Polished plots, fine costumes, cultural familiarity win over young viewers

Chinese costume dramas are gaining immense popularity on Southeast Asia's streaming platforms, driven by polished production values and cultural familiarity.

In Thailand, conscription posters featuring characters from a historical romance series have gone viral on social media, highlighting the genre's growing cultural reach.

Recruitment posters, released by the Royal Thai Army on its official Facebook account a few weeks ago, highlighted characters from Pursuit of Jade — a recently released Chinese costume drama that boasts beautiful visuals and dramatic plot twists.

"Do you want a boyfriend full of heroic spirit like the Marquis of Wu'an in Pursuit of Jade? Ask your mate to join the cavalry!" read one of the posters referring to the male lead, Xie Zheng, in the Chinese drama. It earned about 100,000 likes online, with many praising the creativity involved.

Since its premiere in March, Google Trends showed that Pursuit of Jade ranked first in search volume for Chinese dramas across 15 markets, such as Thailand, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore. The drama gained record-breaking popularity on iQIYI International, became the first mainland Chinese costume drama on Netflix's global non-English TV charts, and trended in multiple Asian regions, driven by strong viewer engagement and high MyDramaList ratings.

"I have followed Chinese dramas for years, and Pursuit of Jade is my latest favorite," said Amy Chen, 34, a Malaysian Chinese who works in Kuala Lumpur.

Apart from cultural proximity, Chen attributed her enthusiasm for Chinese TV series and short films to "opulent production design, actors' exquisite makeup and costumes, well-designed storylines, and high-quality streaming platforms".

Weaving traditional cultural elements such as Qin Opera and shadow puppetry, Pursuit of Jade showcases the unique charm of Chinese culture while its success serves as a microcosm of the growing popularity of Chinese dramas overseas.

China's export revenues from television series increased from $24 million in 2012 to $70 million in 2023 — an approximate threefold growth, according to a report by the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration.

Among the various offerings, costume dramas, one of the earliest genres to attract overseas audiences, continue to be the most popular type of Chinese television drama in the international market, according to the NRTA.

As a core market for Chinese TV series, Southeast Asia's growing market potential has attracted leading Chinese online video platforms such as WeTV, iQIYI, Youku and Mango TV to launch overseas services.

Following the craze for Korean dramas, their Chinese counterparts have won over a large number of Thai viewers in recent years, said Sirisak Koshpasharin, vice-chairman of Thailand's National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations.

In the past, he said, the older generations in Thailand loved classic dramas such as Justice Pao because many Thais were Chinese immigrants. "But what is more surprising is that a growing number of young people now also like Chinese series too," he said, attributing the new trend to cultural and lifestyle similarities between the two countries.

"Now many Chinese dramas have good stories, production value and hooks that make Thai people like them," Sirisak added.

Fertile ground

Apart from TV series, Southeast Asia's growing number of internet users also offers a fertile ground for the overseas expansion of Chinese micro-dramas, which commonly run one to 10 minutes per episode and series can run into hundreds of episodes.

According to data analytics firm DataEye, paying micro-drama users in the region last year increased by 28 percent year-on-year, solidifying the region as a core market with both commercial viability and a solid audience foundation.

Beyond entertainment, watching Chinese dramas or short films has also sparked interest among younger generations overseas in exploring China further, both online and in person.

"Chinese dramas as well as video products had a strong impact on me during my childhood," said a 21-year-old Thai college student, who wanted to be known only as Chompoo. A fan of the Chinese costume drama My Fair Princess, she now also follows Pursuit of Jade.

"I have never been to China before and really want to (visit) in the future. Its scenery, new trends and food are all attractive to me. China's technologies and innovations are also awesome," Chompoo added.

Kampol Piyasirikul, head of the Chinese Studies Program at Thammasat University, said: "Beyond TV series, boy bands, pop singers and fashion toys from China are also popular among young Thais. Such cultural exchanges will play an increasingly important role in enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the people of China and the rest of the world," he said.

Jan Yumul in Hong Kong and Jantarawan Thrakulphiw in Bangkok contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn