These days, several Chinese video platforms are not just aiming to be alternatives to YouTube but are also trying to position themselves as the Netflix of China. As a result, some of these sites are engaging in quite complex content strategies. There are also video platforms created by Chinese companies that resemble, or once aspired to be, the Chinese equivalent of YouTube, and many of them play a significant role in shaping the daily lives of countless people in China.
1. YouKu Video Platforms
| Website | https://www.youku.com/ |
| Launched | 21 December 2003 |
| Founder | Victor Koo |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China; Shanghai, China; |
I believe YouKu was once the closest platform to becoming China’s equivalent of YouTube. The name itself suggests that YouKu aimed to be a video-sharing site similar to YouTube, and I must admit it was quite close to achieving that goal. However, as more major companies entered the video platform arena, YouKu’s leading position was significantly challenged, dropping from first place to around the third or fourth spot today.
Despite this, YouKu remains one of the most influential video platforms in China. Its video content is diverse and of high quality. If you’re visiting China for the first time and having trouble accessing YouTube, YouKu is worth checking out. It offers a glimpse into the types of content that are popular in China, providing insight into the daily lives of modern Chinese people.
YouKu also features some excellent original entertainment shows, with popular titles like “Street Dance of China” and “Dunk of China.” Additionally, it holds numerous copyrights for films and TV series, allowing viewers to enjoy a wide range of domestic shows, series, and movies.
Similar to YouTube, YouKu encourages users to create personal channels and produce creative video content, so you can find a variety of interesting Chinese-style entertainment that might remind you of YouTube.
2. Bilibili Video Platforms
| Website | https://www.bilibili.com/ |
| Launched | June 2009 |
| Created by | Xu Yi |
| Headquarters location | Shanghai, China |
Nowadays, I see Bilibili as the Chinese equivalent of YouTube. This video platform really impresses me—not just because of its high user engagement, but also because it has absolutely no ads during video playback. Unlike YouTube, where you often have to endure annoying ads for a few seconds, Bilibili offers a completely ad-free experience.
I believe one of the key reasons for Bilibili’s success is its commitment to its unique style. The rise of “Second Dimension” culture in China can largely be attributed to the content produced by Bilibili. Every day, countless young Chinese creators are actively making a variety of anime-related content, which has been Bilibili’s focus since its inception.
Over the years, Bilibili has developed a strong connection with its users and built a solid reputation in the industry, attracting a diverse range of users with different interests and hobbies. Today, Bilibili stands out as one of the most varied video platforms in China, drawing in many young people, including Generation Z.
Anime content remains Bilibili’s strongest suit. If you’re on the hunt for anime videos in China, Bilibili is definitely the place to go, as you can find nearly every mainstream anime from around the globe.
3. TuDou Video Platforms
| Website | https://www.tudou.com/ |
| Launched | February 15, 2005 |
| Key people | Gary Wang (CEO) |
| Headquarters location | Shanghai, China |
Aside from YouKu, TuDou was another website that had the potential to be the Chinese equivalent of YouTube. A decade ago, three major platforms were competing for dominance in the Chinese video market: YOUKU, 56, and TUDOU. I recall that nearly all video content at that time was provided by these three platforms, and I believed TUDOU was the top contender, especially after it was listed on NASDAQ in 2011 with a valuation exceeding 800 million dollars.
However, as YouKu grew stronger, Tudou opted for collaboration rather than confrontation. In 2013, TUDOU and YOUKU announced their merger, forming the YouTudou video company. Although the two platforms continued to operate independently, YOUKU’s influence gradually overshadowed TUDOU, ultimately leading to its decline.
By 2017, TuDou had officially shifted to a short video platform, which meant that users could no longer find the creative and substantial content they once enjoyed, replaced instead by a plethora of dull and uninspired short videos. While you can still stumble upon some interesting clips on TuDou today, the overall quality has significantly diminished.
4. 56 Video Video Platforms
| Website | https://www.56.com/ |
| Launched | October 2005 |
| Key people | Zhou Juan |
| Headquarters location | Guangzhou, China |
My video website was quite memorable, and I truly believe it had the potential to become the Chinese equivalent of YouTube. During the intense competition between YOUKU and TUDOU, 56 Video managed to stay under the radar while still playing its part in the industry. At that time, 56 Video used YouTube’s theme colors, which reminded many of the original platform, and users enjoyed uploading videos there due to its user-friendly experience, allowing them to create their own channels. As a high school student, I developed a passion for street dance and found countless amazing street dance videos on 56, which really helped me improve.
Interestingly, 56 Video struggled to manage its vast array of content, leading to an increase in negative material. Eventually, the MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) intervened, demanding immediate changes and imposing strict penalties, which resulted in a significant loss of users and severely damaged 56 Video’s reputation. Nowadays, people rarely mention 56 Video, as there isn’t much to watch, and the available content is often repetitive, lacking creativity and originality.
5. AcFun Video Platforms
| Website | https://www.acfun.cn/ |
| Launched | June 2007 |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Current status | Online |
In my view, AcFun was meant to be a competitor to Bilibili, often referred to as the Chinese version of YouTube. However, the reality is quite different. AcFun initially gained popularity in China because it didn’t include advertisements in its videos. Similar to the rivalry between YouKu and TuDou, AcFun has been overshadowed by its stronger competitor, Bilibili.
