Working for themselves

The story is told in the first season of the six-episode documentary Aspiring Jobs in China, which began streaming online through Tencent Video, iQiyi and Bilibili on Oct 19.

According to Tang Sishi, general producer of the show, in recent years, people seem anxious about their jobs, and have created popular terms to depict that, like "996 working schedule", which refers to working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, and neijuan, or involution, a situation in which participants are trapped in fierce and endless competition. However, she says many people around her, including herself, actually enjoy their work.

"I want to tell the stories of those who take pleasure in their jobs so as to inspire others. I hope people can find hope despite the overwhelming anxiety and negative attitudes toward certain jobs on the internet," says Tang.