Whether living in China or just holidaying, you’re probably going to turn a TV on at some time, so, here’s the big list of local Chinese TV channels. In the apartments where I lived the TV was set up through the internet. With a twelve month package, you could choose from different packages with more expensive packages offering extended channels which often include a select range of subtitled English programs. The different packages really depend on the local provider offerings.
If you are an expat, you will come across many people offering IPTV set-top boxes to access international content that’s not widely available by other means. There’s also satellite packages for sale too. You can also buy set-top boxes on Taobao which provide access to large range of on-demand movies and TV series. If I was setting up in China again for a long stay, that would be the way I’d choose.
Here’s a list of the standard channels you’ll find in available in China. Some hotels may have all of them or just a few. Western 5 star hotels will usually have all of them and a range of western channels.
| China Central Television | ||
| Name | Simplified Chinese | |
| CCTV-1 (General Channel) | 中国中央电视台综合频道 | |
| CCTV-2 (Finance Channel) | 中国中央电视台财经频道 | |
| CCTV-3 (Art Channel) | 中国中央电视台综艺频道 | |
| CCTV-4 (International Chinese Channel Asia) | 中国中央电视台中文国际频道（亚洲版） | |
| CCTV-4 (International Chinese Channel Europe) | 中国中央电视台中文国际频道（欧洲版） | |
| CCTV-4 (International Chinese Channel America) | 中国中央电视台中文国际频道（美洲版） | |
| CCTV-5 (Sports Channel) | 中国中央电视台体育频道 | |
| CCTV-5+ (Sports Events Channel) | 中国中央电视台体育赛事频道 | |
| CCTV-6 (Movie Channel) | 中国中央电视台电影频道 | |
| CCTV-7 (Military & Agriculture Channel) | 中国中央电视台军事农业频道 | |
| CCTV-8 (Television Series Channel) | 中国中央电视台电视剧频道 | |
| CCTV-9 (Chinese Documentary Channel) | 中国中央电视台纪录频道（中文版） | |
| CCTV-9 (English Documentary Channel) | 中国中央电视台纪录频道（英语版） | |
| CCTV-10 (Science & Education Channel) | 中国中央电视台科教频道 | |
| CCTV-11 (Chinese Opera Channel) | 中国中央电视台戏曲频道 | |
| CCTV-12 (Society & Law Channel) | 中国中央电视台社会与法频道 | |
| CCTV-13 (Chinese News Channel) | 中国中央电视台新闻频道 | |
| CCTV-14 (Children’s Channel) | 中国中央电视台少儿频道 | |
| CCTV-15 (Music Channel) | 中国中央电视台音乐频道 | |
| CCTV-NEWS(International English Channel） | 中国中央电视台英语新闻频道 | |
| CCTV-Français (International French Channel) | 中国中央电视台法语国际频道 | |
| CCTV-Español (International Spanish Channel) | 中国中央电视台西班牙语国际频道 | |
| CCTV-العربية (International Arabic Channel) | 中国中央电视台阿拉伯语国际频道 | |
| CCTV-русский (International Russian Channel) | 中国中央电视台俄语国际频道 | |
| Zhongguo 3D dianshi shiyan pindao (3D Channel) | 中国3D电视试验频道 | |
| Nationwide satellite TV network | ||
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Origin |
| Agriculture Television | 农林卫视 | Shannxi |
| Anhui Television | 安徽卫视 | Anhui |
| Bedahuang Television | 北大荒农业频道 | Heilongjiang |
| Bingtuan Television | 兵团卫视 | Xinjiang |
| Beijing Television | 北京卫视 | Beijing |
| Chongqing Television | 重庆卫视 | Chongqing |
| Cross-Strait Television | 海峡卫视 | Fujian |
