China 101
Short video
短视频
The algorithmically-fed vertical video format, usually under a minute, that has become the dominant way Chinese internet users consume media.
Short video refers to the endless vertical feed of clips, typically 15 seconds to a few minutes, personalized by recommendation algorithms. In China this format, led by Douyin and Kuaishou, absorbed the attention that once went to television, text feeds, and even search.
The numbers explain its gravity: Chinese users spend multiple hours a day in short video apps, and the format has become the default entry point for news, cooking tutorials, comedy, product discovery, and local business marketing. Whole industries, from tourism bureaus to county-level factories, now plan their outreach around short video first.
Short video is also the discovery engine behind most consumer crazes covered on this site: a snack, toy, or destination goes viral in the feed, then spikes in search and sales. Understanding any Chinese trend usually starts with understanding what the algorithm amplified that week.