At 4:50 AM, Li Sichen brought his camera out into the fog on Lao Jun mountain peak, Henan province. He sat on a rock, waiting for the wind to clear the mist to capture the sea of clouds.
Sometimes, Li had to wait one or two hours just to get a single shot. The job typically lasted from sunrise until the evening light show concluded. Each day, he had to film, edit, and post at least one video of clouds or scenery from the tourist area.
On Chinese social media, this position was dubbed a "dream job", where employees could lie down to gaze at clouds and earn 60,000 yuan (about USD 8,888) a month.
"On the first day, with thick fog and light rain, I almost couldn't capture the sea of clouds, but I still had to complete the video", Li said.
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A panoramic view of Lao Jun mountain peak, Henan province, China. Photo: SCMP. |
Prior to this, the Lao Jun tourist area launched a nationwide recruitment drive from 8/7 to 15/7. The chosen candidate had to live on the mountaintop for 30 days, with all accommodation and meal expenses covered by the tourist area. Applicants were required to post an original video on Douyin (China's version of TikTok), adhering to a theme set by the organizers. The outcome was determined by likes, content quality, and viral potential.
The organizers received almost 3,600 application videos. Li, who graduated with an e-commerce degree from Henan College of Economics and Trade one year prior, had been working as a social media content production assistant. He had just resigned when the tourist area announced the job opening.
On 10/7, Li persuaded his parents to drive from Zhengzhou to Lao Jun to film his application video. His father initially refused, hesitant about climbing the mountain, while his mother believed the chances of success were low. After three hours of persuasion, the family set off.
They began their ascent at midnight and reached the summit around 5 AM. It was raining lightly, and fog obscured the scenery. Li waited until the wind dispersed the mist, revealing the blue sky, and then recorded the entire event.
"The images might not be perfect, but they are very real", Li stated.
The video garnered over 1,8 million views and approximately 110,000 interactions. On 16/7, Li was announced as the winner, moved into the staff quarters on the mountaintop, and began his work.
This job attracted attention amid the pressures on China's labor market. The unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 (excluding students) was 14,9% in June, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. Shrinking opportunities in traditional professions have led young people to increasingly seek short-term, unusual, and high-income jobs.
"Only by taking action do we get the chance to turn our desires into reality. If you don't try, how will you know if you can't do it", Li said.
Ngoc Ngan (According to SCMP, Jimu News, World Journal)
