The Chinese historical romance drama Pursuit of Jade has taken the top position on iQiyi’s charts, becoming the most-watched drama on the platform. The show’s success comes as iQiyi International reported a record 130% year-on-year increase in global viewership during the first half of 2026.
Released on March 6, 2026, the 40-episode series stars Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei in lead roles. Within just six days of its premiere, the drama surpassed an iQiyi popularity index of 10,000 domestically and ranked No. 1 on iQiyi International’s “TOP 10 Chinese Language Dramas Weekly Chart” in its debut week.
The series also became the most searched Chinese historical drama on Google globally since 2025. Google Trends data shows the show ranked first in search volume for Chinese dramas across 15 markets, including the United States, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore.
What Pursuit of Jade Is About
The drama tells the story of Fan Changyu, a butcher’s daughter, and Xie Zheng, a fallen marquis. They meet during a snowstorm when Xie Zheng is heavily injured, and Fan Changyu helps him recover. Xie Zheng hides his true identity as a decorated general while plotting revenge for a blood feud from 17 years ago.
The two enter a marriage of convenience, each with their own goals. Over time, their reluctant partnership grows into genuine love. War tears them apart, but they reunite on the battlefield, navigating political upheaval and family vengeance while fighting for their country and each other.
The drama is based on the web novel Zhu Yu by Tuan Zi Lai Xi. It was directed by Zeng Qingjie and produced by Tencent Video, iQiyi, and several other production companies.
Strong Ratings and Viewer Reception
Pursuit of Jade earned an 8.7 rating on IMDb and a 9.1 on MyDramaList. On MyDramaList, the show debuted at 9.0 before rising to 9.1, marking the highest opening score for a Chinese drama on the platform in two years.
The show also achieved a market viewership share of 55.1% on March 22, 2026, the second highest on record, trailing only the 2023 crime drama The Knockout. It became the first Chinese TV show to rank among Netflix’s weekly Top 10 foreign language series. Upon release, the series debuted at number six on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English Shows chart.
The drama also became the first to simultaneously attain “hit series” status on both Tencent Video and iQiyi. A “hit series” is determined by a show’s “heat index,” a composite popularity marker that includes views, engagement, watch time, and search trends.
Global Reach and Accessibility
iQiyi released Pursuit of Jade simultaneously across its global platforms with 14 subtitle languages and five dubbing options. The drama reached audiences in 191 countries and regions.
Viewers can choose subtitles in Chinese, English, Korean, Japanese, French, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and German. Audio options include Mandarin, Portuguese, and Vietnamese.
The show is available to stream on Netflix, WeTV, iQiyi, and iflix. Subscriptions are required to watch the complete drama.
How iQiyi Grew Its Global Audience
iQiyi International’s global viewership rose 130% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. The platform credited its dual-engine strategy that pairs premium Chinese dramas with fast-paced microdramas.
All 10 titles on iQiyi International’s top Chinese drama chart for the period were produced in-house, spanning historical epics, contemporary romance, and coming-of-age stories.
Localization played a key role in this growth. Subtitles are now available in 13 languages, alongside dubbing and fan engagement events. The “iQiyi Starship Project” sends actors from hit titles to markets including Thailand and Malaysia for live events.
Thai-language dubbing helped push seven Chinese dramas into Thailand’s local top 10 rankings. In Japan and South Korea, microdramas now make up half of the ten top-trending titles. Expanded Spanish- and Portuguese-language dubbing widened the platform’s reach in Latin America.
Other Top Shows on iQiyi Charts
Other dramas that joined Pursuit of Jade on iQiyi’s charts include How You Dare!?, Love Between Lines, Fate Chooses You, The Unclouded Soul, The Heir, and The Epoch of Miyu.
The microdrama Midnight Temptation earned the number one title globally on iQiyi’s microdrama rankings. Other returning C-dramas included Fated Hearts starring Li Qin and Chen Zheyuan, Speed and Love starring Esther Yu and He Yu, and The Best Thing starring Zhang Linghe and Xu Ruohan.
The Best Thing dominates both iQiyi International’s All-Time and 2025 Annual Charts at No. 1, with a 54-week run on the weekly rankings. Four series featuring Zhang Linghe occupy spots on iQiyi International’s All-Time TOP 10 Chinese Language Dramas Chart. Tian Xiwei‘s catalog has also gained momentum, with New Life Begins breaking into the All-Time TOP 10.
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Social Media Buzz and Fan Engagement
The series generated sustained social media engagement, with related topics trending on X (formerly Twitter) across Thailand, Indonesia, and Brazil.
Fan reactions have been mixed but largely positive. Some viewers praised the drama’s aesthetic appeal and strong female protagonist. Others criticized it for prioritizing visual beauty over narrative coherence. The show’s popularity on international and domestic streaming services has also drawn some skepticism online about the validity of viewership metrics.
Despite the debate, Pursuit of Jade continues to attract new viewers and remains a standout success for iQiyi’s global expansion efforts.
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