Year-ender: Hit Chinese variety shows in 2025

Wow the World

A breakout new program of 2025, Wow the World, produced by Tencent Video, features Chinese celebrities traveling overseas to discover diverse cultures, while weaving in environmental concepts.

The 10-episode travel reality show brings together actors Sun Honglei, Liu Yuning and Gong Jun, along with actresses Wang Yuwen and Ouyang Didi, who collaborate to complete a series of missions during their travels.

Beyond visiting historical attractions and sampling local cuisine, the team members immersed themselves in cultural experiences such as participating in a castell (human tower) performance. The show also consists of tasks designed to encourage interactions with locals. In one segment, foreigners listen to Chinese songs via headphones and hum the melody, while the cast guesses the original lyrics based solely on the tune.

The popularity of Wow the World extended beyond the screen. Videos tagged with "Wow the World" have drawn over 5.4 billion views on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.