The Chinese entertainment industry continues to flourish and will grow at double the rate of the American entertainment industry by 2028. The success of Chinese cinema and television has even attracted the attention of international celebrities, who have since moved on to star in projects in Mainland China.
Leading Chinese entertainment are all the good-looking and talented actors and actresses who continue to gain recognition. Given the billion-dollar Chinese media market, it’s no surprise that these stars get paid big bucks to be on the screens – but who ranks the highest with their paychecks? Here are the six highest-paid Chinese actresses, according to Chinese media:
1st Place: Zhou DongYu (周冬雨)
At 32 years old, Zhou Dongyu is still the youngest to have won Best Actress at the Golden Horse Award, the Hong Kong Film Award and the Golden Rooster Award, earning her the coveted “Film Grand Slam”. Chinese media revealed that her paycheck for the 2019 drama, “Behind The Scenes (幕后之王)”, was as high as 100 million yuan (approximately RM61 million), crowning her first place on this list.
2nd Place: Zhou Xun (周迅)
While Zhou Dongyu is the youngest, 50-year-old Zhou Xun was the first Chinese actress to achieve a “Film Grand Slam”. She’s also regarded as one of the original “Four Dan Actresses of China (四小花旦)”, alongside Xu Jinglei (徐静蕾), Zhao Wei (赵薇) and Zhang Ziyi (章子怡). Her work on the 2018 historical drama, “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace”, reportedly earned her 95 million RMB (approximately RM58 million), placing her second on this list.
3rd Place: Zanilia Zhao LiYing (赵丽颖)
A familiar face in many Chinese historical dramas is Zanilia Zhao LiYing. The 37-year-old’s recent project is “The Legend of Shen Li (与凤行)”, which received lots of love. However, it was the actress’ 2017 drama, “Princess Agents (楚乔传)”, that earned her an estimated 80 million yuan salary (approximately RM49 million). She also reportedly earned 20 million yuan (approximately RM12 million) for acting in and producing “The Journey of Flower (花千骨)”.
4th Place: Susan Sun Li (孙俪)
In 2018, Susan Sun Li became the youngest Chinese actress to win the “television Grand Slam” – the Flying Apsaras Awards, Golden Eagle Awards and the Magnolia Awards. However, she had already earned one of the biggest paychecks in her career in the year prior. The actress reportedly got paid 60 million yuan (approximately RM36 million) for her role in the 2017 drama, “Nothing Gold Can Stay (那年花開月正圓)”.
5th Place: Yang Mi (杨幂)
One of the “New Four Dan Actresses (新四小花旦)”, Yang Mi has appeared in many popular dramas and was nicknamed the “traffic queen” due to her ability to attract high viewership. While she could easily earn more given her status, a 2020 Chinese law that put a pay limit on artists resulted in her salary hitting a cap. According to reports, the actress’ highest paycheck was only 27 million yuan (approximately RM16 million) for “Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (斛珠夫人)”.
6th Place: Dilraba Dilmurat (迪丽热巴)
As of 2024, Dilraba Dilmurat is considered one of China’s most in-demand actresses and brand ambassadors. While she earns a lot through endorsement deals, Dilraba also receives a substantial amount through acting. According to reports, her salary for the 2020 drama, “Eternal Love of Dream (三生三世枕上书)”, was as high as 22.4 million yuan (approximately RM13 million).
Sources: China Press, E-Nanyang
