The list of the top 20 best web novels from the women channels of China Literature Group under Tencent was released recently, reflecting the shift of the reading interest of Chinese women in 2020.

The list is based on the research of the web novels published on the group's six major female channels, including qdmm.com, xxsy.net, yunqi.qq.com, and hongxiu.com, judging from five perspectives such as popularity, sales, writers' reputation, and added value.

After more than 20 years of development, online literature has gradually become a mature industry in China as one of the major resources of domestic entertainment consumption for hundreds of millions people.

According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, by the end of 2019, online literature grew steadily in terms of scale, reaching 25 million titles, among which female channels were important components.

As of June 2020, there were 5.6 million work titles on the female platforms of China Literature Group, contributed by 4.7 million writers, with a monthly increase of about 1.2 billion characters.

Apart from the data collected on the six platforms, the research by Endata, a consultant company, also refers to the search volume on baidu.com, the discussion on weibo.com, as well as the chance that the writers' works to be adapted to TV series, films or video games.

The top 20 best web novels on the female platforms of China Literature Group under Tencent include: Wen Danzhu (Questions to Danzhu) by Xixing, Da Shen Ni Ren She Beng Le (Master, You Carelessly Expose Your True Nature) by Yilufanhua, Ban Xing (Half Star) by Dingmo, Biao Xiao Jie (The Cousin) by Zhizhi, Xi Huan Ni Wo Shuo Le Suan (I Like You, I Mean It) by Yefeiye.

The research also found that web novels on online female fiction platforms have become more diversified in terms of genres, themes and writing styles, while the general quality has improved over the last twenty years.

Apart from romance, web novels on the female platforms cover genres including mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, history, and time travel.

As Chinese women's gender awareness improves, independent strong versatile female roles are increasingly welcomed by readers.

The top 1 novel on the list Wen Danzhu is about a young woman named Chen Danzhu in fictional ancient times working hard for her family and the country. It is a novel that represents women's prominent roles in historical progress.

The top 4 Biao Xia Jie tells a light story of a group of damsels of noble birth, a story combining the elements of suspense and historical fiction.

The study found that sweet romantic comedies are increasingly popular among readers. Besides, more web novels on the online female platforms contain realistic elements that reflect writers' thinking about the reality concerning the society and personal growth.