As the industry becomes trapped in internal competition driven by the exhaustion of the "traffic dividend," one model is quietly reshaping the underlying logic of the short drama sector. Rather than a simple expansion of output, it is a systematic approach centered on social value, cultural value, and commercial value, guiding the industry from disorderly growth toward long-term sustainability. Taking Hangzhou's Rongliang Interactive Entertainment Media Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Rongliang MicroDrama") as a case study, this article explores the operating logic and industrial impact of the company's development model.
Poster of short drama Legend of Paris
From the Fuping Theater WeChat mini program with over 54 million monthly active users, to the internationally award-winning Legend of Paris, and to the "one drama, one route, one distinctive feature" approach that transforms cultural and tourism resources into compelling narratives, Rongliang Microdrama has, through distinctive practice, not only redefined the standard of a "good drama," but—together with the city of Hangzhou—have charted an advanced path toward an industry high ground: the "Rongliang Model."
The Resonance Between City and Enterprise: Why Hangzhou Can "Nurish" Rongliang
The emergence of the "Rongliang Model" in Hangzhou stems from a deep resonance between the city's unique DNA and the corporate philosophy behind Rongliang Microdrama.
Poster of short drama Searching East or West, Nothing Beats Nanxun
A Profound Cultural Heritage as Fertile Ground for Value Innovation. Hu Chaoqing, Vice President of Rongliang Microdrama, has noted that Hangzhou's "marvelous fusion of five thousand years of cultural heritage and cutting-edge technology" perfectly aligns with the creative philosophy that "a good drama = social value + cultural value + commercial value." The city's natural landscapes (West Lake, the Grand Canal) and historical legacies (Liangzhu culture, Song-dynasty aesthetics) form a natural reservoir for short drama creation.
Song Chao Lai De Xiao Gui Ren (The Young Nobleman from the Song Dynasty) uses a time-travel narrative to explore Southern Song culture, bringing the Deshou Palace ruins "back to life" through AIGC technology. Dong Xun Xi Xun Bu Ru Nan Xun (Searching East or West, Nothing Beats Nanxun) integrates millennia-old family values and ethical business traditions into eight heartwarming episodes shot on location in Nanxun Ancient Town. Rooted in regional culture, these works possess cultural depth and emotional resonance that go far beyond superficial thrills—this is the wellspring of cultural value in the "Rongliang Model."
Poster of short drama Building on the Moon
The Technological Engine of the "Capital of Digital Economy." As China's "No. 1 City for the Digital Economy, "Hangzhou provides robust technological support for maximizing value within the "Rongliang Model." Rongliang Microdrama integrates AI across the entire production chain. Its self-developed AI localization and translation system reduces overseas adaptation time for a single drama from 1–2 days to just 3–4 hours, improving efficiency by 50% and cutting costs by 30%. Sci-fi projects such as Wo Zai Yue Qiu Dang Bao Gong Tou (Building on the Moon) use an "AIGC + live-action" approach to break through the bottlenecks of high production costs. Here, technology is not merely a cost-cutting tool; it is a core productive force that expands creative boundaries and enables efficient global distribution—ensuring the sustainable realization of commercial value.
M511 Imagination Center in Xihu District, Hangzhou
A Pragmatic, Precise Policy Environment and a Closed-Loop Industry Ecosystem. Hangzhou's support policies are characterized by pragmatic, solution-oriented service. After Rongliang Microdrama settled in the M511 Imagination Center in Xihu District, government officials proactively engaged, offering detailed guidance on policies ranging from overseas distribution subsidies to talent residency incentives.
Meanwhile, Hangzhou has formed an efficient industrial loop—from the Zhijiang Screenwriters' Village (creative origins), to Linying Studios (production), and onward to major distribution platforms. This combination of "drip-irrigation" policy support and a "tropical rainforest-style" ecosystem allows enterprises to focus on value creation rather than survival logistics.
Together—culture providing depth, technology providing efficiency, and ecosystem providing support—these factors constitute the fertile ground on which the "Rongliang Model" was born and has flourished. City and enterprise are aligned around the core proposition of value creation, forming a deep, two-way synergy.
Decoding the "Rongliang Model": An Industry Operating System Driven by Three Values
Linying Studios
At its core, the "Rongliang Model" is an industry operating system designed around a three-value formula, driving content creation, industrial integration, and global distribution.
Social Value as the Foundation: From Traffic Consumables to Social Connectors
The foremost feature of the "Rongliang Model" is its departure from treating short dramas as mere "emotional fast-moving consumer goods," instead reshaping them into connectors with positive social impact.
Poster of short drama Dream of Waterside Charm in Tangqi
Responding to the spirit of the times and empowering mainstream narratives. Rongliang Microdrama actively aligns with initiatives such as the National Radio and Television Administration's "Travel with Short Dramas." Works like Shui Yun Feng Qing Meng Tang Qi (Dream of Waterside Charm in Tangqi) (rural revitalization) and Lin Ping, Xiang Xing Fu Chu Fa (Linping: Setting Off Toward Happiness) (intangible cultural heritage) have been repeatedly selected for official recommendation lists. This is not formulaic theme-based production, but a genuine integration of mainstream values with public emotion and local development. For example, Dai Ni Qu Ge Hao Di Fang (Take You to a Good Place) directly brought over 300,000 tourists to Wuyi County, generating more than 25 million yuan in tourism revenue—successfully converting "online traffic" into "offline retention."
