Streams of fine gold

Another online sensation has been Princess Agents, about a sixth-century female slave's rise to become an influential military leader. It set a record for YouTube views at nearly 3 billion, making it the most-watched Chinese TV drama internationally. Plans are afoot for it to be translated into nine languages and broadcast in about 85 countries and regions.

"Overseas distribution is usually a long, time-consuming process," Wei says. "In the future, Chinese companies may work with foreign distributors before the shooting of a drama begins, which will leave more time for marketing. In addition, foreign actors can make stories more appealing to international audiences."

At the moment the biggest problem for foreign fans of Chinese dramas is the limited information about these productions.

Anne. J, the founder of Drama-Panda, an English-language website in Singapore that disseminates news and opinion about Chinese dramas, movies and celebrities, says most of its visitors are from the US. As its fan base has grown the website has been transformed from a personal blog to a thriving online community, she says.

"Costume dramas seem to be the biggest attraction. They range from fantasy pieces such as Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms to dramas such as Nirvana in Fire. I have noticed that these popular dramas in China tend to be similarly well-received by international viewers, especially if English subtitles are available. Princess Agents is a good example of that."