Chongqing launches 2026 Gen Z International Communication Creator Program
By Liu Xinyu and Liang Qinqing
(ECNS) – The 2026 Gen Z International Communication Creator Program was officially launched in Chongqing on Friday, opening global recruitment for short video creators among university students (including international students) as well as young Chinese and international self-media creators.
Meanwhile, the "Gen Z Views Chongqing" Creative Short Video Contest also kicked off.
The communication creator program is guided by the Information Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government and co-organized by the Chongqing Branch of China News Service and the Western China International Communication Organization.
The program consists of four major sections: Gen Z international communication creator recruitment, the creative short video contest, the Land-Sea · Gen Z City Communications Program, and the Gen Z International Communication Creator Conference.
The initiative aims to pool the creative strength of young people from China and abroad, tell China's story well, and promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
The recruitment and short video contest adopt a dual-channel model of open registration and targeted invitations. The program will link universities and local resources to produce cross-cultural original content and present Chongqing's authentic and diverse urban image to the world.
The short video contest is now open for submissions under four themes: Bayu Landscapes & Culture, Open Chongqing, Smart-Manufacturing Mountain City, and Smart-Governed Metropolis. Young creators are encouraged to explore Chongqing's profound urban heritage and contemporary vitality from diverse perspectives.
The Land-Sea · Gen Z City Communications Program will connect multiple entities to carry out a series of creator-themed activities and build an "influencer co-creation + regular program screening" system to promote content co-creation among Chinese and international creators.
The Gen Z International Communication Creator Conference will serve as a platform to showcase the program's results. It will hold an award ceremony for the creative short video contest, announce the first batch of creators, launch the Gen Z International Communication Partnership Program, and provide a platform for exchange and sharing among young creators from China and abroad.
Awards include a first prize (5 winners) with production equipment worth 5,000 yuan (about $743), a second prize (10 winners) worth 3,000 yuan (about $446), and a third prize (20 winners) worth 1,000 yuan (about $149). Special awards for creativity, story, visual and organization will also be presented.
Against the backdrop of deep globalization and digitalization, Gen Z is adept at recording and interpreting cities and the world with youthful, down-to-earth and internet-savvy perspectives.
Chongqing's multi-dimensional landscape, profound industrial heritage, vibrant local life and dynamic development provide rich material for young content creation. With the creative thinking, production skills and international vision of Gen Z creators, Chongqing's distinctive urban culture and development achievements will be translated into youthful and international creative works through new visual languages and narratives suited to overseas communication.
The organizer will also launch the "Land-Sea Z-Vision" brand program as a core window for creators' works, enabling vivid Mountain City stories to reach global audiences.