10 top lists Check
  29. 39 new

    Ying xiong

    2002 — a.k.a. Hero, in 6 top lists Check
  30. 40 new

    Fu rong zhen

    1987 — a.k.a. Hibiscus Town, in 3 top lists Check
  31. 41 new

    Dao ma zei

    1986 — a.k.a. The Horse Thief, in 6 top lists Check
  32. 42 new

    Shi mian mai fu

    2004 — a.k.a. House of Flying Daggers, in 5 top lists Check
  33. 43 new

    Yang guang can lan de ri zi

    1994 — a.k.a. In the Heat of the Sun, in 4 top lists Check
  34. 44 new

    Bian Lian

    1995 — a.k.a. The King of Masks, in 0 top lists Check
  35. 45 new

    Tian yun shan chuan qi

    1980 — a.k.a. Legend of Tianyun Mountain, in 1 top list Check
  36. 46 new

    Yi ge mo sheng nu ren de lai xin

    2004 — a.k.a. Letter from an Unknown Woman, in 0 top lists Check
  37. 48 new

    Lin jia pu zi

    1959 — a.k.a. The Lin Family Shop, in 2 top lists Check
  38. 49 new

    Lin zexu

    1959 — a.k.a. The Opium Wars, in 2 top lists Check
  39. 50 new

    Xiao Wanyi

    1933 — a.k.a. Little Toys, in 2 top lists Check
  40. 52 new

    Ping guo

    2007 — a.k.a. Lost in Beijing, in 0 top lists Check
  41. 53 new

    Hei jun ma

    1996 — a.k.a. A Mongolian Tale, in 0 top lists Check
  42. 55 new

    Cheng nan jiu shi

    1983 — a.k.a. My Memories of Old Beijing, in 1 top list Check
  43. 56 new

    Wanjia denghuo

    1948 — a.k.a. The Lights of Ten Thousand Homes, in 2 top lists Check
  44. 59 new

    Lao jing

    1987 — a.k.a. The Old Well, in 1 top list Check
  45. 61 new

    San Mao liu lang ji

    1949 — a.k.a. The Winter of Three Hairs, in 0 top lists Check
  46. 62 new

    Xiao Wu

    1997 — a.k.a. Pickpocket, in 3 top lists Check
  47. 63 new

    Zhantai

    2000 — a.k.a. Platform, in 10 top lists Check
  48. 64 new

    Nashan naren nagou

    1999 — a.k.a. Postmen in the Mountains, in 0 top lists Check
  49. 66 new

    Da hong denglong gaogao gua

    1991 — a.k.a. Raise the Red Lantern, in 21 top lists Check
  50. 67 new

    Hong ying tao

    1996 — a.k.a. Red Cherry, in 0 top lists Check
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Last updated on Apr 25, 2015; source