Updated on: October 11, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Chinese TV in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : It has servers in countries near China, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. It also works with major sites that show Chinese TV, including iQiyi, Tencent Video, Le.com, and more. Finally, it has lightning-fast speeds for an uninterrupted streaming experience. You can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out risk-free.
Chinese TV is available worldwide, but some services are only available in select countries or have restrictions due to licensing agreements. For example, iQiyi and Youku TV are both accessible to international viewers, but the selection of shows in their international libraries is more limited than it is in China.
A good VPN allows you to watch Chinese TV from anywhere in the world without restrictions. When you connect to a VPN server, your actual IP address is hidden behind an IP address owned by the VPN, matching the server’s location. This tricks the streaming site into thinking you’re connecting from a different country than you actually are.
I tested all the top VPNs on the market and found the best ones for watching Chinese TV. My #1 pick is ExpressVPN because it has great server coverage, gives you access to the maximum amount of Chinese TV content, and offers super-fast streaming speeds. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick Summary of the Best VPNs for Chinese TV
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Chinese TV in 2024
ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming Chinese TV. It works reliably with Chinese streaming platforms like iQiyi, Tencent Video, and Le.com. It doesn’t have servers in China, but it has servers in 105 other countries, including places where most Chinese TV content is available, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
In my tests, ExpressVPN was the fastest VPN I tried. Its proprietary Lightway protocol consistently outperforms WireGuard, the fastest standard VPN protocol. This lets you stream Chinese TV content in HD without any buffering.
ExpressVPN is compatible with many devices, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Android TV, and Fire TV. I like that it also has a dedicated router app, which makes it easy to watch Chinese TV on devices that don’t have native VPN support, such as certain smart TVs and gaming consoles.
It has a great split-tunneling tool, too, which lets you route your Chinese TV traffic through the VPN tunnel while your other traffic uses your regular internet connection. This means you can watch Chinese TV with the VPN while simultaneously using apps that require your actual location, such as food delivery services.
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $4.99 / month, and all purchases come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my top recommendation for watching Chinese TV from anywhere. It works with Chinese TV streaming sites 100% of the time, has servers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, and offers super-fast speeds. It also has a dedicated router app to stream Chinese TV on any device and a great split-tunneling tool.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Flexible VPN for Streaming Chinese TV in the US
Private Internet Access (PIA) is good for watching Chinese TV on US streaming platforms such as Sling TV, which carries popular Chinese TV channels like CCTV, Zhejiang TV, and Hunan TV. PIA has servers in every US state, so if you’re in the USA, you can always connect to a nearby server for the fastest possible speeds. If a show isn’t available on US streaming platforms, PIA also has servers in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
One thing I really like about PIA is its highly customizable apps. There are 20+ settings in the menu that you can tweak to make the VPN work exactly how you want it to. You can even change its encryption level (something few VPNs let you do). Changing from 256-bit AES encryption to 128-bit AES encryption can be useful to boost your speeds when streaming Chinese TV on slower networks. Still, ExpressVPN is faster.
Lastly, PIA’s split-tunneling feature is nice because it allows you to split-tunnel both apps and websites, while most other VPNs only let you split-tunnel apps.
Private Internet Access’s plans start at an affordable $2.19 / month, and all subscriptions are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is very good for streaming Chinese TV on US platforms, like Sling TV, because it has servers in all 50 states. It also has servers in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau to access even more content. PIA’s apps are also very customizable — you can change everything, including your encryption level.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Automates Your Connections for Watching Chinese TV
CyberGhost VPN streamlines the process of using a VPN to stream Chinese TV. Instead of manually connecting to a VPN server every time you want to watch a show, you can set up Smart Rules so that it automatically connects you to the appropriate server when you launch your preferred Chinese TV streaming app. Alternatively, you can make it so that CyberGhost launches your Chinese TV app for you when you connect to a specific server.
This VPN has servers in 100 countries, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. It also has dedicated streaming servers for international streaming platforms that offer access to Chinese TV channels, like Sling TV. These dedicated streaming servers are tested frequently to ensure that they work as intended. However, I still prefer ExpressVPN for streaming, as it’s equally reliable and works with more Chinese TV services.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans start at just $2.19 / month, and it backs all subscriptions with a money-back guarantee — 45 days for long-term and 14 days for short-term plans.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN is convenient for watching Chinese TV thanks to Smart Rules, which help you automate your connections. It also has servers in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau and dedicated streaming servers for international streaming platforms with Chinese TV channels, like Sling TV.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Easy-to-use VPN for Watching Chinese TV
NordVPN is a beginner-friendly VPN for Chinese TV. It has servers in 111 countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Downloading and installing its app onto my device only took 1–2 minutes. I also like how you can connect to a VPN server just by clicking the appropriate location on the digital map, and it offers a Quick-Connect tool that automatically connects you to the fastest server.
