The news keeps us in the loop, highlights culture and facilitates knowledge. And when you’re learning Chinese, you can also benefit linguistically.
Mandarin-language news channels are abundantly available to help increase your awareness of the world around you, all the while picking up new conversational tidbits for your native-speaker friends.
Check out these eight channels you can watch to learn Chinese with the news.
Mandarin News is a rich and diverse news channel based in Malaysia. Much of the content available on this channel consists of economic updates (worldwide) and political situations (in Malaysia).
There are also a handful of segments that focus on strange or unusual events and stories in Malaysia as well as fashion and culture news, so if politics and the economy tend to bore you, you’re sure to find something more interesting on News Mandarin.
Where to watch it:
News Mandarin is available on YouTube for free viewing. There are no subtitles for a majority of the news videos, so advanced learners would benefit best from listening to spoken Mandarin on this channel.
2. SinoVision
SinoVision is a United States-based Chinese TV network, considered to be the most influential Mandarin-language network available in the U.S.
This channel includes a ton of great independent content from interviews and chat shows to breaking news and stock market information. This is a great channel to invest in if you want to know more about Chinese-American culture, especially in the New York City area.
Where to watch it:
SinoVision is available for Roku. You can also enjoy this channel directly from their YouTube channel, although there isn’t quite as much content available as on the Roku channel. The YouTube channel also doesn’t offer subtitles, while the Roku version offers English and 汉字 (hàn zì) — Chinese character subtitles.
3. CCTV Live
We can’t have a list of Chinese broadcast channels without including CCTV. China Central Television is the largest TV network in mainland China. It’s based in Beijing and boasts over 50 different channels.
This network is fantastic for staying up-to-date on breaking news in China. The mix of dialects and spoken Mandarin also varies quite a bit on this channel, as their content features on-site news all over the country.
If you’re looking for live broadcast streaming in real-time, CCTV’s streaming YouTube broadcast is definitely the right channel for you. However, this channel has plenty to offer if you just want to see some news in a variety of different dialects.
While no subtitles are offered (except during interviews) hanzi is used throughout most of the chat and news shows in the form of headlines and scrolling updates.
Where to watch it:
You can enjoy CCTV’s main news network on YouTube or via their website, which has an English-language section to make navigation a bit easier.
4. Mandarin TV
Another great Roku station is Mandarin TV, a comprehensive film and TV series channel based in China. If you’re a beginner Chinese learner and love Mandarin films and TV, you can benefit significantly from the Chinese and English subtitles this channel offers for all of their content.
We are, of course, talking news channels here—you can get those with Mandarin TV, too, along with dramas and historical documentaries.
Where to watch it:
Mandarin TV is only available on Roku, so expect to pay around $3 a month to access this channel. It’s definitely worth it.
5. GDTV
广东卫视 (guǎng dōng diàn shì tái) — Guangdong Television is based in the Guangdong province of China and is the oldest news network in the province. Most of the news content on this channel covers points of interest only in that area, but you can definitely benefit from learning what Guangdong accents and dialects sound like by viewing this channel.
Besides news broadcasts, one can enjoy cooking shows, game shows, chat shows and much more on this channel.
Where to watch it:
As of now, GDTV is available in the West via their website for free, but keep in mind that the website is entirely in hanzi. Once you navigate to the particular show you’re interested in, you’ll be able to enjoy HD TV in Mandarin for free, with some videos offering English subtitles.
6. BBC Mandarin
Just about everyone’s heard of the British Broadcasting Corporation, but did you know you can enjoy their content in Mandarin for free?
BBC’s Mandarin YouTube channel hosts a ton of great short video clips and some full-length segments about Chinese events of interest and history.
Where to watch it:
BBC Mandarin is available for viewing on YouTube. Much of the channel is in spoken English with some Mandarin mixed in, but every video offers Hanzi subtitles. Need to practice your reading skills? You need to check out this channel!
7. JSTV
Love short and sweet video clips? JSTV is like a sampler platter of Mandarin news, chat shows, game shows and much more. Not only is this channel updated multiple times a day with new content, but most of its videos offer Chinese subtitles.
There are often multiple people speaking at once (especially on the game show segments) which may be difficult for beginners to keep up with, but the singing competitions can offer helpful insight into how Mandarin tones sound when singing.
浙江卫视 (zhè jiāng wèi shì) — Zhejiang Television is a Hangzhou-based satellite broadcast channel known for its rich mix of music commentary programs similar to American Idol in the West.
If you love reality shows and a bit of news on the side, you should check this one out! What’s better than getting your fill of what’s going on in the world, only to follow up with some seriously inspirational people singing their hearts out?
Where to watch it:
The channel is available to watch on the official website. You can also enjoy clips from ZJTV via their YouTube channel, which has Chinese subtitles.
How Can the News Help Me Learn Mandarin?
News shows boast a variety of Mandarin dialects and speaking speeds.
Of all Chinese media, news channels provide the best content to watch in order to improve Mandarin listening skills. Since news shows typically include interviews and employ many different people from various regions of China, you can expect a rich and diverse mix of accents and types of spoken Mandarin.
Watching the news provides in-depth looks into Chinese culture, politics and events.
This is necessary to be aware of if you’re learning Mandarin in order to move or travel there. Even if you aren’t planning on living abroad, knowing more about Chinese culture is a part of learning the language.
News broadcasts are a great way to immerse yourself in the language.
By watching news shows, you expose yourself to authentic Chinese, helping you see how words are used and how the language sounds in general.
FluentU is another excellent way to immerse yourself in Chinese.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
Getting in touch with the world around you can only benefit you as a person. Why not brush up on your Mandarin at the same time? We bet these awesome news channels will help you on your way to fluency.
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FluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos—like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.
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