What documentaries about China can you watch on Netflix? (2025 update)

Filming thought-provoking stories from within China is virtually impossible due to the government’s tight control on media.

In addition, Netflix hasn’t been around for very long. Its catalog of documentaries about any country – let alone China – is limited.

There are seven documentaries about China on Netflix you can enjoy.

And here they are, starting from best to worst (in my opinion).

1. American Factory

• In a word: Fascinating
• My rating: 5/5 stars
• Watch it: On Netflix here (Can’t access it? Bypass region blocking with a VPN)

American Factory won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2020, so you know it’s worth watching.

This Obama-backed Netflix feature is about China’s Fuyao Glass reopening a shuttered factory in Ohio.

At the heart of the documentary is the great divide between the US and China, not just in terms of culture but work, relationships, behaviors and attitudes.

You get to hear perspectives from both the Chinese and the Americans, so I find it’s fairly balanced.

I like how American Factory doesn’t force you into a corner with regard to who is ‘right’ and who is ‘wrong’.

My laugh-out-loud moment came when one of the Chinese managers reports to the big boss, Mr Cao, that Americans are slow and have “fat fingers”.

My favorite moment of all though, is when the American managers are invited to Fuzhou, in southeast China’s Fujian province, to see how things are done and watch the annual stage show.

One of the American managers breaks down in tears after the show, not through joy but at the realization that the differences between the two countries are so great that they’re beyond belief.

I’d say American Factory is by far the best Netflix documentary on China.

2. Found

• In a word: Moving
• My rating: 4/5 stars
• Watch it: On Netflix here (Can’t access it? Bypass region blocking with a VPN)

This was filmed just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and released on Netflix in October 2021.

Found follows the emotional journey of three young American adopted cousins – Chloe, Sadie and Lily. With the help of their loved ones, they try to learn more about their Chinese family history and each other.

The girls are filmed as they make their way to Guangdong province in southern China, searching for answers.

Found is both moving and poignant, and doesn’t have a typical Hollywood-style ending.

Despite this, the bulk of the documentary is shot in the US, so if you’re looking for something that features local Chinese people, Found may not be for you.

I still really enjoyed it though. It’s a tearjerker!

3. Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower

• In a word: Heroic
• My rating: 3/5 stars
• Watch it: On Netflix here (Can’t access it? Bypass region blocking with a VPN)

This Netflix documentary first premiered in 2017.

Joshua Wong, a young guy from Hong Kong, tries to save his homeland from Beijing’s influence on the island territory.

Joshua rises to prominence as his student-led movement, Scholarism, occupies the square outside the government headquarters.

They’re against the National Education program which Hong Kong’s chief executive, CY Leung, is trying to introduce from the mainland.

As the movement draws more interest from within Hong Kong and abroad, Joshua’s star rises and Hong Kong’s civil disobedience protests intensify.

Citizens use umbrellas to protect themselves from tear gas, and this is where the Umbrella Movement is born.

Even though Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower is a relatively new documentary, a lot can change in a few years, especially in China.

I won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say Joshua’s fate has changed a lot since 2017. After you’ve watched it, I suggest Googling him!

4. Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors

• In a word: OK-ish
• My rating: 3/5 stars
• Watch it: On Netflix here (Can’t access it? Bypass region blocking with a VPN)

Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors is the newest Netflix China documentary.

It hit the Netflix Top 10 in many countries, and it has generally received pretty good reviews (like on Rotten Tomatoes).

But if I’m being honest, I could easily give this one a miss.

It’s OK, but I didn’t learn that much – maybe because I’ve visited the Terracotta Warriors a couple of times already.

The narrator describes the archaeological site in Xian as “a giant crime scene” as there are questions around why the warriors were destroyed.

There are reenactments and theories of what may have happened, including a rebel army who, having been forced to build the mausoleum, return in revenge to set it on fire.

The documentary also looks at the preservation of the statues. To date, only 1,200 of the 8,000 warriors have been reassembled.

