The Knockout, which became a huge hit during the Chinese New Year holidays,tells the story of China's successful crackdown on criminal gangs and the great acting on display have become a hot topic on social media.Photo:The Paper
The Knockout, which became a huge hit during the Chinese New Year holidays, tells the story of China's successful crackdown on criminal gangs, and the great acting on display has become a hot topic on social media. Photo: The Paper


A video of Thai tuk-tuk drivers watching a Chinese television show, The Knockout, has recently gone viral on social media, leading to discussions about the growing popularity of Chinese films and television series overseas.


The video was posted by a Chinese tourist in Thailand who captured the sight of the 39-episode anti-corruption drama playing on the small screen inside a tuk-tuk.


The video sparked a huge discussion on the Chinese social media platform, Sina Weibo. 



After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, people's passion for travel abroad has been fully restored. According to a report from Ctrip, a Chinese online ticket-booking platform, the number of outbound travel bookings during the Spring Festival has increased by 640% compared to the same period in 2022.


Southeast Asian countries have become the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists, with Thailand ranking as one of the top destinations. 


Zhu Jiayi, a business insider and TV series translator based in Guangzhou, told the Global Times that playing Chinese dramas is a great way for the tourism industry to connect with visitors, and it also highlights the booming popularity of Chinese films and dramas overseas, particularly in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia. 


This is not the first time a tourist has watched a Chinese drama in a Thai driver's tuk-tuk. In 2019, another tourist, Liu Deng, reported watching The Untamed on the small screen inside a tuk-tuk in Thailand.


The hit Chinese traditional costume drama, which is based on the Chinese novel Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, has gained numerous fans due to its epic fantasy theme and romance. 


Other Chinese dramas such as Joy of Life and Douluo Continent have also gained a large following, with an average score of 8.7/10 on the Asian drama and film fan channel, MyDramaList.


Zhu stated that the popularity of Chinese film and television dramas abroad, especially in Southeast Asian countries, is not a new phenomenon.


However, there has been a shift in the industry in the past two years, as mainstream TV dramas have become increasingly popular among overseas audiences. For instance, TV series that tackle modern social issues, such as Minning Town, which reflects China's poverty alleviation efforts, and With You, which addresses the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, have received tens of millions of views on YouTube.