From the People’s Daily app.

This is Story in the Story.

Domestic films and TV series featuring martial arts and Chinese mythology have long been acclaimed by overseas viewers and used to dominate the Chinese film and TV industries in the global market in the past decades.

However, in recent years, Chinese films and TV dramas that depict young people’s lifestyles in modern society are crossing the cultural divide and attracting a growing fanbase in Africa.

Chinese digital television enterprises have worked hard to promote the development of digital TV in Africa, providing high-quality television programs to African subscribers for low prices.

Since setting up shop in Africa in 2007, Chinese digital TV service provider StarTimes Ltd has broadcast to more than 30 African countries and collected nearly 10 million subscribers, StarTimes President Pan Xingxing said.

Today’s Story in the Story will look at the top 10 Chinese TV dramas that are popular in Africa.

The 1986 TV drama "Journey to the West."（Photo: Xinhua）

“Journey to the West” is a TV series that tells the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang Dynasty’s Buddhist monk Xuanzang who traveled to Central Asia and India to obtain sacred Buddhist texts and returned after many trials and tribulations.

The series was broadcast on CCTV in China on Oct. 1, 1986 and was praised for being the best and most authentic interpretation of the novel.

“The Legend of Condor Heroes” was first broadcast on TVB Jade in Hong Kong in 1983. The 59-episode series features hundreds of characters, telling a story of martial arts, treachery, loyalty, and love.

The series is considered by many to be a classic TV show and features the breakthrough role of Barbara Yung, who played Huang Rong.

A stage photo from Chinese TV series "A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era." (Photo: China Daily)

“A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era” is a light 36-episode comedy series about a modern-day Chinese couple’s emotional entanglements and relationships.

In 2011, it was introduced to African countries and gained a massive overseas following.

It originally premiered in November 2009 on the Shanghai TV channel and was later dubbed in Swahili and broadcast by the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation in 2011.

“Love Is Not Blind” is a 2011 romantic comedy film directed by Teng Huatao.

The film tells the story of Huan Xiaoxian, who breaks up with her boyfriend and starts to see herself in a more honest way – and eventually finds love from someone who has always been there for her.

“The Journey of Flower” is a 2015 TV series starring Wallace Huo and Zhao Liying. It is based on the fiction novel of the same title and is inspired from Daoist legends regarding the path to immortality.

The show became the first Chinese drama to surpass 20 billion online views.

Adapted from a popular online novel of the same name, “Eternal Love” hit the small screen during the Spring Festival last year.

Set in a fantasy world where monsters, gods, and humans coexist, “Eternal Love” tells the story of a love between a 140,000-year-old fox princess and a 50,000-year-old dragon prince.

“Go Lala Go!” is a 2012 romantic comedy TV film about a Chinese woman who learns to balance a relationship and professional work in the work place.

After the success of the TV version, Chinese actress and director Xu Jinglei directed a film version, which is said to be like an updated and improved version.

“Detective Chinatown" is a 2015 film directed by Chen Sicheng and stars Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran.

This zany comedy mystery film was so popular its sequel, “Detective Chinatown 2,” became one of the highest grossing films in China in 2018.

“Princess Agents” is a 2017 TV drama that originally aired on the Hunan TV channel.

Set against the backdrop of the Northern Wei Dynasty – when innocent citizens were often kidnapped and turned into slaves – the drama follows Chu Qiao as she rises from a lowly slave to a successful military strategist as well as a female general in the people’s hearts.

“A Bite of China” is a documentary series about food, eating, and cooking in China as well as the impact that China’s natural landscapes has on food culture. 

The seven-episode series is said to have attracted more than 100 million viewers despite having a late-night time slot. The series covers 60 locations throughout China.

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Raymond Mendoza and Lance Crayon. Music by: bensound.com. Text from China Daily and Xinhua.)