Ancient poetry gains fans through new technologies

Literature professor Dai Jianye became famous online when video clips of his accented, humorous and insightful interpretations of ancient poems went viral on a popular short video platform, drawing nearly 2 million fans.

"The Chinese are wise and the language is beautiful," said Dai, who teaches at Central China Normal University. "Ancient poetry combines both and should be studied and shared."

The popularity of the 62-year-old's lectures is just part of revival in interest in ancient poetry, as new technologies, platforms and programs help elevate the literary works. Several television shows have made ancient poetry lovers and experts into stars, including the hit show Chinese Poetry Conference, launched in 2016, which was recently won by a poetry-loving fast-food courier.