Courtesy: NETFLIX, Tencent Video and iQIYI
Chinese dramas have been building a global audience for years. What was once a niche corner of international television has become an increasingly visible part of the global entertainment landscape, with streaming platforms making Chinese language series more accessible than ever.
Now, Pursuit of Jade is helping push that momentum into a new chapter.
Starring Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei, the historical romance has become one of the most talked about Chinese dramas of 2026. Following its March premiere, the series quickly gained traction with international viewers before expanding its reach even further through its global release on Netflix.
But the significance of Pursuit of Jade goes beyond the success of a single series. It represents how far C dramas have traveled in the global market and how Chinese actors, particularly Zhang Linghe, are beginning to develop international star power of their own.
The C Drama Wave Has Been Building
The global rise of C dramas did not happen overnight.
For years, Chinese television had a devoted following throughout Asia and among international audiences interested in Chinese culture and entertainment. Streaming platforms including iQIYI, Tencent Video and Youku gradually made more Chinese series available outside the mainland, while subtitles and localized distribution made it easier for new audiences to discover them.
Then a handful of series began reaching audiences far beyond the traditional C drama fan base.
Eternal Love, The Untamed, Love Between Fairy and Devil, Hidden Love, When I Fly Towards You and Story of Kunning Palace each helped introduce different audiences to the storytelling, visual style and scale of Chinese television.
The international conversation around C dramas also changed.
Viewers were no longer watching simply because they were already fans of Chinese entertainment. They were watching because the stories themselves were compelling.
That distinction is important.
The appeal of a historical romance, fantasy epic or contemporary love story does not depend entirely on where it was made. The emotions remain recognizable even when the language, setting and cultural context are new to the viewer.
Streaming has made that discovery easier than ever.
Courtesy: NETFLIX, Tencent Video and iQIYI
Enter Pursuit of Jade
Pursuit of Jade follows Xie Zheng, a disgraced nobleman, and Fan Changyu, a butcher’s daughter whose determination to protect her family brings the two into a marriage of convenience. Their relationship unfolds against a backdrop of warfare, political conflict and family revenge.
It is a story that contains many of the elements that have made C dramas so compelling to international audiences: romance, historical spectacle, complicated family relationships and emotional stakes that continue to escalate.
The response has been significant.
Within six days of its premiere, Pursuit of Jade surpassed an iQIYI popularity index of 10,000 and reached the top position on iQIYI International’s weekly Chinese language drama chart. The series was released across iQIYI’s international platforms with 14 subtitle languages and five dubbed versions, reaching viewers in 191 countries and regions.
Google Trends also showed the series ranking first in Chinese drama search volume across 15 markets, including the United States, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore.
Then came Netflix.
The series entered Netflix’s Global Top 10 for Non English TV, giving it exposure to an audience that extends well beyond the established C drama community.
That distinction is increasingly important for Chinese television.
When a C drama appears on a global platform alongside television from the United States, Korea, Spain, Japan and other major entertainment markets, it is being presented not simply as Chinese content, but as part of the broader global television conversation.
Zhang Linghe’s Global Moment
At the center of Pursuit of Jade is Zhang Linghe, whose own career trajectory mirrors the international growth of C dramas.
The actor first began attracting attention through Chinese television before gaining wider recognition with Love Between Fairy and Devil in 2022. His performances in My Journey to You and Story of Kunning Palace further established him as one of the most recognizable young leading men in Chinese television.
Then came The Best Thing in 2025.
The contemporary romance gave Zhang an opportunity to move beyond the historical and fantasy worlds that had helped establish his image. As He Suye, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, he played a quieter and more restrained romantic lead.
The series became iQIYI International’s No. 1 Chinese language drama of 2025, helping further expand Zhang’s international audience.
That audience is now following him into Pursuit of Jade.
According to iQIYI, four dramas starring Zhang Linghe have appeared on iQIYI International’s all time Top 10 Chinese language drama chart following the success of Pursuit of Jade. The Best Thing has also held the top position on both the platform’s all time and 2025 annual charts.
