30 Under 30 – ByteDance’s Next Creators: Gen Z at the Frontier of Content
How Liu Yan, a 24-year-old strategist, is shaping China’s digital culture and inspiring the next wave of creators.
📝 By Liang Chen | Tech & Media Correspondent
A Generation Born with Smartphones
For many in China’s Gen Z, childhood memories are not just textbooks and playgrounds, but also touchscreens and social feeds. Liu Yan (24) embodies this shift. As a content strategist at ByteDance, he is at the center of how short-form video, livestreaming, and AI-driven feeds are reshaping not just entertainment, but also China’s identity in the digital era.
Growing up in Hangzhou, Liu recalls watching his parents sell local tea leaves through Taobao. That early exposure to e-commerce taught him two lessons: creativity sells, and technology can turn local culture into global stories. Today, he is applying those lessons at ByteDance, helping design programs that support young creators from across China.
Empowering a New Wave of Creators
Liu Yan’s work focuses on bridging Gen Z talent with ByteDance’s platforms like Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese twin). He spearheads initiatives that give small-town youth training in editing, storytelling, and digital branding.
One such program, launched in Henan province, trained 300 rural youth in video production. Some now run viral Douyin channels featuring everything from local opera to rural cooking. “We’re not just teaching content creation,” Liu explains. “We’re giving young people a voice to share their own culture.”
This effort echoes China’s Rural Revitalization Strategy (乡村振兴战略)—using digital tools to reduce inequality and bring prosperity back to the countryside.
A Cultural Mission, Not Just Clicks
What sets Liu Yan apart is his belief that digital media is more than entertainment—it’s culture in motion. He actively promotes projects where Gen Z creators reinterpret traditional Chinese art forms. From Dunhuang-inspired dance videos to livestream calligraphy tutorials, he encourages content that links the past to the future.
“It’s not enough for Chinese youth to imitate Western trends,” Liu argues. “Our platforms must show the world the creativity rooted in Chinese soil.”
Challenges in the Spotlight
The path has not been smooth. Gen Z creators face pressures of algorithm-driven competition, burnout, and questions of authenticity. Critics argue that platforms risk promoting shallow fame. Liu acknowledges these concerns but insists training and mentorship are part of the solution.
He recently partnered with local universities to launch a Creator Ethics Program, where young influencers learn about balancing commercial success with social responsibility.
Recognition and the Road Ahead
Liu Yan has already been featured in China Youth Daily’s “New Voices of Media” and is often invited to speak at tech forums in Beijing and Shanghai. Yet he remains grounded: “I don’t want to be remembered as someone who made viral videos,” he says. “I want to be remembered as someone who helped a generation find its creative voice.”
Looking ahead, Liu envisions exporting Chinese Gen Z culture globally. His next project involves collaborating with young creators from Southeast Asia under the Digital Silk Road Initiative, showing how Chinese platforms can foster cross-cultural exchange.
A Gen Z Legacy
In Liu Yan’s story, we see more than a career path—we see a reflection of China’s youth: ambitious, creative, and rooted in both local traditions and global ambition.As he likes to tell new creators: “Don’t just chase clicks. Tell the stories your grandparents would recognize, and the world will listen.”
