entertainment

China Moves to Protect Child Actors in Viral Short Dramas

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

Children have become central to the ultrashort drama industry, with public concerns rising about long hours and the dissonance between dramatic themes and children’s lived experiences.

Chen Yiru

A Rural Mother’s Unfiltered Rage Gives Chinese Comedy Its Edge

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

By crafting punchlines from pain, breakout comedy star Fang Shaoli has tapped into the silent angst of many middle-aged Chinese women.

The  Beijing News

Virtual Reality Is Taking Off in China — as Immersive Shows

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

Hundreds of VR experiences have launched across the country, allowing visitors to go back in time, visit faraway places, or join the action of their favorite movies.

Huang Wei

Act Your Age? Chinese Dramas Thrust Preschoolers Into Adult Roles

With children central to many ultrashort dramas, young actors are enduring grueling schedules to shoot scripts far beyond their understanding.

The Paper

What Sultan’s Game Reveals About Chinese Players

Since its release in March, Sultan’s Game has been taking Chinese players by storm. Yet amid the moral quandaries, chaotic evil choices, sex, and violence posed by the game, it is a microcosm of how traditional culture shapes the choices we make.

Chen Silin

Fast, Cheap, Stolen: The Plagiarism Behind China’s Short Drama Boom

As studios rush to feed China’s short-drama craze, web novel writers say their work is being taken, rewritten, and sold without consent or credit.

Li Xin

The Precarious Rise of Female Comedians in China

On China’s biggest stand-up comedy shows, 2025 has been a breakout year for women. But it’s more a story of economics, not equality.

Teng Wei

In China’s New Livestream Factories, Bodies, Data, and Dreams Collide

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

With idol reality shows off the air, group livestreams have filled the void, where dancers perform in rotating squads as viewers send gifts and even pay to control the show.

He Qitong

How a Historical Fantasy Game Nearly Broke the Chinese Internet

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was slated to be the next Black Myth: Wukong. Instead, it stoked controversy, revealing deep-set rifts in player-creator dynamics and questions about cultural identity.

Kong Degang

Script Change: The Writers Trading Movie Dreams for Bite-Size Dramas

As China’s ultrashort TV series find fans in the U.S., bilingual screenwriters are in high demand in Hollywood — it’s just not the dream job they’d imagined.

Original (Jiefang Daily)

Standup Stands Out: The Comedian Leaning Into Her Grudges

Wang Dadao, who made a splash with jokes about everyday sexual harassment, shares the origins of her unorthodox comedy style and the struggles that keep her striving.

Oh! Youth (36Kr)

‘Nobody’ Wins Alone: Four Misfits Conquer China’s Box Office

The four antiheroes of new animated film “Nobody” follow in the footsteps of the cast of “Journey to the West,” striking a chord with the country’s downtrodden workers.

The Unlikely Global Rise of Chinese Rapper Lanlao

Few Chinese rappers have successfully adapted American hip-hop while keeping their songs authentically Chinese. Lanlao has, and his songs of small-town hustlers are reaching a global audience.

Tropi Kara

“No”: The Magic Word in a Viral Chinese AI Remake of Snow White

A dark AI‑crafted retelling of the Disney classic by Beijing-based screenwriter Wen Jing has captivated millions on social media, sparking debate over women’s roles in fairy tales and modern society.

For ‘Duobaowen’ Web Novels, the Absurdity Is the Point

Sometimes scorned as “sow literature,” the duobaowen trope in web novels paints a profound picture of new readerships, class divides, and the power of the consumer.

Gan Lin

Ye’s Shanghai Concert Ends in Chaos, Delays, and Refund Demands

Organizers apologized after fans stood in the rain, chanted for refunds, and watched the final songs play without Ye on stage.

Jiang Xinyi

Sound of Silence: Musicians Postpone Concerts Due to Gaokao Clash

Several musicians have been forced to postpone shows after parents complained about potential disruptions ahead of the nation’s most important exam.

Casting Call: How Actors are Faking Livestreaming Drama

Amid intense competition, many social media hosts are relying on scripted interactions with hired actors to boost traffic and market products.

Zhong Chudi

Niu  Linfeng

Can Overseas Expansion Save China’s Ultrashort Industry?

China can produce an estimated 40,000 ultrashorts a year. Now, fierce competition at home is pressuring companies to look abroad.

Lo La

Golden Oldies: Aging Fans Fuel Pop Singer’s Comeback

After a decade away from the spotlight, musician Dao Lang has struck a chord with middle-aged and elderly fans for his grassroots style.