| Dragon Television | 东方卫视 | Shanghai |
| Gansu Television | 甘肃卫视 | Gansu |
| Guangdong Television | 广东卫视 | Guangdong |
| Guangxi Television | 广西卫视 | Guangxi |
| Guizhou Television | 贵州卫视 | Guizhou |
| Hebei Television | 河北卫视 | Hebei |
| Heilongjiang Television | 黑龙江卫视 | Heilongjiang |
| Henan Television | 河南卫视 | Henan |
| Hubei Television | 湖北卫视 | Hubei |
| Hunan Television | 湖南卫视 | Hunan |
| Jiangsu Television | 江苏卫视 | Jiangsu |
| Jiangxi Television | 江西卫视 | Jiangxi |
| Jilin Television | 吉林卫视 | Jilin |
| Liaoning Television | 辽宁卫视 | Liaoning |
| Nei Mongol Television | 内蒙古卫视 | Inner Mongolia |
| Ningxia Television | 宁夏卫视 | Ningxia |
| Qinghai Television | 青海卫视 | Qinghai |
| Sansha Television | 三沙卫视 | Hainan |
| Shandong Television | 山东卫视 | Shangdong |
| Shannxi Television | 陕西卫视 | Shannxi |
| Shanxi Television | 山西卫视 | Shanxi |
| Shenzhen Television | 深圳卫视 | Guangdong |
| Sichuan Television | 四川卫视 | Sichuan |
| Southeast Television | 东南卫视 | Fujian |
| Travel Channel | 旅游卫视 | Hainan |
| Tianjin Television | 天津卫视 | Tianjin |
| Xiamen Television | 厦门卫视 | Fujian |
| Xinjiang Television | 新疆卫视 | Xinjiang |
| Xizang Television | 西藏卫视 | Tibet |
| Yunnan Television | 云南卫视 | Yunnan |
| Zhejiang Television | 浙江卫视 | Zhejiang |
| Non-Standard Chinese satellite television | ||
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Language |
| Kangba Television | 康巴卫视 | Khams Tibetan |
| Nei Mongol Television Mongolian | 内蒙古蒙语卫视 | Mongolian |
| Television Southern | 广东南方卫视 | Cantonese |
| Xinjiang Television Uyghur | 新疆卫视（维语） | Uyghur |
| Xinjiang Television Kazakh | 新疆卫视（哈语） | Kazakh |
| Xizang Television Tibetan | 西藏藏语卫视 | Standard Tibetan |
| China Yanbian Satellite | 延边卫视 | Chinese Korean/Standard Chinese |
| Anduo Television | 安多卫视 | Amdo Tibetan |
| Children’s channels | ||
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Origin |
| Aniworld | 金鹰卡通 | Hunan |
| Kaku | 卡酷动画 | Beijing |
| Toonmax | 炫动卡通 | Shanghai |
| Jiajia | 嘉佳卡通 | Guangdong |
| Youman | 优漫卡通 | Jiangsu |
| Private Owned channel’s with landed rights | ||
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Origin |
| China Entertainment Television | 华娱卫视 | Hong Kong |
| Macau Asia Satellite Television | 澳亚卫视 | Macau |
| Macau Lotus Television | 澳门莲花卫视 | Macau |
| HKSTV | 香港卫视 | Hong Kong |
| Phoenix Television InfoNews | 凤凰卫视资讯台 | Hong Kong |
| Phoenix Television Movies | 凤凰卫视电影台 | Hong Kong |
| Phoenix Television Chinese | 凤凰卫视中文台 | Hong Kong |
| Phoenix Television Hong Kong | 凤凰卫视香港台 | Hong Kong |
| TVB Jade | 无线电视翡翠台 | Hong Kong |
| Xing Kong Television | 星空卫视 | Hong Kong |
| Most-viewed channels | ||
| Position | Channel | Average (million viewers) |
| 1 | Hunan TV | 4.2026 |
| 2 | Zhejiang TV | 3.0315 |
| 3 | Jiangsu TV | 2.8887 |
| 4 | Beijing TV | 1.7856 |
| 5 | Dragon TV (Shanghai) | 1.6015 |
| 6 | Tianjin TV | 0.949 |
| 7 | Shangdong TV | 0.8272 |
| 8 | Jiangxi TV | 0.6945 |
| 9 | Anhui TV | 0.5847 |
| 10 | Shenzhen TV (Guangdong) | 0.5704 |
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