Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP
Opinion
Opinion
Across The Border
How young internet ‘celebrities’ are driving online retail
Internet starlets – sometimes catwalk models, or what are being referred to as ‘Wanghong’ – are believed to have generated US$8.68b in sales in 2016, US$1.5b more than China’s total box office
Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP