Xiao Zhan
Chinese actor and singer (born 1991)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xiao Zhan (Chinese: 肖战, born 5 October 1991) is a Chinese actor and singer.[1][2][3] He began his career in the entertainment industry when he participated in the idol survival show X-Fire (2015) and joined the Chinese boy group X Nine. He achieved breakthrough success with the xianxia drama The Untamed (2019), followed by dramas Joy of Life (2019), The Wolf (2020), Douluo Continent (2021), Ace Troops (2021), The Oath of Love (2022), The Youth Memories (2023), The Longest Promise (2023), Sunshine by My Side (2023), The Legend of Zang Hai (2025) as well as films Jade Dynasty (2019), Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (2025) and Gezhi Town (2025).
- Actor
- singer
Xiao Zhan | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xiao in January 2020 | |||||||||
| Born | 5 October 1991 Chongqing, China | ||||||||
| Other name | Sean Xiao | ||||||||
| Alma mater | Modern International Art Design Academy, Chongqing Technology and Business University | ||||||||
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2015–present | ||||||||
| Musical career | |||||||||
| Genres | Mandopop | ||||||||
| Instrument | Vocals | ||||||||
| Label | Xiao Zhan Studio | ||||||||
| Formerly of | X Nine | ||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 肖戰 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 肖战 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
As a singer, Xiao Zhan released "Spotlight"[4] in 2020, which set the Guinness World Record for the highest-selling digital single of all time, the fastest-selling digital track, and the biggest-selling digital single in China. In 2024, he released his first studio album WM, which became the best-selling album of all time on TME Physical Album Sales Chart and earned him "Album of the Year" at the QQ Music Awards.[5][6]
Early life and education
Xiao Zhan was born on 5 October 1991, in Chongqing. From childhood, he began to learn painting and play the violin. He studied at Modern International Art Design Academy at Chongqing Technology and Business University wherein he was a member of the class literary committee and an active participant in the university choir, the head of the vocal music department of the student art troupe, the head of the male vocal department, and participated in the school's language art troupe as an actor. He was once awarded the title of the top ten singers on campus.[7][8][9]
In 2012, he set up a photography studio with his friends and served as their main photographer. After his graduation in 2014 and prior to his debut, Xiao worked as a photographer and graphic designer.[10][11]
Career
2015–2018: Career beginnings
In 2015, after a teacher's recommendation, Xiao participated in the reality TV show X-Fire where he trained to be an idol among 16 contestants.[12][13][14] He also participated in recording the program Teen Channel by Tencent.[15] His first stage performance alongside his teammates were at the 2016 Zhejiang TV New Year Concert, where He performed "冻结" (Freeze) and "燃烧吧少年" (Be A Man).[16] He debuted with 8 other members in a group called X Nine in 2016, serving as the main vocalist.[17] The group released their first mini album X玖 (X Jiu) in September 2016[18] and Xiao starred as the main lead in the series Super Star Academy, which garnered 1.68 billion views on Tencent. In 2017, X Nine held their first concert, "In My Own Name," at the Shanghai Stadium[19][20] and won the "Most Popular Group of the Year" at the 2017 Asia Golden Melody Awards.[21]
In 2018, he starred as Beitang Moran in the well-received historical romance web drama Oh! My Emperor, which garnered over 3.58 billion views.[22] His portrayal of a domineering yet gentle prince earned him recognition, and he also sang the soundtrack "踩影子" (Stepping on Shadows).[23][22][24][25] Additionally, he played Liu Xiuya in the fantasy action drama Battle Through the Heavens that same year.[26]
He made cameo appearances in series and films between 2016 and 2018, including Shuttle Love Millennium 2, Monster Hunt 2, and The Rookies.
2019–2020: Breakthrough
In 2019, Xiao starred in the xianxia drama The Untamed, adapted from the web novel Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (墨香铜臭).[27] His portrayal of the carefree and unrestrained Wei Wuxian, who evolves into the darker and tormented Yiling Laozu (Yiling Patriarch), received very positive reviews, aiding the series' rise in popularity; it had gained over 10 billion views by December 2021.[28] The series also gained a huge following overseas after it became available on Netflix on 25 October 2019.[29] Xiao also recorded original soundtracks for the series, namely, "曲尽陈情" (Song Ends with Chen Qing) and "无羁"(Wú Jī，Unrestrained).[30] In the same year, he portrayed the protagonist Zhang Xiaofan in the film Jade Dynasty, adapted from the xianxia novel Zhu Xian by Xiao Ding (萧鼎). The film topped the China box office on its opening day that earned over 400 million yuan within 18 days of release[31] and became the highest-grossing Chinese language movie in Thailand in a decade.[32] He also released a soundtrack for the film titled, “问少年" (Asking Youth).[33] In September 2019, it was announced that Xiao had established his own studio, "XZ STUDIO," in collaboration with Wajijiwa Entertainment.[34]
On 25 April 2020, Xiao released his digital single "Spotlight" (also known as "光点" in Chinese, and globally distributed on Western platforms as "Made to Love"), which went on to become the highest selling digital single of all time with over 54 million copies sold.[35][36][37][38][39] For this song, he entered the Guinness World Records for the fastest-selling digital track in China and Biggest-selling digital single.[40][41] On March 9, 2021, the single was named the 7th Best Selling Digital Single of 2020 globally by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI),[42] having amassed 1.48 billion subscription stream equivalents worldwide.[43] The song was also listed as one of 10 biggest-selling digital single worldwide by Guinness World Records.[44]
