Wu Jingjing's Douyin account. (Screenshot Photo)

Sichuan Opera actress Wu Jingjing has become very popular on Chinese short video platform Douyin since she opened an account in June 2022.

Wu has published over 100 videos and live streamed nearly 300 times, drawing over six million views and 140,000 followers.

She has put all associated income to her performing career and public welfare undertakings,  coaching more than 30 students, ranging from six to 30 years old.

According to Wu, the effect is great when she combines cosplay with trending topics on Douyin. She believes it offers her followers a new way to interpret, preserve and develop traditional culture.

In recent years, increasing inheritors of intangible cultural heritage have turned to short video platforms to promote traditional Chinese culture.

According to the 2023 Intangible Cultural Heritage Data Report released by Douyin, by May 2023, there were 19,000 live streams of intangible cultural heritage every day, with an average of 13 live streams per minute.

Another report released by Douyin shows in the past year, live streams that focus on performing arts in Henan Province exceeded 2.27 million, up 63 percent year-on-year, equivalent to 6,200 cultural performances in the province per day.

The total number of live streams based on performing arts in Guangdong Province reached 2.39 million, up 78 percent year-on-year, while those for opera increased by 115 percent, twice the number across China, the report showed.

Last year, Douyin launched a variety of incentives to help users to carry forward traditional Chinese culture.