Latest news with #XiaoZhan
AsiaOne
09-07-2025
- AsiaOne
Daily roundup: Cat A COE prices cross $100k mark again in first bidding exercise for July 2025 — and other top stories today, World News
Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. Cat A COE prices cross $100k mark again in first bidding exercise for July 2025 Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices continued their upward trend in the first bidding exercise for July 2025, with Cat A premiums crossing the $100,000 mark again for the first time since May. Cat A COEs, which are used for cars with internal combustion engines... » READ MORE 2. Family of police trainee who died in accident reaches out to good Samaritans who stopped to help The parents of a 19-year-old police trainee from the Home Team Academy who died last month have thanked the passers-by who came to their son's aid. Mohammad Irfan Nur Iman Bin Azhar died in a road traffic accident... » READ MORE 3. No joke: Woman makes out with Xiao Zhan's standee in Malaysia shopping mall A woman was spotted making out in a shopping mall in Malaysia — with a live-sized standee of Chinese actor Xiao Zhan. In a social media post yesterday (July 7), a young woman with pink hair is seen cozying up to a standee... » READ MORE 4. Jurong West homeowner evicts tenant after power bank catches fire and damages flat A homeowner has reportedly asked a tenant to move out, after a power bank belonging to the latter purportedly caught fire while it was being charged and damaged a bedroom. The incident occurred in a four-room flat at Block 339B Kang Ching Road... » READ MORE editor@
AsiaOne
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
No joke: Woman makes out with Xiao Zhan's standee in Malaysia shopping mall, Entertainment News
A woman was spotted making out in a shopping mall in Malaysia — with a live-sized standee of Chinese actor Xiao Zhan. In a social media post yesterday (July 7), a young woman with pink hair is seen cozying up to a standee of the 33-year-old singer-actor, who was recently announced the global ambassador of Honor N smartphone. At the beginning of the Reel, she places a light pink scarf over the board placed outside an electronics shop, and proceeds to admire his face, giving him a smooch on the cheek. She then touched his shoulder, caressed his face and stroked his head, before taking out a mobile phone from her pocket and attempting to take a selfie with the standee while on tiptoes. However, her self-indulgent moment was interrupted when a staff member of the shop approached and shook her head, stopping her from proceeding any further. @ohmedia Alamak…fan delulu buat hal lagi ke? ♬ original sound - Oh! Media Netizens commented that the location seemed to be the shopping mall Suria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur and that probably "life is stressful" for her. One of them wrote: "Oh my gosh! I feel awkward for her." This is not the first time Xiao Zhan's standee has been 'violated' in recent weeks. In another Reel posted on social media on July 1, a woman is also seen hauling a similar life-sized standee of him to the KLCC LRT station in Kuala Lumpur. After boarding the LRT, she touched his face and head before another commuter accidentally knocked into the standee. With quick reflexes, the woman checked the board before confronting the commuter aggressively. Towards the end of the Reel, she quickly went to check on the standee again, touching every part of the board to make sure it wasn't damaged. @ohmedia Penumpang terkejut lihat wanita bawa standee masuk MRT. Dia curi ke standee tu?! ♬ original sound - Oh! Media Xiao Zhan debuted in 2015 as part of the now defunct Chinese idol group X Nine. He shot to fame in 2019 after portraying Wei Wuxian in xianxia drama The Untamed (2019) and was most recently seen in the well-acclaimed costume drama The Legend of Zang Hai (2025). In China, his fans have been collecting live-sized standees of him over the years, including those from brand endorsements. On Chinese second-hand sales platform Goofish, live-sized standees of Xiao Zhan, including the latest Honour N smartphone standee, are sold between 30 and 500 Chinese yuan (S$5.30 and S$89). [[nid:719311]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
South China Morning Post
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Palace intrigue conquers global screens: are C-dramas China's new soft power?
Over the past month, one of the biggest hit streaming shows globally has been a fictional drama about a young man who plots revenge after his family is murdered. The made-in-China historical fantasy is the latest major production to showcase the growing international influence of one of the country's fastest growing cultural exports – storytelling. In the week after its May 18 debut, Legend of Zang Hai topped multiple overseas rankings in 15 regions, including the No 1 spot on Disney+ in Taiwan for seven days, while becoming the only mainland Chinese production in the local top 10 in Hong Kong. The 40-episode series also trended globally at No 12 on social media platform X, hitting No 1 in Thailand and charting in the top 10 in Vietnam and Malaysia. It has even trended in Ukraine. It rates 8.8 out of 10 on the online entertainment database IMDb, making it the highest-rated Chinese suspense drama on the platform, attracting praise for its intricate plot, stunning visuals, and exceptional acting, as well as its use of Chinese intangible heritage like shadow puppetry and Kunqu opera. The story follows protagonist Zang Hai, who, after his family is massacred, seeks revenge through years of meticulous planning and strategic cunning to infiltrate the enemy's ranks. As he gains power amid political intrigue, he shifts his focus from personal vengeance to protecting his people. Xiao Zhan in a scene from Legend of Zang Hai (2025). Photo: Handout 'For fans of epic historical dramas with soul, this is a must-watch. And for those unfamiliar with Chinese television, Legend of Zang Hai is the perfect gateway – a show that proves great storytelling transcends language and borders,' one viewer wrote on IMDb. It is not the only Chinese TV drama to find acclaim overseas. The expanding popularity of Chinese TV dramas – known as C-dramas – has become a potent indicator of China's improving soft power, according to observers. Driven by increasing production quality, industry advancement and the global reach of Chinese celebrities, such dramas have fused Chinese history, culture, language and values into a formidable entertainment export.