That is an important evolution.
An actor’s international popularity becomes much more meaningful when audiences begin seeking out their previous work rather than simply watching one successful show.
Zhang Linghe is reaching that point.
Courtesy: NETFLIX, Tencent Video and iQIYI
From One Drama to an Entire Filmography
One of the most interesting aspects of the current C drama boom is the way audiences discover actors.
A viewer might encounter Zhang Linghe for the first time through Pursuit of Jade on Netflix. From there, they may discover The Best Thing, then Story of Kunning Palace, My Journey to You or Love Between Fairy and Devil.
Suddenly, one series becomes an entry point into an entire filmography.
Social media accelerates that process.
Clips, edits, fan accounts and recommendations allow viewers to move between series almost instantly. A moment from one drama can introduce an actor to millions of potential viewers who have never watched Chinese television before.
This creates a powerful cycle.
A successful series introduces an actor to a new audience. That audience discovers the actor’s previous work. Those older series receive renewed attention. The actor becomes more recognizable, and the next series arrives with an audience already waiting.
Zhang Linghe is increasingly benefiting from that cycle.
His growing international profile also reflects the evolution of the C drama industry itself. Chinese television has produced stars with enormous domestic fan bases for years. What is changing is the ability of those stars to build audiences across borders.
Why C Dramas Are Connecting Globally
There is something particularly effective about the way C dramas combine cultural specificity with universal storytelling.
The settings can be unfamiliar. The costumes can be elaborate. The historical traditions can require explanation. Yet the central emotions are immediately recognizable.
Love. Family. Betrayal. Ambition. Loyalty. Sacrifice.
These themes do not require translation.
The same is true of the appeal of Zhang Linghe’s characters. Whether he is playing a fantasy prince, a complicated historical figure, a modern doctor or a military strategist, his roles often center on emotional restraint gradually giving way to vulnerability.
That dynamic has proven particularly effective in romance driven television, where audiences become invested not only in the plot but in the chemistry between its leads.
It is one reason C dramas have developed such passionate international fandoms.
Courtesy: NETFLIX, Tencent Video and iQIYI
A New Global Entertainment Market
The rise of C dramas also reflects a broader shift in how international audiences consume television.
Korean dramas helped demonstrate that a series did not need to be produced in Hollywood or in English to become a worldwide phenomenon. Japanese anime, Spanish language television and other international formats have similarly expanded the definition of mainstream entertainment.
Chinese television is now entering that conversation in a much bigger way.
The infrastructure is already there. Streaming platforms can distribute a series simultaneously across dozens of territories. Subtitles and dubbing can make episodes accessible to audiences who do not speak Mandarin. Social media can turn individual scenes and actors into global cultural moments.
The next step is star recognition.
And that may be where Zhang Linghe becomes particularly significant.
For years, international viewers could name individual Korean actors and Japanese performers even if they did not regularly consume television from those countries. C drama stars are beginning to move toward that same level of recognition.
Zhang Linghe has the potential to become one of the faces of that transition.
Courtesy: NETFLIX, Tencent Video and iQIYI
The Beginning of Something Bigger
It would be easy to describe Pursuit of Jade simply as another successful C drama.
It is more interesting to view it as part of a much larger shift.
The audience for Chinese television is no longer limited to viewers who actively seek out C dramas. The content is increasingly finding people where they already watch television, including major global streaming platforms such as Netflix.
At the same time, the actors are becoming the bridges between individual shows and international audiences.
For Zhang Linghe, Pursuit of Jade arrives at an especially important moment. His previous projects have already built a strong international following, and his growing presence on global platforms gives new audiences an opportunity to discover him at a scale that would have been difficult only a few years ago.
The C drama boom is no longer simply about exporting Chinese television.
It is about creating global stars, global fandoms and global demand for stories that originate in China.
And with Pursuit of Jade and Zhang Linghe at the center of this moment, the world may only now be beginning to discover what C dramas have to offer.
