With the increase in popularity of the metaverse in China, a raft of new occupations has come to the fore to satisfy users’ individual needs. A virtual avatar creator, or nielianshi, is one of them. A search on Taobao shows results for products with prices ranging from 20 yuan ($2.96) to 1,000 yuan, and an avatar of a celebrity can cost up to 2,000 yuan.

Ze Bai provides custom-made avatar services on a metaverse social platform, earning as much as 50,000 yuan per month. He explains, “More young people are willing to spend time in these circles, and the virtual social interactions that result from that will naturally be accepted by many.”