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. 1 new

    Er shi si cheng ji

    2008 — a.k.a. 24 City, in 2 top lists Check
  2. 3 new

    Ji jie hao

    2007 — a.k.a. Assembly, in 0 top lists Check
  3. 6 new

    Xiao cai feng

    2002 — a.k.a. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, in 0 top lists Check
  4. 7 new

    Ye yan

    2006 — a.k.a. The Banquet, in 0 top lists Check
  5. 8 new

    Shiqi sui de dan che

    2001 — a.k.a. Beijing Bicycle, in 2 top lists Check
  6. 9 new

    Dalu

    1935 — a.k.a. The Big Road, in 4 top lists Check
  7. 11 new

    Hei pao shi jian

    1985 — a.k.a. The Black Cannon Incident, in 1 top list Check
  8. 12 new

    Ben ming nian

    1990 — a.k.a. Black Snow, in 0 top lists Check
  9. 14 new

    Mang jing

    2003 — a.k.a. Blind Shaft, in 4 top lists Check
  10. 16 new

    Lan feng zheng

    1993 — a.k.a. The Blue Kite, in 8 top lists Check
  11. 19 new

    Lao gong zhi ai qing

    1922, in 0 top lists Check
  12. 20 new

    Chung Kuo - Cina

    1972, in 2 top lists Check
  13. 21 new

    Feng kuang de shi tou

    2006 — a.k.a. Crazy Stone, in 1 top list Check
  14. 23 new

    Wuya yu maque

    1949 — a.k.a. Crows and Sparrows, in 1 top list Check
  15. 24 new

    Guizi lai le

    2000 — a.k.a. Devils on the Doorstep, in 7 top lists Check
  16. 26 new

    Dong gong xi gong

    1996 — a.k.a. East Palace, West Palace, in 1 top list Check
  17. 28 new

    Ba wang bie ji

    1992 — a.k.a. Farewell My Concubine, in 18 top lists Check
  18. 33 new

    Jidu hanleng

    1996 — a.k.a. Frozen, in 1 top list Check
  19. 35 new

    Wu Qingyuan

    2006 — a.k.a. The Go Master, in 1 top list Check
  20. 36 new

    Shen nu

    1934, in 10 top lists Check
  21. 38 new

    Da nao tian gong

    1963 — a.k.a. The Monkey King, in 0 top lists Check
  22. 39 new

    Ying xiong

    2002 — a.k.a. Hero, in 6 top lists Check
  23. 40 new

    Fu rong zhen

    1987 — a.k.a. Hibiscus Town, in 3 top lists Check
  24. 41 new

    Dao ma zei

    1986 — a.k.a. The Horse Thief, in 6 top lists Check
  25. 42 new

    Shi mian mai fu

    2004 — a.k.a. House of Flying Daggers, in 5 top lists Check
  26. 43 new

    Yang guang can lan de ri zi

    1994 — a.k.a. In the Heat of the Sun, in 4 top lists Check
  27. 44 new

    Bian Lian

    1995 — a.k.a. The King of Masks, in 0 top lists Check
  28. 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
  29. 49 new

    Lin zexu

    1959 — a.k.a. The Opium Wars, in 2 top lists Check
  30. 50 new

    Xiao Wanyi

    1933 — a.k.a. Little Toys, in 2 top lists Check
  31. 51 new

    Taitai Wansui

    1947, in 1 top list Check
  32. 52 new

    Ping guo

    2007 — a.k.a. Lost in Beijing, in 0 top lists Check
  33. 53 new

    Hei jun ma

    1996 — a.k.a. A Mongolian Tale, in 0 top lists Check
  34. 56 new

    Wanjia denghuo

    1948 — a.k.a. The Lights of Ten Thousand Homes, in 2 top lists Check
  35. 62 new

    Xiao Wu

    1997 — a.k.a. Pickpocket, in 3 top lists Check
  36. 63 new

    Zhantai

    2000 — a.k.a. Platform, in 10 top lists Check
  37. 64 new

    Nashan naren nagou

    1999 — a.k.a. Postmen in the Mountains, in 0 top lists Check
  38. 66 new

    Da hong denglong gaogao gua

    1991 — a.k.a. Raise the Red Lantern, in 21 top lists Check
  39. 67 new

    Hong ying tao

    1996 — a.k.a. Red Cherry, in 0 top lists Check
  40. 68 new

    Chi bi

    2008 — a.k.a. Red Cliff, in 1 top list Check
  41. 70 new

    Hongxia

    1929 — a.k.a. Heroine in Red, in 0 top lists Check
  42. 71 new

    Hong gao liang

    1988 — a.k.a. Red Sorghum, in 11 top lists Check
  43. 74 new

    Xi zao

    1999 — a.k.a. Shower, in 1 top list Check
  44. 75 new

    San qiang pai an jing qi

    2009 — a.k.a. A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, in 0 top lists Check
  45. 76 new

    Ye ban ge sheng

    1935, in 3 top lists Check
  46. 79 new

    Xiao cheng zhi chun

    1948 — a.k.a. Spring in a Small Town, in 10 top lists Check
  47. 80 new

    Yi jiang chun shui xiang dong liu

    1947 — a.k.a. The Spring River Flows East, in 5 top lists Check
  48. 82 new

    San xia hao ren

    2006 — a.k.a. Still Life, in 11 top lists Check
  49. 83 new

    Qiu Ju da guan si

    1992 — a.k.a. The Story of Qiu Ju, in 8 top lists Check
  50. 84 new

    Ma lu tian shi

    1937 — a.k.a. Street Angel, in 6 top lists Check
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Last updated on Apr 25, 2015; source