8 things to know about Tian Xiwei, the breakout star of Pursuit of Jade

If you’re in your Pursuit of Jade era (just like us), you’ll know the real draw isn’t just the swoon-worthy storyline, it’s also the seriously eye-candy-worthy cast. At the heart of the hit period Chinese drama is lead actress Tian Xiwei, who’s equal parts charming, talented, and impossible to look away from. 

In the series, she plays Fan Changyu, a butcher’s daughter who enters a fake marriage with fallen noble Xie Zhang (played by actor Zhang Linghe). The arrangement blossoms into real love, only for them to be driven apart by war.

Whether you’ve already fallen for her on screen or are just getting acquainted, here are eight things to know about the career and life of the Chongqing-born, 28-year-old actress everyone’s talking about right now.

1. She started acting in 2018

Tian’s acting career started in 2018 at 21-years-old where she first debuted in the youth drama Waiting for You in a Long Time as lead actress Luo Xi. She quickly rose to fame from performances in series like New Life Begins (2022), Wrong Carriage, Right Groom (2023) as well as Guardians of Dafeng (2024), where she co-starred alongside popular Chinese actor Dylan Wang.

Since then, she has built a portfolio of a total of 17 dramas, including Pursuit of Jade, winning audiences over with her sweet on-screen presence and bright, infectious energy.

2. She voiced protagonist Sophie in the Mandarin-dubbed version of Howl’s Moving Castle

Besides her on-screen beauty and acting chops, she has also lent her voice to protagonist Sophie in the Mandarin-dubbed release of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle. The famed Japanese animated film, which premiered in Chinese theaters on Apr 30 2024, featured Tian alongside fellow Chinese actor Yu Shi, who voiced the wizard Howl. 

According to Chinese newspaper China Daily, Tian shared that she first watched Howl’s Moving Castle as a middle school student. She also admitted to feeling the pressure when she was first invited to voice Sophie, who transforms into a 90-year-old woman at the start of the story.

3. She’s an ambassador for Gucci

From starring in the house’s 2024 Lunar New Year campaign for the Year of the Dragon alongside Chinese actor-singer Zhou Yiran, to attending their Spring/Summer 2025 show at Milan fashion week, Tian is very much a Gucci girl. Coincidentally her co-star in Pursuit of Jade, Zhang Linghe is also a fellow ambassador.

A quick scroll on her Instagram says it all too - the only three accounts she follows are the brand’s official page, plus Sabato De Sarno and Demna Gvasalia, the brand’s former and current creative directors respectively.

4. She shared cute moments with her ex co-star Dylan Wang 

In the 2024 to 2025 Chinese period drama Guardians of the Dafeng, Tian and Wang starred as leads and gained attention for their on and off-screen chemistry. From giggling and walking arm-in-arm at China’s Tencent Starlight Awards 2023 to being spotted holding hands at the Weibo Night Awards 2024 red carpet, their interactions had several rumours of an off-screen romantic relationship though neither had confirmed the speculation. 

5. She desires to possess the traits of her Pursuit of Jade character

According to a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Tian Xi Wei shared her admiration for her Pursuit of Jade character and her desire to embody some of Fan Changyu’s traits.

In the drama, Fan Changyu wields her butcher’s knife and faces the battlefield in search of her husband.

“Thinking, hesitating, too shy to speak, unsure how to express myself. Changyu, I have a passionate girl’s dream,” she wrote on Mar 30 in Mandarin.

She continued: “Changyu, I want to be you. I want to be as optimistic and strong as you. I want to be as brave as you, venturing into the unknown. I want to be as good as you, getting up again and again, even when knocked down. Changyu, I can be you.” 

6. She’s an avid cat lover

Tian’s fans are well acquainted with her adorable pet cat, Kang Kang, who frequently stars in her Weibo updates. From playful selfies and videos of Kang Kang with its toys to cute edits she’s made herself, Tian often shares sweet glimpses of their life together.

Tian is also known for her kindness to stray cats. On the set of the upcoming historical romance drama Where the Mask Ends, she quietly left a can of food for a stray she spotted.

In a Weibo video she posted, she and a friend were seen feeding, petting, and snapping photos of a cat they encountered on the street.

7. She’s a brand ambassador for the Chinese version of popular mobile game PUBG

As a brand ambassador for Peacekeeper Elite—the Chinese version of the popular mobile game PUBG—she often cosplays as various characters to promote the game.

Her looks include a “summer island warrior,” where she sports a pink wig, a matching dress, and a pink gun in a video campaign, as well as a take on a character inspired by iconic fictional character Harley Quinn.

8. She recently had an awkward mishap on a livestream

On March 29, Tian Xi Wei experienced a livestream mishap while promoting Chinese skincare brand Lan. The 28-year-old actress was showcasing the brand’s products in a pink-and-green bustier set when, about 20 minutes in, the video froze and a pop-up appeared stating the stream had been stopped due to a “policy violation”.

Around 20 minutes later, the livestream resumed, this time with four photocards clipped to a stand, seemingly to cover her cleavage. At other points of the stream, Tian held a flower garland over her top for additional coverage.

Netizens speculated that the suspension was likely due to the revealing cut of her outfit, which drew some controversy, including one that Tian’s dress appeared too tight and sat uncomfortably on her body. 

Despite the hiccup, Tian completed the stream per normal with a smile. Neither she nor her management publicly addressed the livestream’s suspension.