On December 26, 2025, the 2025 China TV Series Ratings Report (China Video Big Data (CVB) 2025) was published by the National Radio and Television Administration of China.
According to the report, the leading dramas of the year on various channels and platforms were announced.
Youku, CCTV
Legend of Zang Hai
(藏海传, 藏海戏麟, The Legend of the Hidden Sea, Tibetan Sea Opera)
40 episodes
Starring: Xiao Zhan, Zhang Jingyi, Zhou Qi, Huang Jue
Premiere: May 18, 2025
Xiao Zhan plays the protagonist Zang Hai, whose family was wiped out in a single bloody night when he was still a child. Driven by a thirst for revenge, he changes his name and returns to the capital ten years later to punish those responsible. Through his skills, wisdom, and perseverance, he rises from an ordinary advisor to the head of the imperial cabinet. Zang Hai fights against treacherous political intrigues and participates in battles, finally gaining a chance to kill his enemy. However, he soon discovers that not everything is as it seems, and that he has only touched the surface of something much larger.
In December, the series won three major awards: the National Drama Art Award for Best Domestic Drama of the Year, the Sohu Fashion Award for Best Domestic Drama of the Year, and the Golden Lotus Award for Best TV Series at the Macau International Television Festival.
CCTV recognized it as "the highest-rated historical drama on CCTV-8 in the past five years" (average rating 1.469%), and the National Radio and Television Administration's report listed it as the highest-rated drama in Youku's annual popularity chart.
The series was also released abroad, airing on South Korean channel SBS (the first Chinese drama to do so in 25 years), was distributed in 190 countries, and holds a rating of 9.5 on IMDb.
iQiyi, CCTV
This Thriving Land
(生万物, 缱绻与决绝, All Things Born)
36 episodes
Starring: Yang Mi, Ou Hao
Premiere: August 13, 2025
Set in southern Shandong Province from late 1926 to 1944, the series focuses on the fates of women, changes in agriculture, farmers' struggles for survival and prosperity during the transition from the feudal system to new social orders, and their deep, unchanging attachment to the land, passed down through generations.
The series earned the title of "Drama King" of 2025 on the iQiyi platform, achieving an index score of 11,018 (platform champion for the year + second-highest in history). It was also officially recognized by the National Radio and Television Administration as iQiyi's annual popularity champion.
The average rating on CCTV-8 was 2.388%, with a peak of 4.3535%, breaking CCTV-8's historical record.
Total audience across all platforms exceeded 221 million.
Tencent Video
Love's Ambition
(许我耀眼, 大乔小乔, Let Me Shine)
32 episodes
Starring: Zhao Lusi, William Chan
Premiere: September 26, 2025
The series tells the story of the collapse of a marriage between a man and a woman from different social circles: a member of the urban elite and a provincial girl.
Zhao Lusi plays popular host Xu Yan, while William Chan plays urban elite Shen Haomin. Although they appear to be the perfect couple envied by everyone around them, it turns out that Xu Yan hid information about her poor past to calculatively pave her way into high society, and Shen Hao just as calculatively exploited this. In the end, ambition, jealousy, and resentment lead the couple to divorce. Can they rebuild their relationship?
The popularity index on Tencent Video during its run reached 32,638, breaking the platform's record for modern dramas. On the very first day, popularity soared to 27,061 without any prior advertising or lead actor promotion.
At the peak of its popularity, the series averaged 63.28 million views per episode, topping the charts on all platforms including Netflix, and ranking first in 11 countries. The hashtag #XuYan on Douyin garnered 15.36 billion views, making the character Xu Yan the most-viewed female character in the past five years.
Mango TV, Hunan TV
Whispers of Fate
(Water Dragon's Chant, Shui Long Yin, 水龙吟, The Dragon Chant)
40 episodes
Starring: Luo Yunxi, Xiao Shunyao, Ao Ziyi, Fang Yilun, Bao Shang'en
Premiere: October 24, 2025
The drama tells the story of Tang Lici, the adopted son of the emperor, who embarks on a journey through the world of martial arts. Tang Lici is intelligent and skilled with a sword, but introverted and even aloof. He becomes involved in a murder case and is drawn into a deadly conspiracy aimed at destroying the martial arts community. He investigates the case and uncovers the dark side of the world.
The drama ranked first in Mango TV's annual rankings, with a local rating of 1.601% on Hunan Satellite TV and over 8.2 billion views on Weibo.
The number of viewers on Thailand's Monomax platform exceeded one million. American netizens highly praised the special effects, calling them "comparable to Marvel." German audiences highlighted the costumes, which feature China's intangible cultural heritage, calling them "true Eastern aesthetics." The series has even been sold to Russia.
The series has been surrounded by scandals related to the performances of supporting actors, various disputes over actors' appearances at promotional concerts, etc. Nevertheless, the viewership and sales figures have been such that the series is deservedly considered the year's leader on its platform.
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