On 26 November 2020, the historical drama Joy of Life streamed on Tencent and iQIYI, where he played the supporting role Yan Bingyun, and featured him in the soundtrack "余年" (Remaining Years). Xiao starred in The Wolf as Ji Chong and was released on Tencent Video, iQiyi, and Youku on 19 November 2020.[45] The series topped the popularity indexes in mainland China since its release and surpassed 500 million views on a single platform within 11 days. As of December 2020, the total number of viewership on the three platforms has exceeded 1 billion, with an average daily view of nearly 100 million.[46] In late 2020, Xiao was filming Ace Troops, which wrapped production on 14 December 2020.[47]
2021–2024: Stardom, theater debut, and WM
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In February 2021, the drama Douluo Continent, adapted from the acclaimed book series of the same name by Tang Jia San Shao, premiered on multiple platforms. Xiao played as the protagonist Tang San, a rare wielder of dual martial souls. Douluo Continent was one of the most successful dramas in China, with a total of 5.70 billion views, the highest single-day broadcast volume of 211 million views, and an average of 138 million views per episode. China Literature also recognized it as one of the most successful dramas adapted from IP of the year. He also contributed to the original soundtrack with his single "策马正少年" (Righteous Youth on Horseback).[48]
On 29 March 2021, Xiao was announced as the main lead Shi Ying in the historical drama The Longest Promise, inspired by the fantasy novel "Mirror: Zhu Yan" (朱颜) by author Cang Yue (沧月). The first trailer was released on 7 June 2021, and the series filming wrapped on 4 August 2021.[49]
On 22 April 2021, he made his theater debut, starring in Yang Hua's version of the critically acclaimed eight-hour drama A Dream Like a Dream (如夢之夢), wherein the first day served as a paid tribute to the volunteers, community workers and medical staff in Wuhan.[50] He played the central character of nameless Patient No. 5,[51] and had since continued to act the role for over three years, touring with the cast in cities such as Qingdao, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beijing as well as participating for a total of 72 performances until May 2023. The production is listed in the China Performance Industry Association's Performance Market Annual Report for 2021, ranking as No. 1 in the Theater Category for the Highest Average Ticket Sales in a Single Screening and Annual Ticket Sales and Screenings. In a heartwarming gesture to bless Xiao on his first theater play, fans from all over the world flooded the Wuhan QinTai Theatre with flower stands, forming a picturesque "Flower Ocean." Later that evening, in a demonstration of gratitude and generosity, his studio requested the flowers be distributed among the people of Wuhan.[52]
On 26 December 2021, the military drama Ace Troops broadcast exclusively on Jiangsu TV and iQIYI platforms.[53] The drama was well received, and data from CVB, China Audiovisual Big Data, showed an increase in viewership of up to 125% during the drama's airing period for the Jiangsu Television Channel.[54] The drama's ending theme song "我们曾经在一起" (We Had Been Together) was also sang by him in duet.[55]
On 15 March 2022, he played Gu Wei, a warm and gentle doctor, in the highly anticipated modern romance drama The Oath of Love, which began broadcasting on Hunan Television Primetime, as well as the Tencent Online Platform, and simultaneously on WeTV for international audience.[56] He sang two tracks for his drama, respectively a solo "最幸运的幸运" (The Luckiest Fortune)[57] and a duet "余生，请多指教" (The Oath of Love).[58] The drama received positive reviews, was a commercial success, and hit 4 billion views on 20 April 2022, in just 37 days of broadcast, and won the "Tencent Business Breakthrough Award," one of the highest platform-level award.[59] The Weibo Character Index for Xiao's portrayal of Gu Wei is breaking a new height at 120. The WeChat Index for Gu Wei hits 164 millions. On 28 September 2022, Xiao was announced as a lead for Sunshine by My Side.[60]
In May 2023, Xiao was confirmed to play the pivotal role of Guo Jing, the lead character in Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's highly anticipated big-budget adaptation of the 1957 seminal wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes, written by Jin Yong.[61] On 1 June 2023, The Youth Memories aired on state-run CCTV-8, Dragon TV, and online platforms. The show has consistently exceeded 2% in real-time TV ratings, has been the top show among shows airing in the same time slot, and was the first show in 2023 to surpass 30,000 heat index on Tencent Video.[62] For his portrayal of Xiao Chunsheng, he received acting awards, namely, Outstanding Actor at the 19th Chinese-American Film and TV Festival Golden Angel Awards[63] and Breakthrough Actor of the Year at the 2nd Chinese TV Drama CMG Annual Ceremony.[64]
On 2 July 2023, The Longest Promise premiered on WeTV. The drama exploded to the top spot on Weibo's hot search upon its release. After the premiere, it hit 21,000 popularity points on Tencent and increased to 26,000 points 3.5 hours later.[65] On 7 July, the drama made its debut on Netflix, five days after being released on WeTV. It has become one of the top five most popular series in Thailand. Since its premiere, it has achieved the highest single-day viewership in multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.[66] After the completion of its exclusive VIP broadcast, the drama comments have surpassed 10 million, setting a record for a character's popularity that surpasses 50 million and acquiring over 100 million interactive bullet screen comments on Tencent Video.[67]
On 1 September 2023, Sunshine by My Side was aired, which set a record for CCTV's highest ratings in the past five years. The drama also topped the Maoyan platform and became the most popular drama at that time, surpassing well-established titles such as Lost You Forever and Glory of Our Fathers.[68] To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road initiative, the China News Network released a tribute song titled “Fellow Travelers,” performed by Xiao, with the official release date being 16 October 2023.[69] On 30 December 2023, The Legend of Zang Hai, directed by Zheng Xiaolong and starring Xiao as the male lead, was officially launched and a concept poster was released.[70]
