Xiao Zhan’s Revenge Drama Legend of Zang Hai Secures May 18 Premiere

Just four more sleeps before the much awaited Legend of Zang Hai 藏海传 hits your screens. Yup, you read that right, Xiao Zhan’s latest revenge drama has indeed secured a premiere date on May 18, 2025. It will be available on both the Youku platform and on state-run CCTV-8 channel. With the show drawing buzz, reservations have reached high of 6 million and counting.

Directed by Zheng Xiaolong who brought us shows such as Empresses in the Palace and The Story of Xingfu and Cao Xiwen, the series also stars Blossoms in Adversity actress Zhang Jingyi as Xiao Zhan’s potential romantic partner, Zhou Qi, Huang Jue, Yu Nan, Michelle Chen, Zhang Guoqiang as the Emperor, Qiao Zhenyu and many more.

“Killing Lord Pingjin is the only reason I’m alive”.  Clearly Xiao Zhan’s unassuming façade as Zang Hai hides more depth and anger than meets the eye. And as we catch flashes of the intense and complex man underneath, it leaves no doubt that this is a story about one man’s quest for revenge.

According to producer Zhang Ben, when asked if the story would be a tomb-raiding drama since the character is from the Daomu Biji series, he explained that while there are some adventure elements, tomb-raiding isn’t the theme at all. Instead, the story centers on Zang Hai’s personal journey of revenge. It’s not the usual swift, over-the-top revenge either — they really tried to strike a balance between what audiences like while retaining the nuances of the story they want to tell.

Legend of Zang Hai Synopsis

Zhi Nu was originally the son of Kuai Duo, the Imperial Astronomer of the Yong dynasty who witnessed the destruction of his entire family. With hatred in his heart, Zhi Nu returns to the capital ten years later with a brand new identity under the pseudonym Zang Hai and a carefully crafted plan of vengeance.

To extract his retribution, Zhi Nu patiently bided his time, using the years to secretly learn and acquire skills in geomancy and strategy. Using his mastery, he gains a firm foothold in the imperial court.  For when the time comes for the hidden dragon to strike at his enemies … “I’ll take you all down, one by one”.

Zhang Jingyi plays the heroine Xiang Antu in the series, who like Zang Hai appears to have her own agenda to pursue in court. With an equally complex background, extraordinary wisdom and some kick arse martial arts skills herself, her rivalry with Zang Hai adds another layer of complexity to the story.

Source: Zang Hai Zhuan