Sun Qian Sees Major Surge in Followers Thanks to the Popularity of The Early Spring
Sun Qian sees a major surge in social media followers thanks to The Early Spring, following nearly a decade of persistence in acting.
The success of The Early Spring has brought Sun Qian a new wave of attention, with hundreds of thousands of new followers joining her across social media platforms. Behind those rapidly rising numbers, however, is nearly a decade of pursuing acting and gradually proving herself through relatable, grounded roles.
Since early September, Sun Qian’s Weibo account has recorded a noticeable increase in followers. According to publicly available data, the actress has now surpassed 8.3 million followers, while daily visits to her profile have exceeded 1.14 million. On Douyin, Sun Qian is also reported to have around 2.897 million followers, gaining between 30,000 and 50,000 within seven days.
Driving much of this growth is the effect of The Early Spring, a modern romance drama that aired over the past month. Sun Qian plays Shang Zhi Tao, a young woman struggling to navigate her career, love life, and the pressures of everyday life, a character who has resonated with many viewers. The drama has been well received, averaging around 60 million views per day, and has attracted audiences not only in China but also in other countries and regions through its global release.
The increase in Sun Qian’s followers following the drama can be attributed to several factors, with Shang Zhi Tao serving as the most direct connection between the series and its audience. The character is written in a realistic and relatable way, dealing with worries, pressures, and emotions that are easy for viewers to identify with. Sun Qian’s performance has also been praised for its subtlety, particularly through her expressions, gestures, and nuanced delivery of dialogue.
Beyond the drama itself, Sun Qian has also drawn attention for her natural and sincere interactions with her co-stars off camera. Some observers have noted her ability to handle potentially awkward situations involving others while creating a comfortable atmosphere during interactions. This may also have contributed to the positive impression she has made on the public.
The year 2026 has been a particularly active period for Sun Qian, with the actress appearing in three notable productions: Love Song in Winter, Love Story in the 1970s, and The Early Spring. These projects have helped her reach a wider range of audiences while creating a cumulative effect on her public recognition. Her follower growth during the broadcast of The Early Spring reflects the attention generated by both the drama and her character Shang Zhi Tao. However, social media numbers are only one part of the story. Long-term recognition for an actor depends not only on followers, but also on the ability to build convincing characters, select suitable projects, maintain consistency, and deliver persuasive performances across different roles.
Born in 1997, Sun Qian had already spent nearly a decade in the entertainment industry before gaining significant attention as Shang Zhi Tao. She previously studied ballet for seven years in Beijing, leaving her hometown of Harbin at a young age to attend the affiliated school of the Beijing Dance Academy. Ballet demanded intense discipline, precise body control, and years of persistent training. However, a knee injury eventually forced her to abandon that path. She later turned to acting and studied at the Central Academy of Drama. The transition represented more than simply changing careers. It meant starting over after being forced by physical limitations to give up a goal she had pursued for years.
Sun Qian continued to face intense competition after entering the acting industry. During the 2020 program Everybody Stand By, she revealed that she had received relatively low evaluations during the early stages of her career. Despite standing 1.72 meters tall and having proportions often considered ideal for the entertainment industry, Sun Qian once felt insecure about her appearance. She believed her face was too large and did not fit the oval-shaped beauty standard often favored by the industry. Instead, she gradually built her acting skills and experience by taking on a variety of roles.
That period included opportunities that failed to become major breakthroughs, changes in direction, and the gradual process of learning how to withstand the judgments of the entertainment industry. She previously appeared in productions including Take My Brother Away, Meteor Garden, Remembrance of Things Past, and Wild Bloom. The variety of genres and characters gave Sun Qian opportunities to steadily broaden her acting range.
Following The Early Spring, Sun Qian also has several upcoming projects spanning different genres, including Detective Hours: In Our Prime, Extreme Punishment Suit, and Love Under the Moon.
Sources: k14