An online host in Wuhan,Hubei Province, interacts with her fans during a livestream. Photo: IC

"Can I live-stream your interview?" online host Ding Yao asked as she sat down to talk to The Paper. Taking an hour to get her makeup ready, Ding was preparing for her next live-stream. On the opposite side of her dressing table was a computer, a microphone and a high-powered lamp; everything she needed for her show. 

With a fan base of approximately 480,000 viewers, Ding is an upper-class member of the world of online hosts. She currently lives in an apartment worth around 15 million yuan ($2.28 million) in Shanghai's CBD area. Although she is just renting, she's still far better off than many other female online hosts, many of whom live in small crowded apartments and have access to less expensive props and clothing.

However, one thing Ding and many other women in this industry share is that they all have the same dream to become rich and famous. Coming from varied backgrounds, from college students to less-educated women from China's poor rural regions, they have entered this low-cost industry to earn their way to true stardom.



The path to stardom



Recently turned 23, Ding studied law in college. Hoping to one day become a star, Ding took some minor roles in online dramas and modeled for magazines. Entering the online host industry by chance, Ding soon discovered that this might be the best way to achieve her dream of becoming a star.

An attractive woman with a good figure, Ding is the envy of many other women in the industry. However, when she just started out she was very restrained and so shy she was afraid to answer any of the questions viewers were posting in the comments. Her agent scolded her, telling her that she would only be able to earn more fans by being more interactive.  

Observing how other hosts interacted with their fans, Ding soon started to get a handle on things. In just two months, she gathered 480,000 followers. One time she even attracted 600,000 viewers to her stream at one time when she streamed a "fashion show" in which she showed off all the clothes she bought from South Korea. Enjoying the show, fans constantly sent her "rocket" emojis as presents. A form of virtual currency, each of these rockets can be exchanged for 500 yuan in cash.

Each time these rocket emojis  flew across her screen, Ding would stand up, dance, blow kisses or strike a cute pose and then read out the names of the fan who sent it to her as a way of saying thanks. One time, a young fan sent her dozens of rockets in a row, filling the entire screen with the emoji.

"They are very young and are very vain. Sometimes they hope the host will become their girlfriend," Ding said describing her fans. One of her fans, a junior college student, described Ding as the ideal girl that most men fantasize about and that her taste in clothing was far superior to some other rural hosts.

Ding can live-stream anytime and from anywhere. To keep the topics of her show interesting, she also reads books aloud and watches other popular shows such as Xiaosong Pedia and You Can You Bibi on her show.

"But mainly they just focus on your body," Ding said shaking her head. One of her storage rooms is filled with the clothes she wears for her shows. Most of them are short and revealing.

Tantalizing market

A product of the Internet, live-streaming has developed very quickly in China in recent years. According to a report from iResearch, 68 percent of viewers on live-streaming sites are between 19-35 years old, while 80 percent of these are males. The report predicts that during 2016, visitors to live-streaming sites could reach 100 million a month.

Although Ding isn't willing to reveal how much she earns, it's been reported that hosts like her can earn up to 1 million yuan annually. Figures like this have attracted a huge number of young women looking to get their own piece of the pie.

"Online hosts can basically be divided into two groups. One group consists of college students, while the other is made up of young people who have failed to find a satisfying job," said Zhao Zicheng, president of talent agency Hexingyuan Star Dreamwork.

 "After a girl is interviewed, we figure out her personality and strengths and arrange for her to take classes such as dancing or singing according to what fits," said Zhao.

"Then we teach her how to use the live-streaming software, how to manage lighting and how to present herself."

In moderation

Top hosts like Ding have their own hosting style. Being sexy is Ding's trump card. After finishing her live-stream with The Paper, Ding began pole dancing and flirting with the camera.

However, just two minutes after she began the broadcast suddenly shut down, leaving Ding's screen completely black. Jumping from the pole, Ding said that this may have happened because pole dancing is probably forbidden. Soon after a text from her agent confirmed her suspicions: "This is a sensitive period, you shouldn't do that."

Her fans also started to complain about the arrival of the "moderators" - those who are responsible for monitoring what content is shown on each live-stream channel to make sure hosts don't violate China's laws on pornography.

The moderators have been working overtime recently.

On December 31 last year, a host from the Douyu TV channel live-streamed himself driving a luxurious car, but then ended up hitting two people. Meanwhile on the 10th of this month, another Douyu TV host live-streamed himself having sex with a woman, causing quite a stir throughout the industry.

As more online platforms pop up every day, harsh competition has been pushing hosts to do all they can to attract viewers.

To curtail risky behavior, many sites have come out with guidelines for hosts to follow. However, considering a single platform can offer thousands of channels, effectively supervising them all is becoming a challenge.