Once dismissed as formulaic entertainment filled with exaggerated plots and melodramatic twists, China's booming micro-short drama industry is undergoing a transformation as creators place greater emphasis on storytelling, character development and social themes, industry experts said at a seminar in Beijing.
The rapid evolution comes as the sector continues to quickly expand. The latest industry figures show that the number of micro-short drama subscribers has surpassed 718 million, meaning that over 60 percent of Chinese internet users now watch the bite-sized productions, which are typically filmed in a vertical format and feature episodes lasting only a few minutes.
With the market now valued at more than 100 billion yuan ($14.7 billion) annually — more than double China's yearly box-office revenue — the once-niche entertainment format has attracted growing attention from both industry insiders and regulators.
"Micro-short dramas are entering a new stage marked by the emergence of high-quality productions," said Zhou Rong, deputy secretary-general of the Film and Television Art Committee of the China Television Art Exchange Association.
Zhou made the remarks at the 2026 Summer Micro-short Drama Review Conference, held on June 30 in Beijing. The seminar was hosted by the China Television Arts Committee under the guidance of the National Radio and Television Administration's Department of Online Audiovisual Program Management.
Creators behind 16 acclaimed micro-short dramas attended the event to share their creative experiences and discuss the industry's future development.
Among the productions highlighted at the conference were Love Makes Home, about a teenager who discovers she was switched at birth 17 years earlier; Xiao Man Ren Jian (A Time of Warmth), which portrays the bonds among several neighboring families in northeastern China; and The Crush, a romance centered on a misunderstood artist.
Participants agreed that audience expectations are also changing. Rather than simply seeking emotional stimulation through rapid plot twists, viewers are increasingly looking for emotional companionship and becoming invested in the long-term growth of characters.
He Hong, director of the Online Literature Center of the China Writers Association, said the development of micro-short dramas mirrors the evolution of online literature.
"Both forms reflect public emotions and their concerns. While early micro-short dramas largely provided instant emotional gratification, today's productions are paying greater attention to social issues and everyday values, demonstrating the industry's growing maturity," he said.
