[2] Thereafter, he starred in a series of well-received period dramas, such as Big Shot and Golden Years, which gained him considerable recognition and earned him the title of "Most Handsome Ancient Man" in China.
[4][5] Yan achieved breakthrough in 2011; his performance in the television adaptation of Water Margin, All Men Are Brothers and historical palace drama The Glamorous Imperial Concubine garnered much attention for Yan, who later won the Acting Idol award at the China TV Drama Awards.
[9] Yan then headlined historical drama Heroes in Sui and Tang Dynasties (2013), which marked the turning point of his career.
[12][13] In 2016, Yan starred alongside an ensemble cast in Guo Jingming's epic fantasy film L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties.
[16] Yan and his girlfriend of five years, actress Sunny Du held their long-awaited wedding in Bali, Indonesia on the evening of 22 March 2014.