Transcending Boundaries Through Xianxia: Chinese TV Drama Consumption by Global Audiences in a Cross-cultural Context

Abstract In recent years, as more Chinese dramas have been streamed on international platforms and Chinese company-owned platforms, Chinese TV dramas have become increasingly popular in the global market. The discussion under the hashtag “#C-drama” has experienced a resurgence on social media. Among all Chinese TV dramas consumed by global audiences, the Xianxia drama, with its strong and unique Chinese cultural elements, combining Chinese mythology and culture with fantasy and action, is one of the most popular genres. In the context of global media flows long dominated by cultural imperialism and Orientalist representations, the rise of Xianxia drama exports marks a culturally significant case of contra-flow, influenced by intertwined global political, economic, and cultural conditions. To examine the transculturality of Xianxia dramas, this paper conducted an online ethnography to explore how Chinese Xianxia dramas attract global audiences with different cultural backgrounds, through the lens of media content likeability, audience agency, and audience reception. The principal data sources of this study are online posts and comments on Reddit – r/CDrama, which reflect the global audience’s perspective in the process of consuming and interpreting Chinese Xianxia dramas. The findings of this study demonstrate that cultural magnetism, audience agency, and cultural projection facilitate the process of transcultural communication of Xianxia dramas, sharing insights into this transcultural entertainment content dissemination in the age of media globalization. Such insights contribute to understanding the dynamics of transnational cultural flows occurring in contemporary Asia.