“WM” is the first physical music album released by Xiao on 11 December 2024.[71] It contains 12 songs, and Zheng Nan serves as the music director of the entire album. The song was made available for free online listening on 12 November, 19 November, and 26 November 2024,[72][73][74][75] and the physical vinyl record was available for pre-sale on 11 December 2024,[76] with sales exceeding RMB 50 million (about US$7 million) within four minutes of its release.[77] It is the best-selling album of all time on TME Physical Album Sales Chart.[78]
2025–present: Acclaim
In 2025, Xiao starred in two top-grossing films. The first was Tsui Hark's historical martial arts film Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants, in which he played Guo Jing. It was released on 29 January, Chinese New Year in China,[79] and was internationally distributed by Sony Pictures International Productions, releasing it in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, United States, and Indonesia in February.[80] The second was Gezhi Town, Kong Sheng's war drama film set during the Battle of West Hubei in the Second Sino-Japanese War, which was released in China on 6 December.[81] The theme song MV for this movie, released on 7 December and titled also “Gezhi Town” is sang by Xiao Zhan.[82] On 31 December the same year Xiao performed the song live at the Dragon TV New Year ‘s Eve Gala. [83] For his portrayal of Mo Dexian, Xiao won Best Actor of the Golden Petrel Awards at the Asian Art Film Festival[84] and Most Popular Actor of the Year of the Flying Tiger Awards at the Beijing College Student Film Festival.[85]
The same year, he made a television comeback in the historical drama The Legend of Zang Hai as the titular character, which premiered on 18 May 2025 via Youku. The drama was an absolute blockbuster, breaking records for daily viewership, global streaming, and cross-platform market share in over 190 countries and regions.[86][87][88] His performance named him Outstanding Quality Star of the year at the SMG TV Series Quality Awards[89] and Popular Actor of the Year at the Beijing Daily's Film and Television Awards.[90] This also earned him nominations for Best Actor category at the Macau International Television Festival and the CMG China TV Drama Annual Ceremony.[91][92]
Stage performances
From October 2019 up to January 2020, Xiao had been a regular at Dragon TV's singing program Our Song in which veteran singers are paired up with younger singers in the new generation.[93] Also in 2020, Xiao appeared as a participant in CCTV New Year's Gala for the first time, acting out a skit Like You Like Me alongside Xie Na.[94] In the later half of 2020, Xiao made an appearance during the finale of the second season of Everybody Stand By, performing "用尽我的一切奔向你" (Running to You with All I Have) by Bibi Zhou.[95] He also performed two songs during the Tencent Video All Star Awards 2020, "余生请多指教" (The Oath of Love) and "最幸运的幸运" (The Luckiest Fortune), both of which are the theme songs of his drama The Oath of Love (2022), which aired 2 years after this performance.[96]
At the 2024 China Online Audio-Visual Gala, Xiao made a stage debut of the song “Fellow Travelers.” The event themed “Together Towards the Future,” was guided by the National Radio and Television and was broadcast on 3 February.[97][98][99] On 10 February 2024, Xiao sang “As You Wish” at the 2024 BRTV Spring Festival Gala.[100][101] On 19 September 2024, during the opening of the Beijing Culture Forum, Xiao performed “The Moon Represents My Heart” at its Performing Arts Gala.[102][103]
On 28 September 2025, Xiao attended the Greater Bay Area Film and Music Gala in Macao, performing “Music All Night” by Harlem Yu.[104][105] His first appearance at the gala was on 29 June 2023 in Hong Kong, where he sang "Walk Gracefully Once."[106] He returned on 22 September 2024, performing a duet "The World Is Big" and a solo "The Past Is Gone With The Wind."[107][108][109] On 31 December 2025, Xiao performed at the Dragon TV New Year’s Eve Gala, held at the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Cultural Center.[110] His set included three songs: “Gezhi Town,” the theme song from his movie of the same title;[83] “Go Ahead” from his album WM;[111][112] and “What Are You Going To Do If You Don’t Dance.”[113]
On 17 February 2026, Xiao performed “Year after Year” at the Beijing TV Spring Festival, with the event aired by Beijing Radio and Television Station and on all its platforms.[114][115] The People’s Daily Mid-Autumn Festival song/MV, officially released on 6 October 2025, featured Xiao as the vocalist.[116]
Other ventures
Endorsements
In 2018, Xiao was named as a brand spokesperson for Hera and was announced as a brand ambassador for AHC.[117] Following the success of The Untamed, he has become one of the most in-demand endorsers, partnering with 19 brands between then and 2020. His endorsements range from beverage and washing products to jewelry and fashion magazines such as Budweiser, Braun, Olay, Tidal, Oppo, Roseonly, and Estée Lauder; with most of them breaking their previous sales record.[118][119]
In 2021, Xiao had partnered with 28 brands in total, and by 2022, he had collaborated with 14 more brands. By 2023, he is referred to as the "King of Luxury" and lands multiple lucrative deals from both local and international brands. Along with Gucci, Tod's, Zenith, Ralph Lauren and beauty brands such as Yves Saint Laurent Beauty and Nars Cosmetics, Xiao has secured a deal with luxury carmaker SAIC Audi, regaining momentum among luxury household brands.[120]
In addition, he was named brand ambassador and spokesperson for multiple brands such as Li-Ning, Molsion, Dettol, Zwilling, Tencent Video, WeTV, Loreal professional, PEPSI, Bubly, Tasogare Coffee, Extra Gum, Dove Chocolate, YiDa Haw-haw snack, Mendale, Usmile, Roborock, Ocak, KaiXiaoZao, Breo, Joyoung, JD E-Commerce.[121][122][119]
