The Best China Documentaries

World Affairs & Investigations - 265 free documentaries about china.

Start with The People's Republic of The Future (30 min, Bloomberg Originals), then Chongqing - Nightlife in the Chinese megacity (42 min, DW Documentary). All 265 documentaries here are free to watch from their makers' official uploads. To read deeper, the top-rated book on china is The Party by Richard McGregor.

• The People's Republic of The Future (30 min, Bloomberg Originals)
• Chongqing - Nightlife in the Chinese megacity (42 min, DW Documentary)
• How Western Failures Are Fueling China’s Rise (19 min, Bloomberg Originals)
• How China Got Rich (57 min, ENDEVR)
• China, the U.S. & the Rise of Xi Jinping (113 min, FRONTLINE PBS)
• China - Surveillance state or way of the future? (42 min, DW Documentary)
• China's competition for living space (42 min, DW Documentary)
• China's COVID Secrets (83 min, FRONTLINE PBS)
• How China Became The World Leader In Modern Science | China's Science Revolution (107 min, Spark)
• The Slow, Quiet Death of Hong Kong (26 min, Wendover Productions)
• China: What do young people dream of? (1/2) (42 min, DW Documentary)
• Cheap and toxic - The dark side of mass-produced fashion jewelry from China (28 min, DW Documentary)
• China vs The West: Does Trade War Spell End To Made-In-China Goods? | When Titans Clash 3 - Part 1/2 (46 min, CNA Insider)
• World’s Most Dangerous Roads | China - The Sichuan-Tibet Highway (43 min, Free Documentary)
• How China’s Gen Z & Millennials Are Revolutionising Rural Businesses | Young & Rural In China (46 min, CNA Insider)
• The Women Who Were Sold To Marry Their Brothers: China's Child-Fostered Brides | Daughters Of Putien (47 min, CNA Insider)
• From China To US: The Illegal Trek Chinese Migrants Are Making To America | Part 1/3 - Walk The Line (46 min, CNA Insider)
• China’s New World Order - How dependent is the West? (42 min, DW Documentary)
• World's Most Extreme Houses and the Richest Village in China | Mystery Places (53 min, Free Documentary)
• Battle for Tibet (53 min, FRONTLINE PBS)
• China Undercover (53 min, FRONTLINE PBS)
• The Tank Man (86 min, FRONTLINE PBS)
• China Invests Billions In Indonesia, Even As Natuna Islands Tensions Brew | China & The Global South (24 min, CNA Insider)
• China's Mega-Investments In Malaysia As It Woos ASEAN | China & The Global South (26 min, CNA Insider)
• Inside China’s People’s Liberation Army | Preparing For Dangerous Storms - Part 1 (47 min, CNA Insider)
• China’s Quest For Self-Sufficiency | Preparing For Dangerous Storms - Part 2/3 (47 min, CNA Insider)
• Economic powerhouse China - How dependent is Europe? (42 min, DW Documentary)
• Inside China's Secret Jungle | Hidden Kingdoms of China (44 min, Nat Geo Animals)
• Stunning Footage Reveals What 20th Century China Was Really Like | China: Frame by Frame (58 min, Timeline - World History Documentaries)
• China On Film: The Rare Films That Captured Life In The Pre-WW2 Republic Of China (48 min, Timeline - World History Documentaries)
• China's Mega Tombs: One Of The Biggest Mortuary Complexes On Earth | China's Pyramids (50 min, Timeline - World History Documentaries)
• How Mexico is Becoming the New China (19 min, Wendover Productions)
• Will China Send Its Military To Latin America? | China & The Global South (47 min, CNA Insider)
• China Now Generates 2X More Electricity Than USA: How Will This Alter The Tech Race? | Insight (44 min, CNA Insider)
• How Matchmaking Agencies In China Are Helping Young Men Find Love | Chinese Matchmakers - Part 1/2 (45 min, CNA Insider)
• Japan’s 50-Year Rule Of Taiwan: Colonial Legacy And The People Left Behind (47 min, CNA Insider)
• Girls make a comeback - What India and China are doing about the women shortage (29 min, DW Documentary)
• China: What do young people dream of? (2/2) (43 min, DW Documentary)
• The War Preppers: Inside Taiwan’s Civilian Defense Movement (24 min, ENDEVR)
• How Chinese Money is Changing Housing in Africa | China/Africa Big Business (24 min, ENDEVR)
• The Coming War on China? (113 min, Real Stories)
• China On Film: The Rare Films That Captured The Japanese Invasion Of 1937 (47 min, Timeline - World History Documentaries)
