Shanghai secures its standing at top of livestreaming totem

Zhu Yiwen, better known online as "Wangwang", has been hailed by netizens as a model of how ordinary people can reach the peak of the livestreaming industry.

With 860,000 followers on lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, she started in the industry in February 2019 by joining Meione (Shanghai) Network Technology Co.

On Aug 18 the same year, Wangwang became an assistant to top livestreamer Li Jiaqi. She gradually, and literally, moved into the frame, first showing a shoulder, then taking over the livestream for a few seconds, and eventually, a few minutes.

On Nov 1, 2020, when Li had to step away from the livestream for more than 20 minutes Wangwang had to take over. It was her first time hosting on her own, and to her surprise, the session went well. That moment gave her confidence, and today, at 29, she is one of Meione's front-line livestreaming hosts.

On Oct 15, Wangwang joined the hectic annual Singles Day shopping festival, streaming for seven to eight hours a day, compared with her usual four to five hours.

Shanghai's booming e-commerce economy is inspiring many young people to pursue careers as livestream hosts.

Zhang Ying, known as Niannian, is 26 and originally from Anhui province. She began her livestreaming career at the end of 2021 after graduating from a university in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, and has now been in the industry for nearly four years.

Niannian started in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, covering the computer, communication and consumer electronics sector, then moved on to beauty products and women's fashion.

In September 2024, Niannian joined the Shanghai-based company Baozun, an e-commerce service provider for brands. Unlike many other young people, her day often begins as early as 4 am.

"A typical livestreaming day has a morning, noon, and evening session, and I mainly handle the morning slot. We arrive at the studio just after 6 am to prepare products, plan outfits, and arrange the display order before going live at 7 am. My session usually ends around noon, followed by a team meeting to review the broadcast," Niannian said.

Afternoons are her free time. She often goes shopping with friends to discover the latest products and trends, and has recently started taking Pilates classes to stay active and maintain a lighter posture. She typically goes to bed between 8 pm and 9 pm.