The Legend of Qin (秦时明月) is older than almost every title on this list, and that is the point. It is one of the donghua that proved Chinese animation could tell a long historical-cultivation epic, and it is still moving.

Why it matters

Set against the Qin unification era, it blends real history with cultivation and martial arts in a way that feels grounded compared to pure fantasy titles. The donghua's longevity gave the whole genre a template: long arcs, historical weight, and a willingness to take years between major chapters.

Fans who started this a decade ago are still here, which is rare in animation of any kind.

New season status

A new season is the question every few years, and the pattern is always the same: a long quiet stretch, then a return that the loyal base greets like a reunion. In 2026 the community tracks it the old way, through the studios and fan channels that have followed it since the beginning.

The practical note: this is a slow-burn historical epic, not a quick watch. But if you want to understand where modern donghua came from, it is the obvious starting point.

The bigger picture

The Legend of Qin is the root system a lot of newer cultivation donghua grew from. A healthy new season is good news for the genre as a whole, because it means the foundational stories still get room to breathe.