IN the dead of night on a bridge in southern China, around two dozen livestreamers sit crooning and chatting into microphones, their identical ring lights spaced a few metres apart in glowing rows.
The broadcasters gather in spots like this in the city of Guilin most nights with the hopes of catching the attention of online “passers-by” scrolling through livestreams on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, where viewers can donate to their favourite streamers.