Ask anyone who's seen 2019's summer hit The Untamed and they can tell you that Xiao Zhan definitely deserves the accolades he's received since the series aired. The live action adaptation of BL novel Mo Dao Zu Shi contributed to his astronomical rise to stardom, and his fans grew alongside him.
One example of his fandom's power? After releasing a digital single in April 2020, “Guang Dian” (“Spotlight”) achieved 25.48 million downloads, setting the Guinness World Record for the fastest-selling digital album within 24 hours of release.
So who exactly is Xiao Zhan, and why should you be following him on social media? P.S. He only has Chinese socials (for now), so it might be time to check out Weibo (Chinese Twitter), Oasis (Chinese Instagram), and Douyin (the original TikTok).
1. He's a Libra!
Xiao Zhan was born on October 5, 1991 in Chongqing, China. That's why a lot of fanmade merch (like the banners that fans bring to show support at events) have "1005" written on them—to signify October 5th!
2. He participated in an idol survival show.
In 2015, Xiao Zhan participated in the reality show X-Fire (a joint production by EE Media, Tencent Video, and SM Entertainment—yes, *that* SM!). He debuted as a member of the group X-NINE.
3. He has a fandom name AND fandom color.
Xiao Zhan's fandom color is red, but do you know why fans are called XFX or shrimps? The first nickname, XFX, comes from the pinyin abbreviation of xiao fei xia, which is Mandarin for Peter Pan.
"Xiao fei xia" sounds similar to "little flying shrimp" in Mandarin, so sometimes fans will use the shrimp emoji to refer to themselves on social media.
4. His fans call him "Little Prince."
It all started when Xiao Zhan uploaded his drawing of a boy with a red cape. Since then, he's made reference to The Little Prince several times, even posing with a red cape and sharing a photo of a red rose on Oasis.
5. He can sing!
In 2019, Xiao Zhan took part in Dragon TV's Our Song, a program where young singers get paired up with industry veterans to perform duets together each week. He made it to the final four, and definitely captured the hearts of the public!
6. He played one of the two leads in 2019's The Untamed.
In the xianxia drama, Xiao Zhan played Wei Wuxian, a mischievous yet loyal disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect who eventually becomes the grandmaster of demonic cultivation. Wei Wuxian undergoes trials and tribulations as the major sects go to war, culminating in his mastery of resentful energy. Yet it is only after 13 years that truths come to light—after all, who is right [and] who is wrong? What is black and what is white?
Fun fact: Xiao Zhan sang "Wuji", the main theme song of The Untamed, alongside co-star Wang Yibo. He also sang his character's theme song, "Qu Jin Chen Qing".
7. He established his own design studio.
Before he became actor/singer/brand ambassador Xiao Zhan, he studied design at the Modern International Art Design Academy of CTBU (Chongqing Technology and Business University). Together with a friend, he started a design studio and they worked on photography and graphic design projects together.
8. He's a cat lover!
Xiao Zhan's pet cat Jianguo (translated to "Nut" in English) has featured in several of the actor's posts on Oasis.
9. DAYTOY isn't just a cute nickname on social media.
New fans might be wondering about the significance of "DAYTOY" on Xiao Zhan's social media accounts. Well, be confused no more! The term was a nickname given by a friend. Since toys can be played with every day, the friend wished that Xiao Zhan would always be happy and lovely every day. What a sweet message!
10. He is one of WeTV's Global Ambassadors.
After the success of The Untamed (2019), Xiao Zhan appeared in several more projects that aired on Tencent: Joy of Life (2019), The Wolf (2020), and Douluo Continent (2021). This year, WeTV announced him as one of their four new global ambassadors alongside Dilraba, Yang Mi, and Yang Yang, Xiao Zhan fans can look forward to two more upcoming series: The Oath of Love and The Longest Promise.
Bonus: He has an adorable laugh.
Aside from his cute smile, Xiao Zhan fans know that their fave has an irresistible giggle. Case in point: At around 0:47, the contestants of Our Song are playing a guessing game and Zhanzhan laughs after correctly guessing the second character in the 7-character phrase. The rest of the contestants couldn't help but laugh along with him!
Which is your favorite Xiao Zhan drama?
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