In 2023, Xiao was chosen as the front row of the new Gucci campaign dedicated to the signature Horsebit 1953 loafer.[123] On 10 November, Xiao, who has 34 endorsement deals under his belt, has been named the most beloved endorsed celebrity for 2023.[124]
In 2024, Xiao has partnered with ANGEL (Global Ambassador), IF Coconut Water (Global Ambassador), Saky Oral Care (Global Spokesperson), Miiow (Ambassador), Yuanqi Forest (Ambassador), and Eve Lom (Ambassador).[125][126][127][128][129]
Between 2025 and 2026, Xiao held multiple endorsement roles, serving as global brand ambassador for Yue Sai, Honor, Lamett, and L’Oréal Men Expert and as spokesperson for Meituan, Shiny Meadow, and the SAIC–Huawei Z7.[130][131][132]
Commercial influence
After he was appointed as the brand endorser for Estée Lauder's fragrance and beauty line, the brand's sales record surpassed the previous year's Single Day's record,[133] as well as topping the most popular Chinese brands list for 11:11 and Black Friday 2019.[134]
In 2022, as one of the top traffic celebrity in the China entertainment industry, Xiao was announced as the brand spokesperson for Audi, which resulted in a total monthly sales exceeding 200 million yuan within a month.[135] Later, he was announced as the NARS spokesperson, and the sales volume of the flagship stores on the first day reached nearly 80 million, and the transaction growth rate increased by 20741.14%. It exceeded the quarterly sales of other brands in a day.[136] On 2 April, Xiao was announced as a PEPSI brand spokesperson, and within an hour, the sales volume of a single platform has exceeded 50,000.[137] By the end of April, sales exceeded 100 million yuan, setting a historical record of surpassing competing products for the first time since the establishment of the factory in a single month.[138] On 6 May, Xiao was announced as brand spokesperson for L'Oréal PRO, sales nearly exceeded 40 million yuan within 24 hours.[139] On 16 July, Xiao was announced as the spokesperson for famous skin care brand Yves Saint Laurent, the flagship store sold more than 72 million yuan on a single platform and attracted more than 1.6 million visitors to the site.[140] On 22 August, he attended the Lining's live stream event and attracted 30 million streamers throughout the broadcast.[141]
In 2023, according to Launchmetrics, Xiao, who is an official face for the Tod's brand, generated media exposure worth $19.8 million.[142] During the Milan Fashion Week, the actor set up an Instagram account and quickly gained more than 463,000 followers. Xiao Zhan alone achieved an earned media value of over $9.3 million on Weibo.[143] On 21 September 2023, Xiao's Weibo post inviting his followers to watch "Gucci Ancora" received a total of 10 million engagements, including likes, comments, and reposts, despite being physically absent from Milan Fashion Week. His earned media value was $3.77 million.[144]
Between 2024 and 2026, Xiao remained one of the most commercially prominent public figures in China. He consistently ranked among the highest-value celebrities in national brand influence indices, reflecting sustained demand from advertisers across multiple sectors.[145][146] In a feature by Jing Daily,[a] Tod's collaboration with Xiao sold out their new products in less than a minute during the 618 shopping festival in 2026 amidst more than 20 luxury brands vying for consumers' attention.[147]
Recognitions
In 2018, Xiao was placed second on I-Magazine Fashion Face Award.[148]
In 2019, Forbes China included him in their 30 Under 30 list, which consisted of 30 influential people under 30 years old who have had a substantial effect in their fields.[149] The actor-singer has been topping various charts for consecutive weeks and months since his breakthrough. He topped the R3 Celebrity Index[b] ranking from August to November 2019;[150][133][151][152] and the Star Fashion Value by Sina Fashion in August and October 2019.[153][154] He also topped AIMAN Data Star's Business Value list for the month of September to November.[155]
Xiao was named Most Handsome Face in Asia in 2019 and 2020, Most Influential Face of 2020, and Most Handsome Face in Asia Pacific 2020 by TCC Asia.[156][157] He was also placed 6th, 7th, 11th, 19th, and 30th for Most Handsome Faces in the World for five consecutive years in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 by the independent critics TC Candler.[158][159][160][161][162]
He was listed as the Most Handsome Man in the World 2020 by Top Beauty World,[163] as well as the Sexiest Man in the World 2020 and placed 8th and 1st in the Asian Heartthrobs 2020 and 2021 by Starmometer. He is named the Number 1 Man in Fashion World 2021 by The World List,[164] placed first in "2021 Fashion Icon of the Year" by World's Choice Awards and was selected as the "Most Handsome Man of 2022" by Nubia Magazine with 2.2 million votes from more than 140 nations across the world, including the US, Peru, Thailand, Myanmar, and other nations.[165][166]
In 2023, Xiao was ranked second on the list of the Most Handsome Men in the World by Telegraphstar.[167][168] He also topped the Top 30 Most Handsome Chinese Idols by King Choice.[169] Enstar has chosen Xiao to be the No. 1 Top 10 Chinese Actor to Watch in 2023.[170] HoweBangkok, a Thai media outlet, has named Xiao as one of the 50 most influential people 2023.[171]
In 2024, Xiao was placed second as the Most Handsome Man in the World 2024 by Nubia Magazine.[172] He is named as Most Handsome Asian Man in 2024 by Know Insiders.[173]
On 5 February 2026, Xiao received the Weibo Annual Role Model Actor award and was crowned the Weibo King, the third time he received such an award (first in 2019 and second in 2020)[174][175] at the Weibo Awards Ceremony, honoring his substantial influence on entertainment and culture.[176]
Philanthropy
Charitable contributions
On 2 February 2015, Xiao participated in the filming of Tencent Video's public welfare short film "Young Self-Save Firewall".[177]
As early as 2016, shortly after Xiao made his debut. Xiao donated 17,000 yuan to the Angel Animal Protection - Animal Care Center to purchase 100 cat nests to keep stray cats warm during the winter.[178]