It’s not quite as easy to set up on routers since it doesn’t have a dedicated router app (like ExpressVPN). This means you’ll have to perform a manual configuration if you want to watch Chinese TV on devices that don’t support VPN apps, which is a little more involved. That said, its website offers simple step-by-step guides on how to set NordVPN up on popular router models.
NordVPN’s plans start at $2.99 / month, and all plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is a really beginner-friendly VPN for streaming Chinese TV. It’s quick and easy to set up and offers user-friendly tools like Quick-Connect, which allows you to connect to a server just by clicking on the location on its digital map. NordVPN has servers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
5. Surfshark — Affordable VPN for Chinese TV
Surfshark is a cost-effective option for streaming Chinese TV; it only costs $1.99 / month and allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which makes it a great pick if you have a large household. The only other VPN on this list that offers unlimited device connections is Private Internet Access.
Surfshark has servers in 100 countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, so you can access your favorite Chinese TV content anywhere.
Like Private Internet Access, its split-tunneling tool (Bypasser) is also very flexible — it works with both websites and apps.
Surfshark’s plans are all backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a good, budget-friendly VPN for Chinese TV. It’s even better for people who need to cover a lot of devices since it allows unlimited simultaneous connections. Additionally, it provides access to servers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, and has a flexible split-tunneling tool.
Read the full Surfshark review
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
I tested all the top VPNs to find the best ones for Chinese TV according to our VPN testing methodology. In my tests, I paid particular attention to whether or not each provider had servers in countries with access to Chinese TV content, fast speeds, and more. You can read more about the criteria I used to rank and compare the VPNs on my list below:
- I selected VPNs that work with Chinese TV streaming platforms. Not every VPN is compatible with the top Chinese TV streaming sites, but all the VPNs on my list work with popular platforms, such as iQiyi, Youku, MangoTV, Tencent, Bilibili, WeTV, CCTV1, and more.
- I chose VPNs with good server coverage. Ideally, the VPN has servers in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Macau, which can access most Chinese TV content. Every VPN I recommend has servers in multiple countries on that list.
- I picked VPNs with fast speeds. Since using a VPN will reduce your speeds slightly due to the time it takes to encrypt your data, you want to get a VPN that still maintains fast enough speeds to stream Chinese TV in HD buffer-free.
- I looked for VPNs with intuitive apps. I only recommend VPNs that are straightforward to set up and use. I also looked for easy-to-use apps for all major platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and smart TVs, so you can watch Chinese TV on any device.
- I assessed each VPN for overall value. I chose VPNs with reasonably priced plans that allow a minimum of 7 simultaneous connections (so you can stream Chinese TV on multiple devices) and come with good extra features, such as split-tunneling and data breach monitoring.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- PrivateVPN. It’s a good minimalistic VPN with a great obfuscation tool. However, its server network is pretty small, it lacks advanced security features, and it doesn’t come with many extra features compared to other top VPNs.
- Proton VPN. Proton VPN is a highly secure VPN with one of the best free plans in the industry, but its free plan doesn’t support streaming. Additionally, while it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, it’s prorated, meaning you’ll still be charged for every day you use Proton VPN until you cancel it.
- TunnelBear. It’s a cute and easy-to-use VPN with a decent free plan. However, the free plan only offers 2 GB of data per month, so you can’t really stream on it, and I don’t like that it doesn’t come with a money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I watch Chinese TV with a VPN?
It’s straightforward — just follow these 3 simple steps:
- First, get a good VPN for streaming Chinese TV (ExpressVPN is my #1 pick).
- Second, download and install the VPN app onto your device.
- Finally, connect to a server in a location where the Chinese TV content you want to watch is available, and enjoy!
Which VPN is the best for watching Chinese TV dramas?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for watching Chinese TV dramas from anywhere in the world. It has great server coverage, including servers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, where most Chinese TV content is available. It also has blazing-fast speeds for streaming content in HD without buffering and is really easy to use.
Can I watch Chinese TV outside of China?
Numerous Chinese TV streaming platforms, such as iQiyi and Youku, are available internationally. Streaming services in the US, like Sling TV, allow you to watch CCTV4, Hunan TV, and other Chinese TV channels. However, Sling TV is only available in the US, and the international catalogs of some Chinese TV streaming sites can be more limited.
A good VPN for Chinese TV can change your IP address, so it looks like you’re accessing a streaming site from another country. It’s the best way to watch all Chinese TV content from anywhere in the world.
Is it possible to watch Chinese TV with a free VPN?
Maybe, but I don’t recommend it. Few free VPNs support streaming or provide servers in the right locations for accessing Chinese TV content. Additionally, many free VPNs have slow speeds or impose strict data caps, which means you won’t be able to stream for very long. For these reasons, getting a low-cost paid VPN to stream Chinese TV is better.
