Earn 1.2 Million KRW in a Month... 3,500 Flocked in a Week for China’s 'Dream Job'

Free Accommodation and 60,000 Yuan Pay
3,500 Applications in Just One Week

As China's youth unemployment crisis continues, a unique short-term job that pays 60,000 yuan (approximately 1.2 million KRW) for capturing clouds while living atop a mountain for a month is generating significant attention.

Thousands Flocked to the 'Dream Job'... 23-year-old Youth Selected as Finalist

Photo by Pixabay

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on August 19, Laojun Mountain Scenic Area in Henan Province, China announced early last month that it was recruiting a "cloud observer" to work from July 16 to August 15. The main duties included living on the mountaintop for a month, observing the sea of clouds, filming the daily cloudscapes, and sharing the videos. The pay was 60,000 yuan, and free accommodation was provided.

The unusual nature of the work and the high pay quickly made the job posting go viral online in China. Netizens referred to it as the 'dream job' and 'the job of an immortal.'

Amid this fervor, more than 3,500 people reportedly applied within just one week of the job posting's release. Applicants submitted videos containing designated hashtags, and the management evaluated the number of 'likes' and shares, as well as the quality of the content. Ultimately, Li Sichen (23) from Henan Province was chosen as the first official cloud observer.

Filming Starts at 5 AM Every Day... "It's Difficult When the Weather is Bad"

Li, who had just graduated from college, beat several professional photographers to win the final selection. For a month, he woke up every day at 5 a.m. and filmed from before sunrise until after sunset. To capture as much footage as possible from various angles, he filmed not only the clouds but also changes in light and other phenomena.

AI Generated Image

Li stated that he picked up various skills during his job, including video shooting and editing, color correction, and drone operation. However, he confessed that he struggled emotionally when the weather prevented him from capturing the footage he wanted.

The copyrights to Li's cloud videos belong to the scenic area. Separately, he consistently posted vlogs about his experiences and daily life during the assignment on his personal social media account, and his follower count has now exceeded 6,000.

While Li expressed gratitude for the popularity of his application video, he said he does not yet consider himself an 'influencer.' He plans to continue his social media activities as a side job while searching for a full-time position in the future.

Zhang, a representative of the Laojun Mountain Scenic Area, said there may be opportunities to recruit more cloud observers in the future. Zhang explained that although there are already dedicated videographers at the attraction, they need a 'third eye' to document the scenery from a fresh perspective.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.