While most TV stations and video-streaming platforms try to attract people by producing reality shows with many popular stars, Henan TV has become popular by producing seven dance pieces highlighting traditional culture, such as Rhapsody on the Luo River Goddess, a two-minute underwater dance.
Yao Wei, director of the TV station's Innovation Center, was invited to talk about how the TV station had produced the hit dance pieces at the three-day forum centering on the research of Chinese dance last month. "The seven dance pieces have got nearly 30 billion hits on social media platforms. That's a huge success for Henan TV," said Yao.
The pieces made an emotional effect on people, most of whom are members of Gen Z (people born between 1995 and 2009), Yao said." Young people have grown up with a more open mindset and they accept Chinese culture willingly and are proud of it," he added. "What we need to do is present Chinese culture in more interesting ways."
Yao pointed out that they are also changing their shows to attract younger people. One of the keys is to produce content with strong visual creativity, such as the latest technology and stage settings, like underwater scenes, which have become the new ways of telling stories about traditional Chinese culture. Another key to successfully reaching younger people is using social media platforms to move up the shows.
"Social media is being shaped and driven by young people. It's a powerful form of communication. When they take a quick scroll through their phones, they easily become interested in an eye-catching video." Yao said.
