The 'Chinese Path' of Niche Culture: The Core Causes of the Formation and Development of Fan Culture and the Differences between China and Foreign Countries

Abstract

As a core subculture of China's internet era, the fan culture has garnered widespread attention for its unique developmental path and its reference value to niche cultures. However, existing subculture studies predominantly focus on Western traditional types, leaving gaps in exploring China's emerging internet-based subcultures and lacking a systematic analysis of their universal developmental logic. This study, grounded in communication and sociology, centers on the "Chinese path" of fan culture, tracing its formation process, analyzing the root causes of differences between Chinese and foreign fan cultures, and dissecting the driving factors. The research reveals that the distinctive form of Chinese fan culture is the result of a four-dimensional interplay of technology, society, industry, and policy. The divergence from Western individualized and Japanese/Korean rationalized fan cultures stems from multifaceted differences in cultural traditions and social structures, while their experiences in emotional connections and online-offline synergy offer valuable lessons for niche cultures. Based on these findings, this essay proposes that niche cultures require coordinated efforts from governments, platforms, and other stakeholders, balancing inclusiveness with regulation to mitigate risks such as excessive commercialization.