Bulletins

Chinese-speaking Clubhouse users are creating "silent rooms"

Chinese-speaking Clubhouse users are creating "silent rooms"

Clubhouse is blowing up in China, but many Chinese-speaking users aren't talking. Instead, they're using it to network.

One chatroom is named "Silent Room 2: No talking on the microphone, just checking bios and following each other" in traditional Chinese script. It's attracted over 1,700 participants, including the famous Taiwanese singer and actor Aaron Yan. Even with over 80 people set as speakers or moderators, the room is dead quiet.

The purpose of silent rooms is for users to network and make as many friends as possible without uttering a word. For many participants, a glossy well-written bio is enough to earn new followers.

Zeyi Yang

Zeyi Yang is a former reporter with Protocol | China. Previously, he worked as a reporting fellow for the digital magazine Rest of World, covering the intersection of technology and culture in China and neighboring countries. He has also contributed to the South China Morning Post, Nikkei Asia, Columbia Journalism Review, among other publications. In his spare time, Zeyi co-founded a Mandarin podcast that tells LGBTQ stories in China. He has been playing Pokemon for 14 years and has a weird favorite pick.

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