Young entrepreneurs blaze new trails via AI short dramas and cross-border e-commerce

Instead of chasing stable civil service jobs, batches of young graduates in Linyi start innovative digital businesses with AI short dramas and cross-border e-commerce as core tracks, telling authentic Chinese stories to global audiences via overseas social platforms.

Pang Rongxiang and two fellow graduates from Linyi University founded a cultural media firm focusing on AI drama production. The team created two original warm-themed short dramas themed kindness and love, which will premiere on TikTok across eight countries including the United States, Canada and Saudi Arabia at the end of July. Rooted in local Linyi catering culture, their work Stir-fried Chicken of Changhong Ridge uses AI technology to present regional folk customs in an easy-to-accept format for international viewers. Supported by OPC Innovation Park in Luozhuang District, the three young creators receive free office space, low-interest micro-loans and free cloud computing resources for one full year, with the park incubating over 200 digital startups to date. Another youth entrepreneur Miao Chengming leads a college student team to assist hundreds of small and medium-sized merchants from Linyi Trade City to develop cross-border stores on TikTok and Tem. They successfully sell labor protection gloves, plush toys and agricultural goods to Central Asia, Europe and Southeast Asia, and led more than 20 local manufacturers to participate in Kazakhstan's China Commodity Expo in early July. Linyi is the provincial pilot city for the Youth Store Program, building a replicable youth entrepreneurship model backed by China Youth Development Foundation.

Digital startups create new career paths for young talents in Yimeng region. The innovative youth business ecosystem showcasing Linyi's vitality in supporting youth innovation and international trade.

Editor：韩蒙蒙