Borneo Post
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
‘Legend of Zang Hai' adds to surging popularity of C-dramas worldwide
Film and television clothing is displayed at the booth of Hengdian cinematic and cultural industry cluster zone at the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market on March 17, 2025. – Xinhua photo BEIJING (June 21): With its ads displayed on digital billboards in cities such as Tokyo and Bangkok, and its views climbing on video-streaming portals like Disney+, 'Legend of Zang Hai' is the latest example of a Chinese TV series making inroads into the global market. Featuring a star-studded cast led by Chinese mega-popular actor Xiao Zhan and renowned director Zheng Xiaolong, 'Legend of Zang Hai' revolves around the protagonist Zang Hai's pursuit of revenge years after his family was murdered and his quest for justice amid Machiavellian struggles in the fictitious dynasty of Da Yong. Since its release on May 18, 'Legend of Zang Hai' has not only become a domestic hit across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, but has also been aired to audiences in over 190 countries and regions in the world, via online platforms such as Youku and Disney+. During its premiere week, the drama swept popular TV charts of countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, and trended on social media in Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt, Ukraine, India and some other countries. According to data-monitoring platform Beacon, as of June 18, 'Legend of Zang Hai' had garnered more than 2.2 billion views, constantly leading the platform's daily broadcast chart during its month-long run. On the international rating and review platform IMDb, 'Legend of Zang Hai' scored a peak 9.5 out of 10 points in terms of its overall rating and stabilized at the current 8.8 points. 'The show is brilliantly crafted, with stunning visuals and smart storytelling that keeps you hooked. Every episode is packed with twists, suspense and emotional depth,' one of the most-liked reviews on IMDb stated. Besides the appeal of its overarching story and audiovisual techniques, this drama also integrates a series of traditional heritage elements throughout its scenes – presenting these in a seamless and realistic manner. According to a rough tally, the drama features 18 types of traditional cultural heritage, like centuries-old puppetry, mortise and tenon techniques, embroidery, wood carving, lantern shows, Kunqu Opera and more. 'Although 'Legend of Zang Hai' is a drama set in a fictional context, the creative team has always adhered to the principle of realism in its production, and strove to be genuine and credible in every detail,' said the drama's chief director Zheng. In addition, mysterious traditional elements, such as geomancy and astrology featured in the drama, have also intrigued overseas viewers, sparking cross-cultural discussions among both viewers and media commentators. 'It is very rare to come across a script as perfect and engaging as this, with an engaging yet logical and tight storytelling style…Not only that, it also applies the beauty of Eastern culture, such as feng shui, construction, burial, astrology, puppetry, shadow plays, etc,' commented an IMDb reviewer who gave the drama a perfect score. 'For fans of epic historical dramas with soul, this is a must-watch. And for those unfamiliar with Chinese television, 'Legend of Zang Hai' is the perfect gateway – a show that proves great storytelling transcends language and borders,' said another on IMDb. Beyond traditional viewership, the suspense drama has sparked a 'co-creation' phenomenon. Fans actively participate in the narrative through social media analysis, fan fiction, and detailed breakdowns of the plot and symbolism, turning passive audiences into engaged collaborators. A viewer noted: 'I kept discussing with my friends and checking comment sections and social networks while watching the show – every episode became a group investigation.' With ever-improving quality in terms of both content creation and production, China's television dramas, often abbreviated as C-dramas on video platforms, have gained a growing fan base worldwide over recent years. In 2024, Chinese costume drama 'The Double', which focuses on the female protagonist's romance and revenge story, was released on streaming platforms such as Netflix, garnering approximately 200 million views overseas and securing an 8.2-point IMDb rating. Featuring unique eastern aesthetics, another costume drama, 'Love Between Fairy and Devil', has made a splash on overseas platforms like Reddit since its global release back in 2022. Other C-dramas such as 'The Starry Love', 'Till the End of the Moon', and 'The Legend of Shen Li' have also generated waves of social media buzz among overseas audiences, thanks to their cultural and aesthetic depth. Earlier this year, the global reach of C-dramas was again highlighted when American punk-rock icon Patti Smith praised young Chinese actor Wang Xingyue for his performance in costume comedy 'Perfect Match'. 'A great show. You are a wonderful artist,' she wrote, while punctuating her comment with four clapping emojis. – Xinhua C-dramas China movies TV Xinhua
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Singer Stefanie Sun reacts to Chinese idol Xiao Zhan's post on her concert
Chinese idol Xiao Zhan wrote a post on social media after attending Stefanie Sun's concert in Shanghai. And the Singapore singer has reacted to her long-time fan. Sun recently started her first world tour in a decade, titled Aut Nihilo, with four concerts in Singapore on April 5, 6, 12 and 13. The 46-year-old performed in Shanghai on April 26 and 28. Xiao, a fan of Sun since before he entered the entertainment industry, shared four photos of the concert on Chinese social media platform Weibo late on April 26. 'I used to wonder what I would be when I was 25 years old, while listening to your song Youth Without Limits (2003), but I am getting further away from the age of 25,' the 33-year-old wrote. 'I have been working hard to become an adult who shines like you.' The singer-actor ended the post with lyrics from Sun's songs Encounter (2003), Best Days Of My Youth (2014) and The Pursuit Of Contentment (2017). Sun commented on his post late on April 27: 'You have already shone as an adult. Jiayou, Xiao Zhan.' 'Jiayou' is an expression of encouragement in Mandarin. He thanked her for the comment and wished her good night and sweet dreams. Xiao made his debut with Chinese boy band X Nine in 2016, and his popularity rocketed after starring in the Chinese period fantasy drama The Untamed (2019). He had defended Sun on social media in April 2021 after a young netizen called her an obscure singer and claimed few people in China had heard of her songs. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
