Chinese online literature accelerates global expansion - IOL

Merchandise derived from the Chinese web novel "Lord of Mysteries" on display at the British Library.

The China Writers Association has recently released the 2025 China Online Literature Blue Book, which shows that by the end of 2025, more than 130,000 Chinese online literature works were distributed overseas, with about 250 million registered overseas users and active users in more than 200 countries and regions. Overseas revenue exceeded 8 billion yuan (about $1.2 billion), including revenue from micro-dramas operated by online literature platforms.

On the international platform of qidian.com, a major Chinese online literature website, the Chinese web novel "Lord of Mysteries" has been translated into more than 10 languages, becoming a breakout hit and a standout example of Chinese online literature going global.

The Blue Book notes that genres such as fantasy, wuxia and historical fiction prominently feature traditional Confucian and Taoist cultures, chivalrous spirit, and a sense of family and country. These elements are becoming cultural markers of Chinese civilization embraced by readers worldwide.

"This is also a two-way convergence between the drive to improve the quality of Chinese online literature and the evolving reading expectations of young readers overseas," said Li Wei, a professor at Nanjing Normal University.

Chinese online literature is not only providing overseas readers with a wealth of quality reading material, but also opening new avenues for them to engage more deeply and create their own works.

Caven, a British man born in the 1990s, is an avid reader of Chinese online literature. He once submitted a novel he had written to a traditional publisher, only to be turned down. He then turned to a Chinese online literature platform to publish his work. Several years later, his novel blending the elements common in Chinese web fiction with Western fantasy settings became a major hit.

Photo shows the cover of the Chinese web novel "Flourished Peony," which has been added to the British Library's collection.

"A global wave of co-creation is giving rise to a new universe of youth-oriented cultural IPs led by young people, and a truly global market is taking shape," said Hou Xiaonan, CEO and president of Yuewen Group, a Chinese cultural company.

With the rapid development of AI translation technology, more and more Chinese web novels can be translated into multiple languages at the click of a mouse and reach readers worldwide. Young people overseas are also joining in, using the Chinese online literature model to tell their own cultural stories.

The Blue Book also notes that the overseas expansion of Chinese online literature has moved beyond merely exporting texts to encompassing narratives and cultural values. China's online literature production model has been successfully replicated overseas, creating a sustainable growth engine.

"We don't just want to send China's best stories overseas. We also hope to share with the world the creative experience, production mechanisms and business models that Chinese online literature has developed over more than two decades, so that people around the world who have the ability and desire to write can tell their own stories," said Wang Zhongjie, general manager of overseas business at Yuewen Group.

At the beginning of 2026, the micro-drama titled "Yi Pin Bu Yi," produced by COL Group, a licensed Chinese e-book content provider in China, became a hit overseas. Adapted from a web novel, the micro-drama kept many overseas viewers up late at night watching episode after episode. Some viewers even turned knowledge featured in the series into illustrated guides, sparking a wave of fan-created content on overseas social media platforms.

"The latest wave of cultural products going global involves the coordinated expansion overseas of diverse forms of content, including online literature, video games and micro-dramas, with online literature serving as the biggest source of IP for cultural products," said Ma Tao, COL Group's head of strategy.

In fact, Chinese online literature IPs have sparked a global development boom and are becoming deeply integrated into the global cultural industry.