On 14 May 2019, Xiao participated in the "Book Road Project," jointly organized by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and Sina News APP to raise electronic book resources for poor students.[179] On 29 August 2019, Xiao, as the brand ambassador of Crest, recorded a short video announcing that part of the profits would be used for charity.[180] On 13 November 2019, Xiao supported the public welfare project "Yuanshanli Kids' Football Dream", calling for attention to left-behind children.[181] On 19 November 2019, Xiao participated in the fourth "Everyone is a Volunteer" themed charity event, calling for attention to the autism community.[182]
During COVID-19, his studio donated various medical supplies, equipment and ventilators to hospitals in need.[183]
On 8 February 2020, Xiao and Li Yuchun sang the charity song "Peace Every Year" to show their support to those fighting the epidemic.[184] On 26 February 2020, Xiao provided the narration for the anti-epidemic public welfare short video "Thirty-Three" launched by Zhihu, which recorded the 33 days of the Chinese New Year in which we jointly fought against the epidemic.[185] On 10 May 2020, Xiao participated in the People's Daily charity live broadcast "Revitalize Hubei, People's Action" to help Hubei's economic recovery. All profits from the charity T-shirts sold during the live broadcast have been used for Hubei's charity cause.[186] On 11 June 2020, the Wei County People's Government and People's Online jointly organized the "Public Welfare to Aid Farmers Media Integration Tour" event, with Xiao serving as the poverty alleviation product experience officer.[187][188]
In 2021, he also donated 1 million yuan (US$210,000) to Zhengzhou Red Cross to help with flood relief in Henan province.[189]
In 2022, Xiao donated 500,000 yuan (US$70,500) to the Amity Foundation in support of the epidemic prevention and control work in Shanghai. On 22 April, the procurement of 1,000 material packages was completed, each including rice, edible oil, and milk; another batch of 1,125 material packages had also been purchased, including rice, eggs, milk, edible salt, soy sauce, etc. Subsequent packages were later delivered and received by the towns and neighborhood committees within the Pudong New Area and distributed to groups in need.[190] On 8 September, his studio donated 1 million yuan to Red Cross Society to help with earthquake relief efforts in Luding County, Ganzi Prefecture in Sichuang province.[191][192]
Ambassadorship
In 2020, Xiao was named the promotional ambassador for the Beijing Television Spring Gala.[193] On 11 June 2020, the "Public Welfare Aids Agribusiness" hosted by the People's Government of Yu County, Hebei and People's Online was held in Yu County, Zhangjiakou. Xiao was invited to become a Poverty Alleviation Product Experience Officer, and participated in the field tour of Yu County, visited local poverty alleviation industries, and helped the promotion of Yu County's characteristic agricultural products and cultural products.[194]
In 2021 Xiao became a member of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau's Anti-Fraud Alliance and helped promote their campaign to spread awareness against online long cons and fraudulent fund transfers.[195] He also became the Men's Ice Hockey Promotion Ambassador and National Stadium Winter Dream Promotion Ambassador for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, appearing in the ice hockey episode of Beijing Satellite TV's "The Covenant of Winter Dreams" to help promote awareness of the sports as well as the venue.[196]
On 10 September 2022, during the first day of the one-year countdown to the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, Xiao was appointed as the Hangzhou Asian Games Public Welfare Dream Ambassador. In addition, Xiao sang the Hangzhou Asian Games song "We Are All Heading For A Better Future."[197]
Xiao Zhan incident/227 incident
In February 2020, an RPS slash fan fiction novel hosted on Archive of Our Own called "Falling" went viral on the Chinese social networking site Sina Weibo. The fan fiction depicts a female prostitute named "Xiao Zhan" in a sexual relationship with a minor named "Wang Yibo", the name of Xiao's co-star in The Untamed (2019). Xiao's fans reported and got the explicit fan fiction banned on Weibo, prompting a surge in traffic to the original source on Archive of Our Own. The mass reports led to the site being blocked in China, causing backlash against Xiao.[198][199][200][201][202] Consequently, he lost numerous brand endorsements and was forced to issue an apology for the actions of his fans.[203][204]
On 7 May 2020, he made his first official appearance after the incident in an interview with Economic View, explaining his perspective on the issue. Two days later, Xiao was invited by BTV to perform "Bamboo Rock" (竹石) in support of China's frontline healthcare workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in China.[citation needed]
On 19 December 2020, Xiao made his first live performance on the Tencent Video All Star Night Show, where his fans brought lights to show their support; this became known as the "Red Ocean".[205][206] This resulted in trending topics on Weibo for domestic fans and Twitter for fans abroad, signifying his popularity despite the controversy.
In August 2025, the Beijing Internet Court issued a civil judgment in an online infringement liability dispute involving Chinese entertainer Xiao Zhan and two individuals, Lou Chenjing and Guo Yuwei. According to court documents published on the People's Court Announcement Network and the corporate information platform Tianyancha, the court found that Lou and Guo, identified in reports as moderators of the Sina Weibo "227" super topic, had used a shared Weibo account (UID: 3274253145) to publish content deemed by the court to be factually inaccurate and contributory to online harassment targeting Xiao Zhan.
The court ordered the defendants to publish a formal apology statement on the associated Sina Weibo account for 48 consecutive hours, pay compensation totaling 11,000 yuan to the plaintiff, and cease further dissemination of the contested content.
