Across China: Silver-haired influencers winning hearts of China's Gen Z

Actor Wang Deshun interacts with the audience at a cinema in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

SHENYANG, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- As the stage lights up, 65-year-old Li Wenshan, whose fans affectionately refer to him as "Grandpa Shanshan," stands at the microphone with his right hand tucked casually in his pocket. In the crowd below, more than 700 youthful faces look up in anticipation. Many had snapped up tickets a month in advance or traveled from other cities just to watch the silver-haired comedian perform live.

Li is a military veteran-turned-comedian from the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang. After he retired from the military following over 30 years of service, he developed a passion for stand-up comedy by watching online videos, which led him to pursue a new career as a live performer and online influencer.

On stage, Li is often clad in his trademark blue shirt, speaking with calm wit and spinning stories of family squabbles, memory lapses and even mortality into humorous tales that resonate across generations. Today, he performs regularly in various cities around China and has amassed over 1 million social media followers.

Li is just one of a growing number of elderly Chinese residents who are embracing the digital world and connecting with a massive following of young people. According to a report from the China Internet Network Information Center, China had 161 million internet users aged 60 and above by June 2025, with an internet penetration rate of 52 percent among the group.

Social media platforms have also been enhancing accessibility for their growing senior user bases through upgrades involving simplified interfaces and voice technology, among other features.

On Chinese short-video platforms, users can scroll through colorful feeds from elderly influencers. "Granny Meiying," an influencer in her 90s, has amassed over 1 million fans of her vlogs documenting her incredibly busy, productive daily routine, which many young viewers see as a model of purposeful living and resilience.

A hugely popular account on Douyin, which is the Chinese version of TikTok, showcases the lives of senior residents with an average age of over 75 who live at the Jingya Nursing Home in the northern city of Tianjin, and has garnered more than 10 million likes to date.

For 27-year-old Hu Yihang, watching these silver-haired creators has become a cherished nightly ritual. They often remind him of his grandparents, he told Xinhua, which brings him a sense of familiarity and comfort.

Many members of Hu's generation share this affection for elderly influencers, actively supporting them by purchasing tickets to their shows, following their content and engaging with their online posts.

"The intergenerational connection is key to the appeal of silver-haired influencers to Gen Z," said Zhang Sining, a researcher at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, adding that for many young people, the charm of these elderly creators lies in their "slow-living" lifestyle -- a comforting antidote to the pressures of a fast-paced modern world.

Zhang also noted that the popularity of elderly influencers is a powerful showcase of ageless vitality, presenting a vision of aging that is secure, joyful and purposeful.

According to Li, his audience -- once dominated by young people -- now includes more middle-aged and elderly viewers. Some young fans even bring along their parents, who seek his advice on performing.

"I'm happy to see more seniors on the stand-up stage," he said. ■

Actor Wang Deshun (C) interacts with the audience at a cinema in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Gang)