TV dramas must feature goodness in humans

TV dramas based on fights in imperial palaces, Gongdou, literally translated as "struggles in the harem", are a kind of costume drama featuring the competition (and at times dirty tricks) among concubines seeking the emperor's support and favor, so they can climb up the harem ladder.

Chinese TV series based on historical times or events can be divided into three categories - historical dramas such as Yongzheng Period and Emperor Kangxi which tell stories closer to historical facts; narratives of legends based on facts such as My Fair Princess and Legendary Chien Lung; and the popular Gongdou drama in which, thanks to politics and intrigue, a nobody becomes the queen.

Many people regard War and Beauty broadcast by TVB in Hong Kong in 2004 as the progenitor of the palace-struggle drama, followed by Empresses in the Palace in 2011, the reference for this genre of TV series makers in recent times. In 2018, The Story of Yanxi Palace took the palace intrigue drama to a new peak, leading to a series of productions with similar, imperial-or palace-themed content.