Legal analysts have highlighted the ruling as a positive development in China's efforts to address online defamation and establishing clearer accountability in digital communication.[207]
Filmography
Film
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Monster Hunt 2 | 捉妖记2 | Little demon | Cameo | [208] |
| 2019 | The Rookies | 素人特工 | Yuan Jinglin | [209] | |
| Jade Dynasty | 诛仙 | Zhang Xiaofan | Main Lead | [210] | |
| 2025 | Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants | 射雕英雄传：侠之大者 | Guo Jing | [211][212] | |
| Gezhi Town | 得闲谨制 | Mo Dexian | [213] |
Television series
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Super Star Academy | 超星星学园 | Fang Tianze | Lead role | [214] |
| Shuttle Love Millennium | 相爱穿梭千年貳：月光下的交换 | Boss Liang | Cameo | [215] | |
| 2018 | Oh! My Emperor | 哦！我的皇帝陛下 | Beitang Moran | Support role | [216] |
| Battle Through the Heavens | 斗破苍穹 | Lin Xiuya | [217] | ||
| 2019 | The Untamed | 陈情令 | Wei Wuxian | Lead role | [218] |
| Joy of Life | 庆余年 | Yan Bingyun | Support role | [219] | |
| 2020 | Heroes in Harm's Way | 最美逆行者 | Cai Ding | Cameo (ep. 7–8) | [220] |
| The Wolf | 狼殿下 | Ji Chong | Lead Role | [221] | |
| 2021 | Douluo Continent | 斗罗大陆 | | Tang San | [222] | |
| Ace Troops | 王牌部队 | Gu Yiye | [223][53] | ||
| 2022 | The Oath of Love | 余生，请多指教 | Gu Wei | [224] | |
| 2023 | The Youth Memories | 梦中的那片海 | Xiao Chunsheng | [225][226] | |
| The Longest Promise | 玉骨遥 | Shi Ying | [227][228] | ||
| Sunshine by My Side | 骄阳伴我 | Sheng Yang | [229][60] | ||
| 2025 | The Legend of Zang Hai | 藏海传 | Zang Hai | [230] | |
| TBA | SpyING | 谍报上不封顶 | Ren Shaobai | [231] | |
| Small Town Remedy | 小城良方 | Liu Zheng Liang | [232] | ||
| The Infinite 10 Days | 十日终焉 | Qi Xia | [233][234][235] | ||
Theatre
Short film
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Eighteen | 十八岁 | Xiao Zhan | ||
| Heartbreak Singing Machine | 失恋点唱机 | Chen's ex-boyfriend | |||
| Youth Self-Saving Fire Defense Wall | 少年自救防火墙 | ||||
| 2016 | Warrior Spirit | 骑士精神 | Wind warrior | ||
| The Brightest Star in the Sky | 夜空中最亮的星 | ||||
| 2019 | Feel The World | 慢游旅行家 | Macau edition | [239] | |
| Xiao Zhan Lipstick Movie | 口红微电影 | Estee Lauder short film | [240] | ||
| Family Rules | 家规 | [241] | |||
| New Smiling Proud Wanderer | 新笑傲江湖 | Linghu Chong | Concept film | [242] | |
| 2020 | Buying Ears | 买耳朵 | [243][244] | ||
| 2022 | Back | JD Electronics short film |
Television show
| Year | English title | Chinese title | Network | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2016 | X Fire | 燃烧吧少年 | ZJTV | Cast member | [13][245] |
| 2017 | Day Day Up | 天天向上 | Hunan TV | Participant | |
| Happy Camp | 快乐大本营 | ||||
| 2018 | Produce 101 | 创造101 | Tencent | Guest performer | [246] |
| Happy Camp | 快乐大本营 | Hunan TV | Participant | ||
| 2019 | Day Day Up | 天天向上 | |||
| Happy Camp | 快乐大本营 | ||||
| Ai Si Bu Si | 爱思不si | Kuran | [247] | ||
| Our Song Season 1 | 我们的歌 | Dragon TV | Cast member | [248][249] | |
| Who's The Murderer: Season 5 | 明星大侦探第五季 | Mango TV | Guest
ep11,12,13 |
[250] | |
| 2020 | Everybody Stand By - Season 2 | 演员请就位2 | Tencent | Guest | |
| Sweet Tasks Season 2 | 甜蜜的任务 2020 | MangoTV | Guest | ||
| 2021 | Marvelous City | 奇妙之城 | Youku | Participant | [251] |
| The Winter Dream Promise | 冬梦之约 | Guest |
Discography
Accolades
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 16th Top Chinese Music Awards | Most Popular New Idol | N/A | Nominated | |
| Tencent Video Star Award | Best New Actor | Super Star Academy | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | 25th Cosmo Beauty Ceremony | Beautiful Idol of the Year | N/A | Won | [252] |
| 12th Tencent Video Star Awards | DOKI Popularity Award | Won | [253] | ||
| 2019 | China Celebrity Charity Gala | Philanthropy Award | Won | [254] | |
| QQ Music | 10 million certification | "Songs Ends With Chen Qing" | Won | [255] | |
| 6th The Actors of China Award Ceremony | Best Actor (Web series) | The Untamed | Nominated | [256] | |
| 3rd Yinchuan Internet Film Festival | Won | [257] | |||
| Sofa Film Festival | Most Popular Actor of the Autumn | Won | [258] | ||
| Golden Tower Award | Most Popular Actor | Won | [259] | ||
| 26th Huading Awards | Best Newcomer | Won | [260] | ||
| Golden Bud – The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival | Best Actor | Nominated | [261] | ||
| Weibo TV Series Awards | Most Popular Actor | Nominated | [262] | ||
| Most Popular Character (Wei Wuxian) | Won | [263] | |||
| Hengdian World Studio Classic Ranking | Won | [264] | |||
| Film and TV Role Model 2019 Ranking | Actor of the Year | Nominated | [265] | ||
| Sina Film & TV Awards | Most Popular Actor of the Year | Won | [266] | ||
| 2nd Cultural and Entertainment Industry Congress | Best Actor (Drama) | Nominated | [267] | ||
| Breakthrough Actor (Drama) | Nominated | ||||
| Best Couple (with Wang Yibo) | Nominated | ||||
| Breakthrough Actor (Film) | Jade Dynasty | Nominated | |||
