Cheng Xiao

Cheng Xiao is a Chinese singer, dancer, and actress born July 15, 1998 in Shenzhen. She first gained attention as the lead dancer and sub-vocalist of the South Korean girl group WJSN, which debuted in February 2016. Her acrobatic dance moves, especially a signature back-bend kick, made her a viral sensation on Korean variety shows. By early 2018, she shifted her focus to solo activities in China, appearing as a dance mentor on the survival show Idol Producer. She officially left WJSN in March 2023. As an actress, she is best known for her leading role as Tong Yao in the esports romance drama Falling into Your Smile (2021), which became a commercial hit. She also appeared in films like The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017) and its 2024 sequel. Cheng Xiao has 28.5 million followers on Weibo and 4.7 million on Instagram. She is known for her girl-crush aesthetic and her seamless transition from K-pop to Chinese entertainment.[edit]

Cheng Xiao grew up in Shenzhen, a coastal city in southern China, where her parents encouraged her early interest in the arts. She started studying traditional Chinese dance and ballet at a young age, which gave her exceptional flexibility. She also trained in taekwondo, earning a black belt. Her big break came when she was scouted by Yuehua Entertainment, a Chinese-Korean agency. In 2015, she moved to South Korea as a trainee, enduring daily training in singing, rapping, and K-pop choreography. Before her official debut, she appeared in a music video for Monsta X in 2015, giving her early exposure. She attended Shenzhen High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University but left to pursue her entertainment career full-time.[edit]

Cheng Xiao debuted as a member of WJSN on February 25, 2016 with the EP Would You Like?. Her acrobatic dance moves quickly made her stand out. In 2017, she became a viral star on the Korean variety show Knowing Bros, where she performed a record-breaking 37 back-bends in 30 seconds, earning a Guinness World Record. That same year, she won the Outstanding Korean Drama OST award at the Seoul International Drama Awards for her solo track Cherry Blossom. In early 2018, she shifted her activities to China, joining the survival show Idol Producer as a dance mentor, which skyrocketed her fame. She landed her first leading acting role in 2021 as Tong Yao in Falling into Your Smile, a drama about esports that became a hit. The role earned her the Breakthrough Actress of the Year award at the Tencent Video All Star Awards. After a five-year hiatus from WJSN, she officially left the group and Yuehua Entertainment in March 2023. Since then, she has focused on her solo career, releasing the digital single Phoenix in 2025 and starring in the drama The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero (2024). In early 2026, she became the face of Chanel's makeup line in China.[edit]

Cheng Xiao is known for her girl-crush aesthetic, blending sharp, powerful dance moves with a soft, elegant face. In public, she often wears streetwear or luxury brands. Media portray her as a hardworking perfectionist who transitioned smoothly from K-pop to Chinese acting, with a clean image free of major scandals. Her official fandom name is Xiao Mei, meaning Little Plum Blossom. Fans organize charity events in her name, including funding school libraries in rural China. On Weibo, she is warm and interactive, posting daily life photos and replying to comments. On Instagram, she maintains a more professional profile, sharing photoshoots and brand content.[edit]

Cheng Xiao's fanbase is a study in devotion that followed her from Seoul to Beijing. Known collectively as Xiao Bao, a name documented by iFANN, they organized streaming parties and bulk album purchases during her WJSN days, then pivoted seamlessly to support her acting career. Their loyalty became visible in October 2025, when her dramatically changed appearance sparked a global fan campaign of concern and debate, with hashtags trending across social media. That moment, though unsettling, showcased the depth of their engagement: thousands of fans mobilizing not just to celebrate but to worry.

Yet for all their passion, Cheng Xiao does not currently hold a placement in the iFANN Global Top 1,000 or any Top-100 scope list. As of August 2026, the Global Fame Engine has evaluated her, but she remains unranked, a rare status for an artist with her résumé. The engine's assessment, based on a sweeping analysis of media coverage, search behavior, and consumption signals worldwide, places her outside the published rankings. It's a reminder that fame is not a simple ledger of achievements, but a living, shifting metric.[edit]

Cheng Xiao holds a black belt in taekwondo and is fluent in Mandarin, Korean, and basic English. She owns two cats named Mochi and Tofu, and she is allergic to mangoes. Chinese fans call her Cheng Dali, a nickname that references her powerful dance moves. In 2017, she broke a Guinness World Record for the most back-bends in 30 seconds by a female, performing 37 on the show Knowing Bros. She was ranked among the 100 Most Beautiful Faces by TC Candler in 2018, 2019, and 2020, and Forbes China included her in its 30 Under 30 list for Entertainment in 2019.

One story fans still retell is the 2023 Tony Leung scandal, when rumors linked her to the veteran actor. Both denied it, but the incident became a defining moment of public scrutiny. Another is her departure from WJSN in March 2023, a bittersweet farewell that marked the end of an era. More recently, in October 2025, her drastically changed appearance at a public event triggered widespread speculation about plastic surgery and health concerns, a topic that has become a recurring point of debate among her followers.[edit]

Cheng Xiao has a younger brother. Her parents are private individuals who supported her career transition from China to South Korea and back. She reportedly owns an apartment in Beijing, purchased in 2021 for about ¥8 million ($1.1 million). She lives with her two cats, Mochi and Tofu.[edit]

Cheng Xiao has frequently collaborated with actor Xu Kai, her co-star in Falling into Your Smile. She was a dance mentor to Wang Yibo on Idol Producer. Her former groupmates include Zhou Jieqiong, Exy, Bona, and Soobin of WJSN.[edit]

Cheng Xiao has no publicly confirmed romantic relationships as of 2026. During the filming of Falling into Your Smile in 2021, fans speculated about a relationship with co-star Xu Kai due to their on-screen chemistry, but neither party confirmed it. In 2018, while she was a mentor on Idol Producer, rumors circulated about a close friendship with trainee-turned-star Wang Yibo, but both sides dismissed them. As of 2026, she is reportedly single with no credible reports of a current partner.[edit]

iFANN currently estimates Cheng Xiao's net worth at $5 million, a figure built from her diverse income streams. Her acting fees are the largest contributor; for Falling into Your Smile she reportedly earned about $210,000 per episode, totaling roughly $2.1 million. Brand endorsements with L'Oreal Paris, Adidas, Puma, Estee Lauder, and Chanel in China add an estimated $1-2 million annually. Music royalties from WJSN album sales and her solo single Phoenix contribute a smaller share. She owns an apartment in Beijing purchased for $1.1 million in 2021 and has invested in a clothing line and a bubble tea franchise in Shenzhen.[edit]

Cheng Xiao has won six individual awards. In 2017, she won Outstanding Korean Drama OST at the Seoul International Drama Awards for Cherry Blossom. She received Rising Star of the Year at Sina Weibo Night in 2018 and Popular Artist of the Year in 2019. Her acting breakthrough earned her Breakthrough Actress of the Year at the Tencent Video All Star Awards in 2021. She won Most Anticipated Actress at the Weibo Movie Awards in 2022 and Quality Actor of the Year at Weibo Night in 2023.[edit]