Michelle Topham 
A very fast release for Born to Be Alive
Well, heck, Yang Zi and Hu Ge‘s new environmental crime-themed drama Born to Be Alive is heading our way a lot faster than I expected with its just-announced January 30th premiere on iQIYI.
Especially as the Li Xue-directed series only finished filming on October 31st last year. That’s some stellar work on post-production in that short of a time, isn’t it?
Especially for a series that looks this visually stunning.
The Chinese drama’s premiere date was announced on iQIYI’s social media earlier today, along with a celebratory poster for the series exceeding 1 million reservations so far.
Yep, this one is highly-anticipated. And apparently not only by me (who has been following the production of the drama since it first began filming last May and I realized its story would take place in Tibet – now called Xizang in China).
Then again, it does star both Yang Zi and Hu Ge.
Yang Zi, of course, recently starred in the massively popular Flourished Peony and its sequel In the Name of Blossom, while Hu Ge is straight off the release of The Miracles, in which he starred in one segment of the 15-segment series (the one with the yaks! And yes, he was also in Tibet in that one too!).
So, yep, fans of both are riled up to see their faves in new dramas, and now we have one.
Born to Be Alive exceeds 1 million reservations
Along with the January 30th premiere date, iQIYI also released a new celebratory poster for the 1 million pre-orders the Chinese drama has already earned.
They also commented:
Lakes reflect the silhouettes of the mountain patrol team; clouds drift over snow-capped peaks, carrying their sincerity as they journey toward the distance.
Along with Hu Ge and Yang Zi, Born to Be Alive also features a phenomenal support cast that includes Li Guang Jie (In the Name of Justice), Zhang Zhe Hua (The Hunt), Su Xin (Love on the Turquoise Land), Feng Bing (The Seven Relics of Ill Omen), Geng Dan (movie Snow Leopard) and Song Chu Yan (Under the Cover).
It’s also directed by the phenomenal Li Xue, who is renowned for work like The Disguiser, Nirvana in Fire, Season 2 of Like a Flowing River, and All Quiet in Beijing, which means we can likely expect a superbly-directed series.
Look out for Born to Be Alive releasing on iQIYI on Friday.
With the number of reservations, its superb cast/director, and the buzz from C-drama fans over the last few months, I have a feeling the Chinese drama will be one of the standouts of 2026.
Check out the drama’s ‘concept video’, and you’ll see.
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