• Inside Ancient China's Tomb Of The Controversial Cao Cao | Mysteries Of China (44 min, Timeline - World History Documentaries)
• Why China's Economy is Finally Slowing Down (20 min, Wendover Productions)
• China’s Middle Class Cuts Spending: Is Its Economy At Risk? | Asia's Changing Middle Class | Insight (47 min, CNA Insider)
• Love(less) In China: Why Aren’t Young Chinese Getting Married? | Insight (46 min, CNA Insider)
• In China's shadow - The Philippines at the heart of a global conflict (52 min, DW Documentary)
• China's gateway to Europe – the New Silk Road (1/2) (43 min, DW Documentary)
• 10. China's Han Dynasty - The First Empire in Flames (174 min, Fall of Civilizations)
• The Secret Behind China's Success EP1 | Rapid Transformation | Innovation Meets Tradition (125 min, Moconomy)
• Germany To China: Behind The Biggest Industrial Transport In History | The Earths Riches (43 min, Spark)
• Volkswagen's China Problem (21 min, Wendover Productions)
• Why China Is Spending Billions Moving West | Insight (46 min, CNA Insider)
• How China's "Made In Africa" Strategy Is Taking Shape (23 min, CNA Insider)
• China's 'Silicon Valley' In Hangzhou: Home Of DeepSeek, Alibaba and Ant Group (23 min, CNA Insider)
• More Than Half Of China's Adults Now Obese Or Overweight: Can China Beat The Bulge? | Insight (46 min, CNA Insider)
• China's Young Men Seek Love, But Do They Know What Women Want? | Chinese Matchmakers - Part 2/2 (47 min, CNA Insider)
• Shanghai's Shrinking Expat Population: What Might This Mean For China? (23 min, CNA Insider)
• Is US-China Rivalry Behind The Brewing Marcos-Duterte Feud? | Insight (47 min, CNA Insider)
• In US-China Rivalry, Is Vietnam The Big Winner? | Insight (46 min, CNA Insider)
• China Pushes For More Babies, But Why Aren't Young Chinese Having Children? (23 min, CNA Insider)
• China's New Silk Road in Europe (28 min, DW Documentary)
• The Coming War on China | Can there be a Conflict? | USA | China (113 min, ENDEVR)
• The Chinese Companies Behind Water Supply in Africa | China/Africa Big Business (23 min, ENDEVR)
• China's Last Little Train (48 min, Free Documentary)
• China - The Silicon Valley of Asia | Tech Fueled Economy | The Modern Miracle (144 min, Moconomy)
• The Birth Of A Dynasty: China's First Emperor | First Emperor (100 min, Odyssey)
• China’s Pharma Surge: How It’s Challenging Big Pharma (22 min, CNA Insider)
• How Taiwan’s Late Leader Haunts Its Future With China | Chiang Kai-shek: Shadow Across The Strait (46 min, CNA Insider)
• 80 Years After WWII: China, Japan And Taiwan Expand Their Militaries For Peace? | When Titans Clash (47 min, CNA Insider)
• How China, India And War Are Reshaping The Middle East | Insight (47 min, CNA Insider)
• Marcos' Philippines Confronts China In South China Sea: Is Conflict Imminent? | Insight (47 min, CNA Insider)
• Is A New US-China Trade War Brewing – Over Batteries? | Insight (47 min, CNA Insider)
• China Invests In Taliban's Afghanistan: A Friend In Need? | Insight (47 min, CNA Insider)
• China's gateway to Europe – the New Silk Road (2/2) (42 min, DW Documentary)
• The Chinese Automaker Changing the Market in Africa | China/Africa Big Business (23 min, ENDEVR)
• Chinese Doctors Changing Africa's Healthcare | China/Africa Big Business (24 min, ENDEVR)
• China's Tallest Building: Shanghai Tower | China's Mega Projects (48 min, Free Documentary)
• China vs United States | Behind the Military Build-Up (111 min, Moconomy)
• Why China's Newly Approved UK Embassy is So Controversial (21 min, The B1M)

Top-Rated Books About China

1. The Party by Richard McGregor - View on Amazon
2. Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang - View on Amazon
3. Age of Ambition by Evan Osnos - View on Amazon
4. River Town by Peter Hessler - View on Amazon
5. Wild Swans by Jung Chang (4.5/5) - View on Amazon
6. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD (4.5/5) - View on Amazon
7. The Search for Modern China by Jonathan D. Spence (4.3/5) - View on Amazon
8. Red Azalea by Anchee Min - View on Amazon
9. The Rise of Modern China by Immanuel Chung-yueh Hsü (3.4/5) - View on Amazon
10. 1421 by Gavin Menzies - View on Amazon