Poster of short drama Take You to a Good Place
Returning to humanistic care and emotional resonance. Hu Chaoqing believes that premium content must return to "flesh-and-blood ordinary people." Whether in the eight stories of honesty and mutual aid in Searching East or West, Nothing Beats Nanxun, or in works focusing on grassroots governance and heritage transmission, the core lies in nuanced portrayals of real lives and emotions—endowing the content with the power to transcend circles and build deep connections.
Cultural Value as the Soul: From Cultural Symbols to Experiential Stories
In the "Rongliang Model," culture is not a rigid backdrop, but the engine that drives storytelling and empathy.
Deep narrative translation of local culture. Rongliang Microdrama excels at transforming abstract cultural symbols into tangible conflicts and character growth. In the Nanxun series, the gilded archway inscribed with "Integrity and Fair Dealing" is not merely scenery, but a spiritual totem propelling commercial rivalries. The philosophy behind lake-brush craftsmanship becomes the key for characters to resolve life's dilemmas—making culture experiential and relatable.
Poster of short drama Linping: Setting Off Toward Happiness
Cross-cultural expression from a global perspective. Legend of Paris, winner of "Best International Cultural and Tourism Short Drama" at an international festival, exemplifies cultural innovation. By naturally weaving Chinese elements such as martial arts and tea culture into adventures on the streets of Paris—and cleverly incorporating China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy—the drama achieves cross-cultural dialogue and soft national image communication in a light, engaging, and respectful manner.
Commercial Value for Sustainability: From Single-Channel Spending to a Multi-Win Ecosystem
The "Rongliang Model" demonstrates that social value, cultural value, and commercial success are not mutually exclusive, but can reinforce one another in a virtuous cycle.
A diversified commercial matrix. Rongliang Microdrama has built a commercial loop far beyond early paid traffic models, including: C-end monetization (mini-programs such as Fuping Theater with over 54 million MAU), B-end brand customization (bespoke dramas for L'Oréal Paris and Tmall), Cultural-tourism revenue sharing, and Global rights distribution. In particular, the "short drama + cultural tourism" model has proven to be a verifiable new path that unites branding and performance.
Ecosystem-based platform collaboration. The establishment of the joint venture Zhejiang Zhijiang Rongliang Technology Co., Ltd. with Zhijiang Film Group marks a key step in ecosystem development. By combining the resources and platform advantages of state-owned capital with the innovation and flexibility of private enterprise, this collaboration explores broader possibilities for "content going global → industry value returning home," upgrading a single-company business model into a sustainable industry ecosystem.
These three values are not parallel, but nested and mutually reinforcing: social value grants legitimacy and reach, cultural value provides a unique soul and emotional depth, and together they form a hard-to-replicate core competitiveness that supports a healthy, diverse, and sustainable commercial system.
The Diffusion and Future of the Model: From a Hangzhou Case to an Industry Paradigm
The success of the "Rongliang Model" has not only made Rongliang Microdrama a benchmark within Hangzhou, but its influence and appeal continue to expand, pointing to the industry's future direction.
The gravitational pull of the model attracts external giants. Hangzhou's short drama output now rivals the combined total of Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, accounting for 20% of the nation's top-tier capacity. This industry high ground owes much to the value-oriented ecosystem represented by the "Rongliang Model." Leading companies from other cities—such as Nanjing-based Badian Guangxian—have shifted their business focus to Hangzhou, seeking not only market agglomeration, but integration into a mature operating system oriented toward long-term value and ecosystem health.
Defining the next phase of competition. As the industry shifts from "traffic supremacy" to "value supremacy," the path validated by the "Rongliang Model" is deeply instructive. Future competition will not hinge solely on the number of hits or traffic efficiency, but on systems of value creation—how to systematically unify social impact, cultural inheritance, and commercial success. Those who can replicate such value loops in cultural tourism integration, brand empowerment, and cultural export will command the initiative in industry upgrading.
From creative sparks by West Lake, to recognition on Hollywood award stages, to online reach across more than 200 countries and regions, the "Rongliang Model," co-developed by Rongliang Microdrama and Hangzhou City, unlocks a pathway for China's short drama industry to weather cycles and mature: only by abandoning anxiety over short-term traffic and patiently building an integrated foundation of social, cultural, and commercial value can this young art form truly evolve from a fleeting "trend" into an enduring "landscape"—carrying the spirit of an era and cultural confidence within the confines of a small screen, and achieving a leap from "industrial hit" to "timeless classic."
This is Hangzhou's answer—and a profound reflection that the "Rongliang Model" contributes to China's digital content industry.
