Chinese Short Dramas: What Duanju Are & Where to Watch

Chinese short dramas — duanju (短剧) — are the origin of the whole vertical microdrama boom. They’re one-to-two-minute vertical episodes, dozens to a series, built for phones and binge-watching.

How they differ from long C-dramas

Traditional Chinese dramas run 40+ hour-long episodes. Duanju compress a full melodrama — revenge, rebirth, CEO romance, palace intrigue — into a couple of hours of tiny cliffhanger episodes.

The genres

Rebirth and revenge lead, alongside CEO romance, face-slapping counterattacks and time-travel. The same tropes now power the Western apps, often re-shot with English casts.

Where to watch

Many duanju reach global apps (DramaBox and others) with subtitles or dubs. Browse the catalogue to find a title and every place it streams, free and paid.