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Dake Liu

Sylvia Ma

When 22-year-old content creator Li Sichen beat nearly 3,600 applicants to become the first cloud observer at Laojun Mountain in Henan province, Chinese social media called it the ultimate dream job: earning 60,000 yuan (US$8,888) a month to simply “lie down and watch the clouds”.
The reality proved far less casual, with early morning wake-ups, unpredictable alpine weather and relentless daily publishing deadlines quickly ending any illusion of a carefree holiday.
Even so, Li’s temporary post remains among the most sought-after jobs in China amid a tight labour market, particularly for young jobseekers. As traditional career paths narrow, unconventional high-paying gigs have become fiercely contested prizes.
According to data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the youth unemployment rate for the 16-24 age group, excluding students, stood at 14.9 per cent in June.
While this marked a third straight month of modest decline, pressure remains acute as a record 12.7 million university graduates enter the workforce this summer, while average weekly working hours nationwide hover around a demanding 48.2 hours.
The job’s popularity is reflected in its fiercely competitive selection process.
Applicants had to post an original video on Douyin using designated hashtags, with selections based mainly on engagement metrics such as likes and reach, as well as content quality and account compliance. Li, who posts under the handle “Xiao Zao”, won the role after his entry – filmed during an overnight hike with his parents – drew 110,000 likes within days.
On 16 July, he began a 30-day residency at the summit, about 2,200 metres (7,217 feet) above sea level. The main daily requirement is non-negotiable: monitor the mountain’s famous sea of clouds and publish at least one original short video, rain or shine.
According to videos posted on his social media account and media reports, a typical day begins at about 4.50am, when Li straps on his camera and films from sunrise through the evening light show, often waiting up to two hours for the ideal frame.
The solitary work, sharp temperature swings and unpredictable signal have turned the romanticised “dream job” into a relentless content marathon. He has told followers the experience is “torturous” and that shooting the cloud sea is “a bit difficult”.
Laojun Mountain is one of the more innovative examples of local governments trying to attract visitors as Beijing steps up efforts to boost service consumption and shore up domestic demand amid persistent headwinds.
That priority was reinforced earlier this year by the State Council, China’s cabinet, when it approved a plan to build what it called a “tourism powerhouse” during the 15th five-year plan period, elevating the sector into a stronger pillar of the economy that better serves people’s livelihoods and enhances the country’s image. To achieve this, it said it would prioritise the deeper integration of culture and tourism and introduce higher-quality services.
The strategy is not without precedent, echoing Tourism Queensland’s 2009 “Best Job in the World” campaign. That AU$150,000 (US$105,625) six-month island-caretaker post on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia generated an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in earned media value – proof that a headline-grabbing marketing strategy could outperform traditional global advertising many times over.


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After 22-year-old content creator Li Sichen beat nearly 3,600 applicants to become the first cloud observer at Laojun Mountain in Henan province, Chinese social media called it the ultimate dream job. Photo: Handout

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China’s viral ‘dream job’: tough labour market fuels rush for unconventional work

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A highly-coveted mountaintop gig has exposed the sobering economic realities facing young jobseekers

A highly-coveted mountaintop gig has exposed the sobering economic realities facing young jobseekers