A viral social media moment this month has underscored just how far Chinese costume dramas have penetrated mainstream popular culture across Southeast Asia: Thailand’s Royal Thai Army turned to a hit new Chinese historical romance to boost military recruitment, leveraging the show’s massive local fanbase to draw new applicants.
The service’s official Facebook page shared recruitment creatives featuring lead characters from *Pursuit of Jade*, a lavishly produced Chinese costume drama that has taken global streaming platforms by storm since its March premiere. One playful poster read: “Do you want a boyfriend with the same heroic spirit as Marquis Wu’an, the male lead of *Pursuit of Jade*? Ask your partner to join the cavalry!” The post racked up nearly 100,000 likes from Thai internet users, who widely praised the military’s clever, trend-savvy approach to outreach.
“This is one of the most creative recruitment posters I’ve seen in years — the army is really keeping up with the times,” commented Thai netizen Ratchaneekorn. Other users joked with the page’s administrator, asking whether the account team itself counted itself among the drama’s legion of local fans. For *Pursuit of Jade*, the viral recruitment moment is just the latest marker of its unexpected global success: the series currently tops Google Trends search rankings for Chinese dramas across 15 international markets, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United States and Canada. It has broken viewership records on Chinese streaming giant iQIYI’s international platform, and became the first Chinese drama to top Netflix’s trending charts in multiple Asian regions, earning high user ratings on popular global entertainment site MyDramaList.
For many viewers across Southeast Asia, the appeal of Chinese costume dramas extends far beyond catchy plotlines. Amy Chen, a 34-year-old Chinese-Malaysian professional based in Kuala Lumpur who has followed Chinese content for years, counts *Pursuit of Jade* as her current favorite series. She attributes the genre’s growing regional popularity to a combination of cultural proximity and uncompromising production quality: “We get the cultural references naturally, and on top of that, you get opulent set designs, exquisite costumes and makeup, tightly crafted storylines, and seamless streaming access on major platforms — it’s a complete package that’s hard to beat.” *Pursuit of Jade* also weaves traditional Chinese cultural elements like Qin opera and shadow puppetry into its narrative, giving international viewers a window into unique aspects of Chinese heritage while delivering a compelling, modern viewing experience.
The breakout success of *Pursuit of Jade* is no isolated incident; it is the most visible sign of a years-long growth trend in Chinese television exports. Data from the Development and Research Center of China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) shows that China’s TV series export revenue jumped nearly threefold between 2012 and 2023, rising from $24 million to $70 million. Per NRTA analysis, costume dramas — one of the first Chinese genres to build an international fanbase — remain the most popular category of Chinese content in the global market, with 2023 hits like *Bright Moon Citation*, *The Song Inquisitor*, and *Flourished Peony* all earning top rankings across multiple overseas markets.
Southeast Asia has emerged as the largest and fastest-growing core market for Chinese drama exports, drawing major investment from leading Chinese streaming platforms including iQIYI, WeTV, Youku and Mango TV, all of which have launched localized regional services with Thailand as a key operational hub. Industry leaders note that Chinese content has carved out a large, loyal audience in Thailand following decades of K-drama dominance, with appeal cutting across age groups.
Sirisak Koshpasharin, vice-chairman of Thailand’s National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations, explained that Chinese content has deep roots in the country: “Older generations of Thais, many of whom have Chinese immigrant heritage, grew up loving classic Chinese dramas like *Justice Pao*. What’s really striking now is that more and more young Thais are also falling in love with modern Chinese series.” He cited overlapping cultural values and lifestyle similarities as a key foundation for the trend, adding that improved production quality and wider distribution have accelerated growth: “Today’s Chinese dramas have compelling stories, high production value, and addictive cliffhangers that keep Thai viewers coming back. Short-video apps and major streaming platforms now prioritize Chinese content, so it’s easier than ever for young people to discover it.”
Beyond full-length costume dramas, the region’s fast-growing base of internet users has also created fertile ground for the expansion of Chinese micro-dramas — bite-sized series that typically run between one and 10 minutes per episode, with hundreds of episodes per series. Data from analytics firm DataEye shows that the number of paying micro-drama users in Southeast Asia grew 28% year-on-year in the latest reporting period, confirming the region as a core market with strong commercial potential and a loyal established audience.
Beyond entertainment value, the rising popularity of Chinese content is also shifting young Southeast Asians’ perceptions of China and sparking deeper curiosity about the country. Chompoo, a 21-year-old Thai university student and lifelong fan of Chinese dramas who grew up watching the classic costume hit *My Fair Princess* and now follows *Pursuit of Jade*, said Chinese content has shaped her desire to visit the country. “I’ve never been to China, but I really want to go. The landscapes, modern trends, and food all sound so attractive, and Chinese technology and innovation are really impressive. I admire how Chinese creators integrate different influences and build on existing ideas to make something new,” she said.
Kampol Piyasirikul, head of the Chinese Studies Program at Bangkok’s Thammasat University, noted that costume dramas are just one part of a broader wave of Chinese cultural content gaining traction among young Thais, from pop idols to fashion collectibles. He emphasized that people-to-people cultural exchange through popular content plays an increasingly critical role in building mutual understanding and trust between Chinese communities and audiences across the globe.