When love calls, there’s very little we can do but answer, and in the romantic Chinese movies on this list, their cases aren’t different.
In this post, I’ve listed 20 heartwarming romantic Chinese movies that will leave you touched with the love story at its core.
I’m talking poetic movies with lush cinematography, profound love stories of star-crossed lovers, and even movies that combine romance and thrillers – there’s really something for everyone here.
1. Cry Me A Sad River
Yi Yao and Qi Ming are friends and neighbours in the same class.
When a new student, Tang Xiao Mi, develops feelings for Qi Ming and feels jealous of Yi Yao’s friendship with him, she starts bullying Yi Yao by using a secret she discovered.
The bullying becomes overwhelming until Gu Sen Xi comes to Yi Yao’s aid, helping her find the strength to continue.
However, more challenges await them, and when the dynamics shift between them, you best believe they weren’t expecting it.
2. My Best Summer
This sweet, romantic high-school Chinese film is about Geng Geng, a cute and somewhat awkward high school freshman who doubts her intelligence at the prestigious Zhen Hua High School.
On her first day, she meets her desk partner, the smart Yu Huai, and together, they become known as “Geng Geng Yu Huai” or “Take to the heart.”
Despite initial arguments, they eventually become close friends, along with their classmates and teacher, Zhang Ping.
Related: Top 26 Addictive Chinese High-School Dramas to Watch This Weekend
3. First Time
Shi, a college student with a terminal illness, never expected to experience things like falling in love.
But, when her old high school crush, Gong, reappears and shows interest in her, she’s taken by surprise.
Due to her medication’s side effects causing short-term memory loss, she records their precious moments together on cassette tapes to cherish and remember them.
If you love a heartwarming tale of love lost and found and second chances that soothe the spirit, then you might enjoy this beautiful Chinese romantic film.
4. Catman
Liang Qu is a half-cat, half-human guy who is chic, confident, and a bit cold but charming.
He got turned into a catman when he was accidentally bitten by an older catman while they were both in cat form.
Now, he needs 9 years to become human again without anyone finding out his secret or falling in love.
His first love, Miao Xiao Wan, is an honest woman who made an app to translate cats’ sounds, but it caused big problems when released.
So she asks for help from Liang Qu, who is now a cat researcher, and what unfolds is a beautiful love story that literally set my heart on fire.
5. Oversize Love
Lin Xiao Xi, a cheerful and optimistic girl who loves chasing celebrities, lives happily on an island and runs a successful photography studio.
But, she is upset about her weight. Things change when a male idol, Huang Ke, appears on the island, inspiring her to try to lose weight.
Despite her efforts, she fails, until she stumbles upon a magic potion that transforms her into a beautiful girl named Alice.
Now, as Alice, she tries to get close to Huang Ke, while her childhood friend, Han Bing, who has always been there for her, becomes an obstacle in the pursuit of her lifelong crush.
6. My Love
This is a 15-year love story about Zhou Xiao Qi, a dedicated swimming student, and You Yong Ci, a transfer student.
In high school, Zhou Xiao Qi fell in love with You Yong Ci at first sight, but she left without saying goodbye.
They faced a long-distance relationship for 15 years until their wedding, which was like a coming-of-age gift for the boy who silently cherished their pure and youthful love.
My Love is really a film for romantics, and I think anyone who loves an enduring love story with perseverance as its cornerstone would enjoy this movie.
7. Upcoming Summer
This good Chinese romantic movie follows Chen Chen, a girl who didn’t pass the college entrance exam, and Zheng Yu Xing, a carefree young man who missed the exams.
They meet due to a lie Chen Chen told and must find a solution to convince their teachers and parents.
Throughout their youth, they face various challenges together, forming a strong and lasting friendship.
8. One-Week Friends
In Shenghua High School’s repeat class, a new transfer student named Lin Xiang Zhi is quiet,l and smart, but always lonely and not making any friends.
But, this catches the attention of three classmates: Xu You Shu, Song Xiao Nan, and Gao Leng Xueba Jiang Wu.
As Xu You Shu tries to befriend Lin Xiang Zhi, he discovers her special condition – she can only remember her friends for seven days.
To help her, they form a “doomsday survival” team, creating meaningful memories together, but there’s a sadder secret behind Lin Xiang Zhi’s condition.
9. The Left Ear
Li Er, a shy seventeen-year-old girl who is deaf in her left ear, has a crush on Xu Yi, a popular boy in high school.
Unfortunately, Xu Yi is interested in the bar waitress, Ba La.
And as they become friends, Li Er discovers that Ba La already has a boyfriend named Zhang Yang.
After a significant event following their graduation, they all realize that things will never be the same again.
10. Lust, Caution
In this thrilling tale set in 1938 Hong Kong and 1942 Shanghai, occupied by Japan, a group of Chinese students from Lingnan University plan to assassinate a high-ranking agent of the puppet government.
To execute their plan, they use an attractive young woman to entice him into a trap.
I honestly can’t think of a better historical movie that expertly intertwines an espionage thriller with a compelling love story, and you absolutely do not want to miss this film.
Also see: 15 Awesome New 2023 Chinese Historical Movies Worth Watching
11. So Young
This film tells the story of a young girl who tries to find her place in the world.
She chases after her childhood sweetheart to his college, but he’s already gone abroad.
She then makes new friends, becomes enemies with a cold but handsome man, and eventually falls for him. Years later, both men reenter her life.
This beautiful Chinese film delivers everything from a moving love story to an unshakeable friendship that absolutely made me teary.
12. Adoring
Vivienne, a veterinarian, uses her skills to improve the lives of the pets she treats.
But, dealing with the pets’ owners can be challenging.
Different people face various struggles with their pets, like a loyal golden retriever owner trying to help a friend cope with blindness or a couple rescuing an abandoned kitten, but their relationship hits a rough patch.
Amidst these complexities, the love and loyalty of the pets guide their owners in navigating life’s challenges.
13. The Palace
During the Kangxi Emperor’s rule, a girl named Yaojia Chenxiang became a humble servant in the Forbidden Palace.
She made friends with Liuli and Chunshou and met a prince named Yinxiang without revealing her true identity.
Liuli betrayed Chenxiang to marry Yinxiang, causing heartbreak, but Chenxiang still served her to protect Chunshou.
Despite being mistreated, Chenxiang secretly loved Yinxiang, but Liuli’s affair with another prince was discovered.
Liuli ran away and was wounded, and eventually, the blind Yinxiang reunited with Chenxiang.
A historical romantic Chinese movie with a sad love story through and through, my heart bled with the characters, and I can’t recommend this movie more.
14. Love The Way You Are
This movie is about Zhou Lin Lin and Fang Yu Ke, who fall in love.
They leave their village and study animal husbandry at university.
But things get complicated when a manipulative girl and a flirtatious boy enter their lives.
15. Love Will Tear Us Apart
Love Will Tear Us Apart follows a couple’s ten-year romance, and it’s frankly one of the best romantic Chinese movies to watch.
Lu Qin Yang and Ling Yi Yao were deeply in love and faced many challenges to be together.
But despite their struggles with money, housing, and marriage issues, they fought to stay connected.
This romantic film then explores whether their love remains as strong as it once was and if they can keep the promise they made to be together.
The romance in the romantic Chinese movies in this post is honestly top-tier, and I can’t recommend them more – make sure you watch them!
Do let me know in the comments below if you’ve watched anything good recently, and if you want some more recommendations, check out the related posts below.
