Once a form of niche entertainment, Chinese online literature has emerged as a new cultural bridge to the world, from serialized novels to adaptations of television, games and animation.
According to a report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in 2024, the overseas market for online literature in China exceeded 5 billion yuan ($695.09 million). Today, the expanding community includes 460,000 international web novel authors and over 350 million readers in more than 200 countries.
In Cannes, France, her mother found inspiration with her release. Witch is a fantasy novel set in an alternative medieval world. Filmed in a scene describing Chinese desserts, she wanted to make “Ice Simbaoji” for her children and bring the Chinese flavour to her home. Thousands of miles away in Quebec, Canada, a young woman working in kindergarten spends the night, translating her favorite Chinese web novels into French, uploading them online and sharing them with fellow readers.
Chinese online fiction is not just fascinating through fantasy. “We’re looking forward to seeing you in the world,” said Charles Dewes, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Chireads, a France-based online reading community.
Founded in 2017, Chireads is the largest hub for Chinese novel translation in the French-speaking world, mainly from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco and Canada, attracting nearly 1 million active users. On average, users spend more than 50 minutes a day on their site.
The forum flourishes thanks to licensing agreements with major Chinese platforms such as Qidian and China literature, allowing for high-quality translations that maintain the nuances of the original text. Comments on the site – “Fantastic!” “Attractive!” “Legend” – Testify to their growing popularity.
Dewees sees China’s web literature as both a storytelling power and a cultural ambassador.
“Thrilling plots, imaginative fantasy and heartfelt emotions resonate well beyond the Chinese border,” he said.
For Andean Ziadin, a Bangladeshi student at Hudang University in Shanghai, Chinese online fiction played a formative role in her life. Her first encounter came during a childhood visit to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, South China, where her entrepreneur’s parents often traveled for business. She discovered Chinese novels in her local library, which included web fiction, and quickly became engrossed. She continued reading online, even after returning to Bangladesh for secondary school.
Ziauddin, now 27 years old and seventh at the University of Houdun, has been a fan of Chinese web literature for over 20 years. She believes this appeal lies in shared cultural value. “South Asian readers can be deeply involved in Chinese stories about patience, destiny and justice,” she said.
In Korea, translator Park Woo Lee witnessed first-hand the growing appeal of Chinese online literature. She first found them in television adaptations such as Joy of Life and Nirvana in Fire. Today, she works with professional institutions to bring more of these works to Korean audiences through translation.
The impact of Chinese web literature in Korea has been growing significantly, Park said, gaining popularity among younger audiences, which has earned its TV drama adaptation.
She said that Chinese online literature covers a variety of genres, including history, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, waxia, romance and more. “There’s something for everyone.”
She has partly provided the genre’s widespread momentum in the strength of China’s online literary industry, developing a mature ecosystem of spinoffs and adaptations. “In Korea, many people learn about Chinese web novels through television shows and animation and return to their original work. Its adaptation cycle – how to go back to source – is very unique,” Park explained.
Zhang Bolan, Zhao Yipu, Mang Jiuchen (People’s Daily)