High stakes in short takes: Micro-drama industry levels up

Another notable example is Nongchao (Riding the Waves), an inspiring story of female entrepreneurship that follows a woman starting from a street stall in the early years of China's reform and opening-up in the 1980s, eventually building her clothing store into a popular local fashion brand.

Likewise, Jiejie De Santiao Zan (Sister's Three Hairpins) integrates elements of intangible cultural heritage, including Qinqiang Opera and shadow puppetry, and even invites inheritors of these arts to serve as consultants on the production.

"We are pleased to see the micro-drama sector diversifying and upgrading in quality. While genre dominance is fading, themes like realism, family, history and cultural tourism are gaining ground. Production quality has also improved significantly, with high-definition visuals becoming standard," says a representative of Hongguo.

"On the commercial front, brand collaborations with micro-dramas are deepening and maturing, moving beyond simple product placements toward deeper integration with content and scenarios. That reflects growing market confidence," the representative adds.

With upgraded production quality and more diverse content, the demographics of micro-drama audiences are also shifting toward younger age groups.

Actress Xu Mengyuan, 31, notes that this year, a growing number of social media users interacting with her about her micro-drama roles are young people.

Xu, who earlier played supporting roles in full-length TV series, stayed under the public radar until she began starring as the female lead in vertical-screen micro-dramas in 2024, and soon emerged as a highly sought-after actress in this thriving sector.

"Micro-dramas have opened a valuable pathway into the industry for many young people," she says.

"Whether formally trained or self-taught, many people aspire to work in the industry but often lack sufficient practical project experience. The rise of micro-dramas is now changing that by creating accessible entry points for emerging actors, directors and screenwriters to gain practical experience and build their careers."

Released on Dec 5 by the China Netcasting Services Association, the 2025 insight report on the micro-drama industry ecosystem shows that the core production sectors of the industry have driven the creation of 1.33 million jobs.

The demand for related talent surged 26 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2025, forming a full-chain job matrix covering screenwriting, directing, operation, marketing and other fields.