Famous Mandarin(Chinese)-speaking TV shows – 我是歌手&大陸尋奇

Watching TV shows is a fantastic entertaining way to improve Mandarin reading and listening skills, and it is especially great for learning new vocabulary and experiencing the language in a very authentic way in addition to textbooks.

Hereby, proceeding with the last article — Famous Mandarin(Chinese)-speaking talk shows – 康熙來了&WTO姐妹會, I would provide the list of Mandarin-speaking TV shows that you can watch and meanwhile learn authentic Mandarin.

1. 我是歌手Wǒ Shì Gēshǒu I Am a Singer 

我是歌手 is a Chinese singing competition show broadcast on Hunan Television(湖南衛視) since January, 2013. The competition was open to well-known singers who are already starts from the music industry across worldwide, and featured a rotating cast of singers performing each week, usually with seven singers, who performed in front of a 500-member audience.

These participants, singers, don’t just sing their own songs each week, but also reinterpret songs from other singers. Most of them are getting on in their careers or are young stars looking for a boost.

In the seasons of 2018 and 2019, the TV producers started to invite non-Mandarin-speaking singers to the show, such as Jessie J(UK), Kristian Kostov(Bulgaria), KZ·Tandingan 譚定安(the Phillipines), Dimash Kudaibergen(Kazakhstan), Polina Gagarina(Russia). They even sang Mandarin sogns in the performance even thought they are orginally unable to speak Mandarin

a. Jessie J attended 我是歌手 and won the 1st prize in the end.

b. The bulgarian singer, Kristian Kostov, reinterpreted Mandarin song, 記得(Jì dé), sung by A-Mei(張惠妹)

c.The Phillipines singer, KZ·Tandingan 譚定安, reinterpreted See You Again with Mandarin lyrics.

2. 大陸尋奇 Dàlù xún qí China Discovery

大陸尋奇 is a very famous and one of longest-running social and educational TV program in Taiwan. Its 1st episode was aired on August 11, 1990. It records the natural scenery, historical sites, and people’s lives in various parts of China from the perspectives of Taiwanese hosts and producers. Until today, its episodes are covering more than 2 thousand cities, and counties, and the topic of lives of 56 minority races in the program.

I recall that I watched this TV program when studying in primary and middle schools because I can get to know mainland China through these programs with detailed and interesting information conveyed by the hosts.

It has been broadcasting today. 2022 is the 32th year of the broadcast of “大陸尋奇”, and the total number of episodes has exceeded 1,868 until today.

大陸尋奇 also has Facebook fanpage!