| Night of the Film | Most Promising Actor | Nominated | [268] | ||
| China Movie Channel (CCTV-6) M List | Nominated | [269] | |||
| Sina The Most Beautiful Performance | Outstanding Actor of the Year | The Untamed, Jade Dynasty | Won | [270] | |
| Tencent Music Entertainment Awards | Song of the Year (with Wang Yibo) | "Unrestrained" | Won | [271] | |
| Kugou Music Awards | Won | [272] | |||
| Cosmo Glam Night | Person of The Year (Dream) | N/A | Won | [273] | |
| Sougou in Award | Most Promising Artist | Won | |||
| iQiyi Scream Night | Rising Popular Actor | Won | [274] | ||
| Baidu Fudian Awards | Hottest Star of the Year | Won | [275] | ||
| Tencent Video All Star Awards | Doki Popularity King | Won | [276] | ||
| VIP Star | Won | [277] | |||
| Popular TV Actor of the Year | The Untamed | Won | |||
| Tencent Entertainment White Paper | Television Actor of the Year | Won | [278] | ||
| Star Celebrity Board: Television Actor of the Year | Won | [279] | |||
| Influence Star of the Year | N/A | Won | |||
| Star Celebrity Board: Influential Artist of the Year | Won | [280] | |||
| Jinri Toutiao Awards Ceremony | Most Noticed Male Celebrity | Won | [281] | ||
| Weibo Night | Hot Figure of the Year | The Untamed | Won | [282] | |
| Weibo King | N/A | Won | [283] | ||
| China Literature Awards Ceremony | Actor of the Year | The Untamed, Jade Dynasty | Won | [284] | |
| Heartthrob Actor | Jade Dynasty | Won | |||
| China Screen Award | New Actor of the Year | Won | |||
| 2020 | 27th ERC Chinese Top Ten Awards | Top Ten Songs | "Unrestrained" (with Wang Yibo) | Won | [285] |
| "Remaining Years" | Won | ||||
| Weibo TV Series Awards | Most Popular Actor | "The Wolf" | Won | [286] | |
| Tencent Entertainment White Paper | Male Singer of the Year | "Spot Light" (光 点) | Won | [287] | |
| Star Power of the Year | N/A | Won | [288] | ||
| Tencent Video All Star Awards | VIP Star | Won | [289] | ||
| WeTV Awards | Best Male Lead | The Untamed | Won | [290] | |
| Best Male Actor of the Year | N/A | Won | [291] | ||
| PCA 2020 | Best Chinese Artist | The Wolf | Won | [292] | |
| PowerStar | Most Influential Actor of The Year | N/A | Won | [293][294] | |
| Tencent Music Entertainment Awards | Popular Digital Single of The Year | "Spot Light" (光 点) | Won | [295] | |
| Douyin Star Night | Popularity Star Award | N/A | Won | [296] | |
| Weibo Night | Weibo King | Won | [297] | ||
| 2021 | Global Nubia Awards (GNAs) 2021 | Global Actor Of The Year Award | Won | [298] | |
| PCA 2021 | Best Chinese Actor | Won | [299] | ||
| The 2021 SportsMoney Awards | Best Sports Endorsement | Won | [300] | ||
| World's Choice Awards | Fashion Icon of the Year | Won | [301] | ||
| Weibo TV Series Awards | Most Popular Actor | Douluo Continent | Won | [302] | |
| WeTV Awards | Favorite Actor | Won | |||
| Artist of the Year | Douluo Continent, The Untamed | Nominated | |||
| Top Actor | N/A | Nominated | |||
| Best Man Crush Monday of The Year | Nominated | ||||
| Best Actor | Douluo Continent | Won | [303] | ||
| Beijing Daily's Film and Television Awards | Won | [304] | |||
| Global Artist Awards | Popularity Award | N/A | Nominated | ||
| 2022 | JOOX Thailand Music Awards | Top Social Global Artist Of The Year | Won | [305] | |
| Weibo TV and Internet Video Summit Awards | Top 10 Television and Music Soundtrack | "Winter Dream" (冬梦) | Nominated | [306] | |
| "We had been together" (我们曾经在一起) (with Tan Weiwei) |
Nominated | ||||
| "The Oath of Love" (余生，请多指教) (with Yang Zi) |
Nominated | ||||
| Best Artist | N/A | Nominated | |||
| Expressive Actor of the Year | Won | [307] | |||
| Most Favourite Male Characters | Tang San (Doulou Continent) | Nominated | [308] | ||
| Gu Yi Ye (Ace Troops) | Nominated | ||||
| Gu Wei (The Oath of Love) | Nominated | ||||
| Weibo Music Awards | Best Soundtrack | "The Youth on a Horse" (策马正少年) | Nominated | [309] | |
| "The Luckiest Fortune" (最幸运的幸运 ) | Nominated | ||||
| "We had been together" (我们曾经在一起)
(with Tan Weiwei) |
Nominated | ||||
| Top Figure | N/A | Nominated | |||
| Beijing Daily's Film and Television Awards | Popular Actor of the Year | The Oath of Love | Won | ||
| Weibo TV Series Awards | Romantic Character of the Year | Gu Wei (The Oath of Love) | Won | [310] | |
| The Fighting Role of the Year | Gu Yi Ye (Ace Troops) | Won | |||
| WeTV Awards | Best Actor | N/A | Won | [311][312] | |
| Artist Of The Year | Nominated | ||||
| Best Arms Carry | Gu Wei and Lin Zhixiao (The Oath of Love) | Won | |||
| Best Couple | Won | ||||
| Best Hero | Gu Wei (The Oath of Love) | Won | |||
| Entertainment Impact Awards | Screen Influential Role of the Year | Won | [313] | ||
| Baidu Boiling Point | Actor of the Year | N/A | Won | [314] | |
| Weibo Night | Popular Figure of the Year | Nominated | [315] | ||
| Weibo King | Nominated | ||||
| Weibo Quality Actor of the Year | Won | ||||
| 2023 | Pop Golden Awards | THE GOLDEN TV/DRAMA ACTOR AWARD (INTERNATIONAL) | Nominated | [316][317] | |
