From 'digital pickles' to an entertainment giant

A bigger landscape

The industry's transformation has also gained recognition among insiders. Dong Tao, an industry researcher and council member of the China Literature and Art Critics Association, says that the sector's market value grew from just 940 million yuan in 2020 to 50.5 billion yuan in 2024, the first year it surpassed China's annual box-office revenue, before doubling again last year.

"For a long time, some industry insiders underestimated micro-short dramas," Dong says. "Now the focus should be on improving quality and production standards so that more compelling Chinese stories can reach international audiences."

Signs of that shift are already emerging. One recent example is Meng Ying (Dreaming Cinema), a tribute produced for the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema. The story follows a film archivist who travels back to 1905 in search of the original reel of Dingjun Mountain, performed by Peking Opera artist Tan Xinpei and believed to be China's first film.

Leng Song, director of the audiovisual research office at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes the genre has gradually shed some of the stereotypes attached to it.

"Micro-short dramas were once criticized as 'digital pickles' and accused of promoting 'aesthetic decline'. However, as more creators explore history, culture and reality-based themes, the genre can also offer audiences a rich cultural feast," says Leng.

Popular examples include productions commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). Among them are Bussiere Garden, inspired by the true story of French doctor Jean Augustin Bussiere, who transported medicine for the Eighth Route Army during the war, and The Red Cradle, about a nursery in Yan'an that escorted 136 children of martyrs to a safe zone in 1946, when the Kuomintang launched an all-out offensive against the liberated areas of the Communist Party of China.

Meanwhile, the genre is increasingly moving beyond smartphones. Last year, 124 high-quality micro-short dramas were broadcast on the country's satellite television channels. Of those, 42 were produced in Beijing, the highest number among Chinese cities.

"Micro-short dramas are evolving from an emerging form of mass entertainment into a globally oriented content product that balances cultural expression with commercial potential. Their growing influence at home and abroad is helping Chinese stories cross linguistic and cultural boundaries to find shared emotional resonance," adds Leng.