Bored yet? That’s exactly how I felt watching it.

The documentary ends with the mystery surrounding a new tomb nearby, which was only recently discovered.

5. History 101 – The Rise of China

• In a word: Educational
• My rating: 3/5 stars
• Watch it: On Netflix here (Can’t access it? Bypass region blocking with a VPN)

The Rise of China is the third episode in this historical documentary series. The other eps are totally different and not related to China at all.

Just 22 minutes long, this is a nice bite-sized documentary about China.

You get to learn about China’s recent history, starting with Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, right up to the present day.

The documentary is full of interesting clips, statistics and infographics. My favorite is how China recently used more cement in three years than the US did in the entire 20th century!

If you don’t know anything about Chinese history or economic development, and you’re pressed for time, The Rise of China is worth checking out.

But as the title suggests, this is basic 101 and won’t appeal to those who know a lot about China.

6. Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang

• In a word: Arty
• My rating: 3/5 stars
• Watch it: On Netflix here (Can’t access it? Bypass region blocking with a VPN)

If you love abstract art, you’ll enjoy watching this China documentary on Netflix.

Sky Ladder is a story about Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. Raised in a small coastal town by an artistic family, Guo-Qiang’s signature art involves out-of-this-world fireworks displays.

His art is revered in China because gunpowder is one of the most famous Chinese inventions and fireworks are seen as being special and lucky. And, of course, the man’s got talent!

Sky Ladder also shows snippets of Guo-Qiang’s family history, and how this has shaped the man and artist he is today.

What I found most interesting about Sky Ladder is the glimpse you get into contemporary art in China.

This is something you don’t hear a lot about in the West.

7. The Joys and Sorrows of Young Yuguo

• In a word: Meh
• My rating: 2/5 stars
• Watch it: On Netflix here (Can’t access it? Bypass region blocking with a VPN)

When I first heard about this China documentary on Netflix, I was super excited.

But like Found (number 2 above), much of it is filmed outside of China.

The premise of The Joys and Sorrows of Young Yuguo is about a young Chinese guy named Yin Yuguo who is obsessed in Romanian culture and poetry.

With the blessing of his academic parents, he leaves his hometown of Kunming to study and live in the small city of Bacău in Romania.

While you get to know a little bit about Yin Yuguo, most of the interviews are with the local Romanians.

In my opinion, his parents should have had a more prominent role, and it would have been more moving if his friends or other family members were included too.

I also found the storytelling in this 28-minute Chinese documentary quite slow in parts.

This isn’t my cup of (Chinese) tea.

Is there a Mao Zedong documentary on Netflix?

At this stage, there isn’t a documentary dedicated to Mao Zedong on Netflix.

Some critics say that an entire episode should have been dedicated to Mao in the Netflix docu-series, How to Become a Tyrant.

However, you can find plenty of documentaries about Mao on YouTube.

I recommend the 52-minute one above, which focuses on The Great Leap Forward, a period which began in 1958 and saw millions of people die.

I find the old footage in this one really interesting – so many happy faces despite the turmoil.

There are shorter videos about Mao Zedong on YouTube, too. Just make sure what you watch is from a reliable source.

Psst! Planning a trip to China?

Watching documentaries is great, but the best thing you can do is go abroad!

Take a read of the article about planning a trip to China if you’re thinking of visiting The Middle Kingdom.

And don’t forget that you can’t fully access foreign internet via Wi-Fi in China without a VPN.

Check out my page on getting a VPN that works in China.

What other Chinese documentaries are there?

You have to look further than Netflix to find great documentaries about China. As you can see, Netflix only has a handful to watch.

Amazon Prime Video has some outstanding ones, and so too does Kanopy (which are free to watch).

Check out my article on the best documentaries about China for a complete list and links.

What’s your favorite documentary about China on Netflix? Have I missed any? Let me know in the comments!

Main image credit: CardMapr on Unsplash.

FAQ about China documentary on Netflix