The approach AcFun took for its website development was quite similar to Bilibili’s, emphasizing a great user experience and focusing on anime-related content. However, one of AcFun’s major missteps was its excessive focus on encouraging user-generated content while neglecting the crucial issue of copyright protection for various TV shows, anime, and films from third-party companies.
As a result, users soon realized that AcFun had fewer popular series and shows, leading them to migrate to Bilibili, which has a broader range of copyrights and resources. AcFun is no longer a significant rival to Bilibili. I’ve heard that AcFun faced serious financial difficulties, but fortunately, it has managed to survive.
Last month (August 2019), AcFun announced a 500 million RMB investment in original content production, aiming to encourage collaboration with creators on its platform and hoping to regain some market share in China.
6. Tencent Video Video Platforms
| Website | https://v.qq.com/ |
| Launched | April 2011 |
| Owned by | Tencent |
| Products | Streaming media |
When you think of Tencent Video, you might immediately compare it to Netflix rather than YouTube. However, Tencent Video has been investing heavily in developing and attracting talented content creators. In addition to the content produced by Tencent itself, there are numerous personal channels available for you to explore.
Tencent is a major player in China, and years ago, it didn’t focus much on the video platform sector. But as mobile devices and networks advanced, Tencent recognized the potential and began to invest in building its video platform. With significant investments and the strength of its social networks like WeChat and QQ, Tencent Video quickly became one of the most popular video platforms in the country. Today, it ranks among the top three video platforms in China.
You can discover a variety of quality TV shows produced by Tencent, as well as content imported from abroad and creative user-generated videos. While the user experience may not yet match that of YouTube, I believe you’ll find plenty of worthwhile content to enjoy.
7. SoHu Video Video Platforms
| Website | https://tv.sohu.com/ |
| Launched | August 1996 |
| Founder | Charles Zhang and Edward Roberts |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China |
SoHu Video, much like Tencent Video, often gives the impression that it’s not just the Chinese equivalent of YouTube, but rather a version of Netflix tailored for China. What many may not realize is that SoHu Video actually hosts a variety of personal channels and has been actively promoting content creation among its users, similar to Tencent Video’s approach. Initially, SoHu focused on delivering a range of American TV shows and series, which attracted a large number of young Chinese viewers who loved shows like “The Big Bang Theory,” “House of Cards,” and “Breaking Bad.”
The path to success seemed straightforward for SoHu Video until the Chinese government decided to restrict foreign content and bolster the domestic film and television industry. This shift hit SoHu hard, prompting a pivot towards investing in original content creators in an effort to reclaim lost market share. While I can’t definitively say that this situation is the sole reason SoHu has struggled to regain its former glory, it certainly played a significant role.
Nowadays, although we can still find American TV shows on SoHu, the experience in terms of both quantity and quality has changed. Competing platforms like iQiYi and Tencent Video now offer a much wider array of content.
8. KU6 Video Platforms
| Website | https://www.ku6.com/index |
| Launched | 2006 |
| Key people | Fang Du |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China |
Once aimed at replacing YouKu by primarily producing entertainment content, KU6 made quite an impact in the market. I recall there were many unique resources that could only be found on KU6. Established in 2006, the KU6 video platform, like others, sought to become the Chinese equivalent of YouTube, providing users with a wide array of content, including news, entertainment, sports, and user-generated videos.
In 2007, KU6 struck a business partnership with Baidu and secured $10 million from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and DT Capital Partners. At that time, most of the videos on KU6 were short-form clips submitted by users, and they were performing quite well. However, after KU6 received a license from SARFT and launched the “KU6 Media Theater” in 2010, its dream of becoming the next YouTube began to fade, evolving instead into a platform reminiscent of Netflix and Hulu.
I’m not convinced this transformation was successful. As of today, I don’t see KU6 as competitive in the market. If you visit the KU6 website now, you’ll find just another short video platform, which is rather unimpressive.
9. Baidu Video Video Platforms
| Website | http://v.baidu.com/ |
| Launched | January 1, 2000 |
| Founder | Robin Li, Eric Xu |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China |
Baidu, known for having the most powerful search engine in China, has long aspired to create a platform similar to YouTube, much like Google has. Unfortunately, it has never quite managed to achieve that goal. Despite significant investments in both written and video content, Baidu seems to lack the necessary talent or perhaps just the luck to succeed in the content creation arena, even with its robust search engine at its disposal.
Currently, Baidu operates a video site called Baidu Video, but it remains relatively unpopular. The site was intended to consolidate video content from various platforms, aiming to become the go-to video hub for Chinese users. However, no video platform is willing to enter into agreements that would allow Baidu to dominate the market, which has left Baidu struggling to access quality original content and generate much of its own.
In terms of user experience and content quality, Baidu faces little competition from successful platforms like Bilibili, Youku, and Tencent Video.
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FAQ: Video Platforms
Is watching YouTube in China illegal?
It’s not illegal watching YouTube in China. It’s just because Youtube is blocked in China, you need to find a way to access YouTube. Using a VPN to unblock YouTube is certainly the best way and it’s legal in China.
Is TikTok blocked in China?
TikTok is not available in China but users in China can download a twin app called Douyin, which has totally the same function and is also developed by Bytedancee.
Is Netflix blocked in China?
According to the Netflix help center, Netflix is not available in China, Crimea, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. But Netflix is available for streaming in over 190 countries and its library of TV shows and movies varies based on the country and will change from time to time.
