{"id":858,"date":"2026-03-16T13:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T05:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/?p=858"},"modified":"2026-05-07T00:31:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T16:31:39","slug":"how-chinas-retirees-became-social-media-superstars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/how-chinas-retirees-became-social-media-superstars.html","title":{"rendered":"How China\u2019s retirees became social media superstars"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column]

<\/div>

How China\u2019s retirees became social media superstars<\/h2><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

More of the country\u2019s senior citizens are diving into content creation \u2013\u00a0and challenging ageist stereotypes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Wang Meiqi, Sun Renbin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

March 16, 2026, 12:01am<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Liu<\/div>
Liu Meng (right) teaches residents how to shoot video on a smartphone at an elderly care service centre (Xinhua\/Chen Zeguo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cI never expected so many people to be interested in an old guy like me,\u201d says Liu, an elderly resident of the coastal city of Dalian in northeast China.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

When Liu retired from his factory job in 2017 he found himself adrift, grappling with a profound sense of loss in the quiet days that followed. Encouraged by his son, he decided to try social media.<\/p>\n

As a true foodie passionate about cooking and tasting regional cuisines, Liu began posting culinary videos online. Now approaching his 70th birthday, he has amassed over 5 million followers on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Among<\/div>
Among those showcasing their talents is flute player Li Julong, 69 (Xinhua\/Peng Ziyang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

\u201cI\u2019m so inspired by what my viewers have said,\u201d he reflected, after filming a five-minute clip on his phone of a homemade seafood feast. \u201cThat really gave me the confidence to keep making these videos.\u201d<\/p>\n

A growing number of older Chinese people like Liu are jumping into the digital world. By June 2025, the number of internet users aged 60 and above in China had reached 161 million, covering over half of the country\u2019s senior population, according to figures released by the China Internet Network Information Center.<\/p>\n

And they\u2019re not all just browsing. The elderly are stepping into the spotlight as content creators: actively posting and sharing their lives on social media, from yellowed photos telling stories of the past to hobbies rediscovered in retirement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Wang<\/div>
Wang Tiantian mics up Dai Shuying ahead of filming (Xinhua\/Zhou Mu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Xiaohongshu, known as Rednote outside of China and deemed a \u201cgathering place for young people\u201d, is also attracting its fair share of older users. By the end of 2024 the number of active monthly users aged 60 and above on the lifestyle-sharing platform had exceeded 30 million, while the number of its elderly content creators has tripled in the past two years. Senior users have published more than 100 million posts.<\/p>\n

Their content has found an enthusiastic audience, particularly among young Chinese people. On Douyin, the follower counts of silver-haired influencers have reached up to 34 million, and the number of posts under the \u201cGrandpa and Grandma\u201d topic has surpassed 10 billion.<\/p>\n

For 27-year-old Hu Yihang, checking for Liu\u2019s latest videos on Douyin has become a bedtime routine. \u201cThere\u2019s something so relatable about Liu. Every time I watch these videos, he reminds me of my own grandpa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Peng<\/div>
Peng Guofei, 75 \u2013 aka \u201cGrandpa Fei\u201d \u2013 is one of China\u2019s best known senior content creators (Xinhua\/Xue Yuge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

China is home to the world\u2019s largest elderly population, with over 320 million people aged 60 and above by the end of 2025, accounting for more than a fifth of its total. The Chinese government is stepping up to adapt to an ageing demographic, striving to provide better services.<\/p>\n

In 2024, China\u2019s central government issued guidelines to develop the silver economy and improve seniors\u2019 wellbeing. They emphasise the importance of enriching seniors\u2019 cultural and sports activities as well as fostering the development of content industries tailored to their tastes, including literature, radio, film, television, music, short video and other media.<\/p>\n

\u201cChina must actively respond to population ageing and refine the policies and mechanisms for coordinating the development of elderly care programmes and industries,\u201d the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China noted in its recommendations for the country\u2019s five-year plan spanning 2026 to 2030.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Bamboo<\/div>
Bamboo maestro Li Nian\u2019gen, 62, and his team livestream weaving techniques (Xinhua\/Zhou Mi)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

In recent years, senior training courses covering a wide range of areas \u2013 such as using smartphones, shopping online, and filming and editing short videos \u2013 have been offered by public institutions across China, lowering digital barriers.<\/p>\n

The private sector has also been supportive. In 2024, Rednote invested 3.4 billion yuan (\u00a3360 million) to introduce senior-friendly updates, including enlarged fonts and simplified interactions.<\/p>\n

\u201cElderly users aren\u2019t resistant to new technology \u2013 they just need digital designs that better suit their needs,\u201d a Rednote product manager said, adding that the platform\u2019s optimisations have directly contributed to a rise in elderly creators.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Female<\/div>
Female street dance group Huo Mei Gui \u2013 whose members range in age from 45 to 71 \u2013 are among those sharing their work digitally (Xinhua\/Li An)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

The trend of older people flocking to social media is part of a broader shift in perceptions of ageing in China.<\/p>\n

Surveys conducted by Renmin University of China in 2014 and 2020 found that Chinese seniors are becoming increasingly positive about growing older. In 2014, over 75 per cent of elderly respondents strongly or somewhat agreed that they were old; in 2020, this proportion fell to 47 per cent, reflecting a change in mindset.<\/p>\n

Liu, the foodie influencer in Dalian, is delighted to see how his social media adventure cheers up his whole family. His son and daughter-in-law help shoot and produce the short videos, and his wife, who is also retired, appears as the lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing old in years doesn\u2019t mean growing old in spirit,\u201d Liu shared online. \u201cKeeping a sense of curiosity towards life helps me stay positive and energetic, and makes my retirement more fulfilling and vibrant.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] More of the country\u2019s senior citizens are diving into content creation \u2013\u00a0and challenging ageist stereotypes Wang Meiqi, Sun Renbin March 16, 2026, 12:01am Liu Meng (right) teaches residents how to shoot video on a smartphone at an elderly care service centre (Xinhua\/Chen Zeguo) \u201cI never expected so many people to be interested in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-12","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1794,"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858\/revisions\/1794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}