This is my favorite Chinese drama of all time, and I don't even usually like historical dramas. Political intrigue typically bores me. Dramas with 50+ episodes generally make me shudder. But I couldn't stop watching Nirvana in Fire. By the time I got to the 40th episode, I was dreading the fact that I was getting close to the end. I wanted this drama to never end.  The casting is STELLAR. Not just  Hu Ge, Wang Kai, and Liu Tao, but also Wu Lei, Chen Long,  Cheng Hao Feng, Guo Xiao Ran... There is betrayal and all kinds of plotting in this drama, but there is also humor and a hint of romance.  I've even watched this a second time.

The theme song and Liu Tao's  "Aging of a Beauty" are both spectacular songs.