Zhihu’s Yanyan Story Makes International Debut at Frankfurt Book Fair, Showcasing China’s Short-Form Literature to the World

BEIJING, China, Oct. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zhihu Inc. (“Zhihu” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390), a leading online content community in China, debuted its popular Yanyan Story platform at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany this week, representing a significant milestone in the international expansion of Chinese short-form online literature.

As the world’s largest publishing exhibition and a leading global platform for culture, the Frankfurt Book Fair draws publishers, authors, and readers from across the globe. This year’s event featured over 4,000 publishers from 92 countries and regions.

Expanding Global Reach for Chinese Online Literature

According to the China Online Literature International Communication Report (2025), released by the Online Literature Center of the China Writers Association, Chinese online literature now reaches around 200 million active overseas readers across more than 200 countries and regions, with a market value exceeding RMB 5 billion. The report notes that AI-powered translation has rapidly accelerated the spread of Chinese online literature, while preserving human creativity and cultural authenticity.

Yanyan Story: Where Technology Meets Community

Derived from Zhihu’s community ecosystem, Yanyan Story integrates storytelling, technology, and user participation to create a new model for global literary engagement.

The platform spans multiple content formats—from books and digital reading to audio dramas and cultural products—and serves as a key driver of Zhihu’s 13.2 million paid subscribers. To date, Yanyan Story has licensed over 100 works for publication both in China and overseas, with its online literature titles translated into several languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Thai, and Indonesian.

The Rise of Short-Form IP

Yanyan Story’s participation in the Frankfurt Book underscores the growing international appeal of short-form digital literature, a format increasingly suited to modern reading habits. In the second quarter of 2025, Zhihu’s revenue from IP licensing grew in triple digits both year-over-year and sequentially. To date, more than 100 Yanyan Story IP titles have been licensed for film, animation, and short drama adaption. Several of these works already generated revenue, and Yanyan Story titles received three major awards in the 2024 China Online Literature Influence Ranking.

“Short-form literature and IP adaptation are redefining how stories travel across cultures and media,” said Junmei Fan, Vice President of Zhihu and Head of the Paid Membership Business. “Yanyan Story shows that when technology empowers a vibrant creative community, stories transcend boundaries and evolve into shared cultural experiences. Our Frankfurt Book Fair debut marks a new step in Zhihu’s commitment to connecting creators and readers worldwide.”

About Zhihu Inc.

Zhihu Inc. (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390) is a leading online content community where people come to find solutions, make decisions, seek inspiration, and have fun. Since the initial launch in 2010, Zhihu has grown into the largest Q&A-inspired online content community in China. For more information, please visit https://ir.zhihu.com. 

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to,” or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Zhihu Inc.
Email: ir@zhihu.com 

Christensen Advisory
Roger Hu
Tel: +86-10-5900-1548
Email: zhihu@christensencomms.com