Empresses in the Palace

Zhen Huan, a 17-year-old innocent introduced into the imperial court as the latest concubine of Emperor Yong Zheng. Her dreams of a new life of love and prosperity are swiftly dashed as she enters a dog-eat-dog world of treachery and corruption.

Empresses in the Palace (2011-2012) is a Chinese historical drama series created for Dragon Television and Anhui Television. Sun Li plays Zhen Huan, a seventeen-year-old who arrives as a new concubine of Emperor Yong Zheng, played by Chen Jianbin, and quickly finds herself in a dog-eat-dog world of rival consorts. Ada Choi Siu-fan plays Ula-Nara Yixiu, while Jiang Xin and Lan Xi portray other consorts whose alliances and grudges shape the harem. The engine of the show is Zhen Huan's struggle to protect herself and those she loves while navigating poisonings, favoritism and shifting loyalties, with each episode layering another scheme on top of the last. Told across seventy-six episodes in one continuing storyline, it unfolds as a sprawling serialized saga set in the Qing imperial palace of eighteenth-century China. The tone is lavish and melancholic, with a constant undercurrent of dread and a steady build of cold calculation. Its atmosphere of costume grandeur and quiet menace makes it a natural pick for viewers who loved the court maneuvering of Game of Thrones or the political theatre of The Story of Ming Lan. Fans of sweeping period dramas about women navigating power will find much to savor here.

Audiences broadly acclaim the series as a lavish, intricately plotted palace drama with strong performances, though its viewer rating rests on a small sample.

• The Story of Ming Lanpalace intrigue, female protagonist rising through court hierarchy, serialized political scheming
• Game of Thronesperiod drama, court power struggles, revenge over years-long arcs
• Shanghai Tanghistorical court intrigue, dynastic politics, sweeping period romance
• The Crownimperial court setting, ambitious women navigating harem politics

Release Date

2011-11-17

Episode runtime

45 min

Rating

8.5 / 10 (76)

What is Empresses in the Palace about?

A naive 17-year-old enters the Qing imperial harem and must learn to survive its intrigue and betrayal.

What is Empresses in the Palace like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Empresses in the Palace as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.

Is Empresses in the Palace violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Empresses in the Palace as moderate.

What did critics think of Empresses in the Palace?

Audiences broadly acclaim the series as a lavish, intricately plotted palace drama with strong performances, though its viewer rating rests on a small sample.

Which shows are like Empresses in the Palace?

Shows with a similar feel include The Story of Ming Lan, Game of Thrones, Shanghai Tang, and The Crown.

How long is Empresses in the Palace?

Empresses in the Palace: 1 season, 76 episodes.

Is Empresses in the Palace still running?

No, Empresses in the Palace has ended.