HEFEI: China's online literature industry continued to grow in both scale and global influence in 2025, with the total number of online literary works exceeding 33 million and the overseas readership reaching about 250 million, according to a report released on Thursday.
The figures were announced during the 2026 China Online Literature Forum hosted by the Chinese Writers Association (CWA) in Hefei, Anhui Province.
By the end of 2025, the industry had attracted more than half a billion readers and exported more than 130,000 online literary works to overseas markets. Last year, it gained 40 million new overseas registered users, with active users spanning more than 200 countries and regions, the report said.
Data showed that overseas platforms for online literature and related micro dramas had a combined daily active user base of 60 million, generating more than eight billion yuan (about US$1.2 billion) in overseas revenue.
In 2025, the industry saw continued innovation and improved quality, with genres such as realistic fiction, science fiction and fantasy producing more high-quality works, the report noted.
"With compelling storylines, distinctive characters and imaginative settings, Chinese online literature has resonated across different cultures and gained popularity worldwide," said He Hong, director of the CWA's online literature centre.
Chinese online literature has not only attracted a growing global readership but has also inspired creators around the world.
Yuewen Group, a Chinese enterprise with online literature as its core business, has attracted more than 530,000 authors from countries including the United States, Brazil and Indonesia to its overseas platform.
"These writers are drawing on the storytelling approaches of Chinese online literature to tell their own stories," said Wang Zhongjie, general manager of the company's overseas business.
The influence of Chinese online literature is also extending beyond the written word, as more literary works are being adapted into various forms of cultural products. This cross-media integration has given rise to a new cultural ecosystem involving the "new trio" of web literature, online dramas and video games.
"Joy of Life", a popular Chinese time-travel web novel, is one example of how online literature has expanded into different forms of media. The novel has inspired audiobooks, animations, television productions and video games. In 2024, the second season of its television adaptation was translated into 14 languages and streamed on multiple overseas platforms, including Disney+.
"In the past, web literature, online dramas and video games developed along separate paths. Now the three sectors are forging a powerful synergy," said Zeng Fanwen, executive director of the Research Institute of Cultural Industries at Renmin University of China.
"While web novels serve as the content source, micro dramas rapidly boost popularity, and video games create deep, long-term value," Zeng added.
"Chinese stories are worth telling," said Charles-Emmanuel Dewees, co-founder of the French web novel platform Chinareads. He believes that, with the help of AI, more global readers will be able to experience the appeal of Chinese online literature in different languages.
"Chinese online literature not only offers a source of enjoyment, but also opens a window for international readers to better understand China," he said. "I would encourage them to visit China when they have the opportunity and experience the profound heritage of Chinese culture firsthand." — Xinhua