| 19th Chinese American TV Festival Golden Angel Awards | Outstanding Actor | The Youth Memories (Xiao Chunsheng) | Won | [63] | |
| Weibo Night | Weibo King | N/A | Nominated | [318][319][320] | |
| Outstanding Actor of the Year | Won | ||||
| Netizens’ Favorite Characters | Won | ||||
| Weibo TV & Internet Video Submit | Most Popular Actor | Nominated | [321][322] | ||
| Most Popular Roles | The Youth Memories (Xiao Chunsheng) | Nominated | |||
| The Longest Promise (Shi Ying) | Nominated | ||||
| Sunshine With Me (Sheng Yang) | Nominated | ||||
| 2nd Chinese TV Drama CMG Annual Ceremony | Breakthrough Actor of the Year | The Youth Memories (Xiao Chunsheng)
Sunshine With Me (Sheng Yang) |
Won | [64][323] | |
| Honorary Actor of the Year | N/A | Won | |||
| Beijing Daily's Film and Television Awards | Popular Actor of the Year | The Youth Memories | Won | [325] | |
| 2024 | Weibo Music Award | Recommended Person of the Year | N/A | Won | [326][327] |
| Recommended Song of The Year | “Fellow Traveler” (同路人) | Won | |||
| China Quality TV Drama Awards | Most Media Focused Actor of the Year | The Young Memories (Xiao Chunsheng) | Won | [328] | |
| Pop Golden Awards | Chinese Actor of the Year | N/A | Won | [329] | |
| 2025 | 2024 Weibo Night | Most Influential Actor of the Year | Won | [330] | |
| TMEA (Tencent Music Awards) | Annual Physical Album of the Year | We《我们》 | Won | [331] | |
| Weibo Music Awards | Recommended Person of the Year | N/A | Won | [332] | |
| Recommended Song of the Year | Wild | ||||
| Recommended MV of the Year | |||||
| QQ Music Super Peak Night | Peak Album of the Year | We《我们》 | Won | [333] | |
| 2026 | 2025 Weibo Night | Weibo King | N/A | Won | [334][335] |
| Weibo Annual Role Model Actor | |||||
| 16th Macau International Television Festival
Golden Lotus Awards |
Best Actor | The Legend of Zang Hai | Nominated | [92] | |
| 4th CMG China TV Drama Annual Ceremony | Best Actor | The Legend of Zang Hai | Nominated | [91] | |
| SMG
TV Series Quality Awards |
Outstanding Quality Star of the year | The Legend of Zang Hai | Won | [89] | |
| Beijing Daily's Film and Television Awards | Popular Actor of the Year | The Legend of Zang Hai | Won | [90] | |
| Beijing College Student Film Festival
“Flying Tiger”Award |
Most Popular Actor of the Year | Gezhi Town | Won | [336][85] | |
| Asian Art Film Festival “Golden Petrel Awards” | Best Actor | Gezhi Town | Won | [337][338][84][339] | |
| 31st Shanghai Television Festival Magnolia Awards | Best Actor | The Legend of Zang Hai | Pending | [340][341][342][343] | |
| 6th New Era International Television Festival Ammolite Awards | Most Influential Actor of the New Era | The Legend of Zang Hai | Won | [344] | |
Listicles
| Year | Publisher | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Forbes China | 30 Under 30 | Included | [345] |
| Thailand Headlines | Person of the Year | Included | [346] | |
| 2022 | Nubia Magazine | World's Handsome Man | 1st | [347] |
| 2023 | Howe Magazine | 50 Most Influential People 2023 | Included | [171] |
| 2024 | Today | World's Top 10 Most Beautiful Faces | 1st | [348] |
| 2025 | Lyrical Muse | The Most Handsome Actor in the World | 1st | [349] |
World records
| † | Indicates a former held world record |
| Publication | Year | World records | Record holder | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guinness World Records | 2020 | Fastest-selling digital track (China) | "Spotlight" | [41] |
| 2023 | Biggest-selling digital single | [40] | ||
Entertainment brand and popularity
| Year | Host | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Starmometer | Asian Drama Actor of the Year | 1st | [350] |
| TCC Asia | Most Handsome Face in Asia | 1st | [156] | |
| TC Candler[c] | The 100 Most Handsome Faces | 6th | [158] | |
| 2020 | TCC Asia | Most Handsome Face in Asia | 1st | [157] |
| Most Influential Face of 2020 | 1st | [157] | ||
| Most Handsome Face in Asia Pacific 2020 | 1st | [157] | ||
| TC Candler | The 100 Most Handsome Faces | 7th | [159] | |
| 2021 | 11th | [160] | ||
| 2022 | TC Candler | The 100 Most Handsome Faces | 19th | [161] |
| 2023 | 30th | [162] | ||
| 2025 | TheBestPoll | The Most Handsome Man in the World | 1st | [352] |
Notes
- Jing Daily is an English language online publication based in New York City which focuses on luxury consumer trends in China and Asia.
- R3 Celebrity Index, launched by the global consultancy R3 and Jing Daily, is a monthly ranking of China’s most influential celebrities by using data from Weibo, calculating Activity, Adorable, and Social Influence Indexes, Toutiao, Baidu, and WeChat.
- British film critic TC Candler and The Independent Critics group annually release the Top 100 list of the Most Beautiful and Most Handsome Faces worldwide since 1990. The latter started in 2013. The list showcases global superstars, new young celebrities, and virtual unknowns/ upstarts who represents the modern ideal of worldwide beauty.[351]