LayarHijau.com — The Chinese period drama Legend of Zang Hai (藏海傳), starring Xiao Zhan, has officially wrapped up with record-breaking success. The series, which tells a compelling revenge tale and romantic journey between Zang Hai (Xiao Zhan) and Xiang An Tu (Zhang Jingyi), has surpassed 1.93 billion online views since its premiere, becoming one of the most-watched dramas of 2025.
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Xiao Zhan shared an emotional farewell to his character on Weibo, saying, “Little Hai, I’m truly happy for you. Look, so many people understand you.” Zhang Jingyi also posted that her character had “found freedom,” delighting fans who said they wanted to rewatch the drama immediately.
The drama gained continuous attention, with Xiao Zhan topping Weibo’s May actor popularity ranking. His dedication was apparent: he lost 8 kilograms for the role, trained in martial arts and etiquette, and performed many risky scenes himself. These included a torturous “Tie Jiaguan” scene — involving wet paper layers on the face — and diving into cold, dirty river water during winter, which caused him to develop a 39°C fever the next day.
As reported by World Journal, the production team and cast praised Xiao Zhan’s full commitment. Veteran actor Liang Chao, who portrayed Zang Hai’s master, expressed concern and admiration, saying Xiao Zhan reminded him of his on-screen disciple even off camera. When he took on the project, Xiao Zhan didn’t ask about payment but instead focused on the character and story.
Despite a Douban rating of 7.1, which is higher than other drama The Prisoner of Beauty, some fans felt it still didn’t reflect the show’s quality. Regardless, Legend of Zang Hai has left a lasting impression and further cemented Xiao Zhan’s status as a top actor in the Chinese entertainment industry.
