'Pursuit of Jade' reportedly joins the ranks of 'Joy of Life' as one of the most popular dramas

by Lily Alice, March 16, 2026 · Updated May 4, 2026

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Chinese historical drama Pursuit of Jade — which has been the talk of the C-drama town — starring Zhang Ling He and Tian Xi Wei, has surpassed 31,000 in popularity index on Tencent Video, also known as WeTV outside China, and has recorded a market share of over 50% and 100 million single-day views.

On March 15, Yunhe Data reported, "Pursuit of Jade recorded a 50.9% market share on the long-form drama popularity chart on March 14, and over 100 million views in a single day, making it the first drama of 2026 to surpass both a 50% market share on the popularity chart and 100 million views." It has also been the first drama of 2026 to break past the 30% market share.

This has reportedly joined the drama in the ranks of the few series to have surpassed 40% market share, including The Knockout, Joy of Life Season 2, This Thriving Land, My Heroic Husband, Love’s Ambition, and Legend of Zang Hai — all phenomenal hits in China.

Since premiering on March 6, the drama has sparked immense buzz among viewers. On its sixth day of release, its popularity index on iQiyi exceeded 10,000, and 30,000 on Tencent Video, entering the "hit drama club" and setting a new record for the highest popularity index among dramas premiered on Tencent Video in 2026. As of March 15, the index had exceeded 31,000.

Moreover, on March 10, WeTV (Tencent Video) reported that the drama is trending on the platform across multiple regions, including Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Portugal and Spanish-speaking markets.

FlixPatrol also shows Pursuit of Jade trending across a few Asian countries on Netflix, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Pursuit of Jade tells the story of butcher's daughter Fan Chang Yu (Tian Xi Wei) and Xie Zheng (Zhang Ling He), a fallen noble, who meet by destiny on a snowy day.

Chang Yu, having lost both of her parents, struggles to support her family, while Zheng hides his identity and digs deep into a blood feud from 17 years ago. With each harboring their own motives, the two concoct a marriage of convenience. Though they initially joined hands to use one another for their own purposes, their alliance gradually blossoms into genuine emotions.