Empresses in the Palace is the most classic palace-intrigue drama.
Tips
culture
Genre exploded after the 2011 hit drama 《甄嬛传》 (Empresses in the Palace). Standard setting is an imperial harem (often Qing dynasty); plot engine is consorts scheming against each other for status, favor, and survival. Often pitched as a women-led workplace drama in costume.
usage
Commonly appears as 宫斗剧 (palace-intrigue drama), 宫斗小说 (palace-intrigue novel), 宫斗文 (harem-scheming web fiction). Figurative use: office politics are sometimes mocked as 宫斗.
