China Arts & Entertainment
Behind the Short Feature Film of the Spring Festival Gala
The first-ever ‘mini film’ of the Spring Festival Gala struck a chord with viewers for its strong storytelling and authentic production.
On January 21, 2023, China’s Spring Festival Gala, hosted by China Media Group, kicked off the Year of the Rabbit. The annual show, which featured forty different acts and performances, lasted over four hours and attracted millions of viewers worldwide (see our liveblog here, and see a top 5 highlight of the show here).
Traditionally, the Spring Festival Gala always shows several short public service ad films in between the performances, but this year was the first time the Gala featured a “mini-film” or “micro film” (微电影).
Titled Me and My Spring Festival Night (“我和我的春晚”), the 7-minute film was praised among viewers. On Weibo, one hashtag dedicated to the short film received over nine million clicks (#我和我的春晚#).
The film was directed by the Beijing director Zhang Dapeng (张大鹏). Born in 1984, Zhang is a Beijing Film Academy graduate who previously attracted wide attention for directing the Peppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Year movie and the brilliant ad campaign that came with it. Titled What Is Peppa, that short ad film featured a grandfather living in rural China who goes on a quest to find out what ‘Peppa’ is. The promotional video became an absolute viral hit back in 2019 (see/read more here).
Still from ‘What is Peppa.’ 2019.
This time, Zhang’s latest Chinese New Year film is about a hard-working former military man from China’s countryside named Zhang Jianguo (张建国), for whom coming on the show to play the trumpet has been a dream for many years. By featuring his story, the film takes us from the Chinese 1980s, 90s, 00s – as we see him change jobs, move around, and start a family – up to the present.
The main idea behind the film was to honor all the ordinary viewers who have written – and are still writing – to the Gala ever since it first aired in the early 1980s, and to tell a story inspired by these personal letters and ordinary viewers.
Short Summary of “Me and My Chunwan”
At the start of the film, we see Zhang Jianguo dusting off his military honorary awards (光荣军属), putting on his jacket, grabbing his thermos flask and trumpet, and setting out on a journey in the midst of winter.
Riding an electric tricycle in the icy cold, his driver (actor Huang Bo 黄渤) asks him where he is going. “Can you keep your mouth shut?” Zhang replies (“你嘴严实不严实”). “I can,” the driver says, and Zhang then says: “So can I.”
The voiceover narration, a first-person narrative by Zhang himself, explains that he has always been busy: “I never had time for the Spring Festival Gala. My Spring Festival fate is all because of something my captain said.”
The film jumps to a scene showing Zhang as a young military man during the Chinese New Year’s Eve, working outside while people are watching the Spring Festival Gala on a small black and white television inside. As his commander (played by Wu Jing 吴京) hands him his trumpet, he says: “Go and play your trumpet on the television.”
“If the leader asks me to go on the Spring Festival Gala, it’s a task I must complete,” the voice-over says.
But in the military scene itself, duty calls and Zhang has to blow the trumpet to announce dinner time.
In the years that follow, Zhang is always busy during the Spring Festival Gala. Working in the factory, getting married, working on a train, farming cattle, taking care of his family, and always cooking. His trumpet is still there with him, to announce dinner time or hanging on the wall as a memory of times past.
As the years pass by, Zhang realizes that he has gradually forgotten about his commander’s words. Time moves fast. First, he had a son, then his son grew taller than himself, and then his son had his own son. “And I still had never been to the Spring Festival Gala.”
With his captain’s words back on his mind, Zhang, now an older man, sets out on his journey without telling anyone. By foot, by electric tricycle, by bus, and by train, Zhang travels all the way to the famous Beijing Studio 1 to perform at the Spring Festival Gala after being “too busy” for forty years.
Backstage at the Spring Festival Gala, Zhang sits down with famous Chinese Spring Festival Gala performers (Ma Li 马丽 and Shen Teng 沈腾). While unpacking his lunchbox, he tells them he was finally not too busy to come on the show: “I wrote a letter and here I am.” “It’s that simple?” Ma Li wonders.
The producer then rushes to come and get Zhang, who bravely walks towards the stage with his old little trumpet.
A female voice-over then reads out a message, while we see various scenes throughout the years showing Zhang – from young to old – writing letters to CCTV from wherever he is.
The female narrator says: “Dear Uncle Zhang, we’ve received your letter regarding your hopes to realize your cherished stage dream. In this age of emailing, and knowing that you’ve been writing us for 39 years, we’re moved and feel guilty. Our reply may be late, but not our sincerity..”
Meanwhile, we see a flashback to a mailman pulling up to old Zhang’s home (the mailman is the actor Wang Baoqiang), and the old Zhang finally receives that much-anticipated letter from CCTV at his remote rural home.
The female narrator continues: “This year, we proudly invite you to be a guest at the Spring Festival Gala and to “ring the dinner bell” [play the sound announcing dinner]. Sincerely, the Spring Festival Director Committee.”
In the final shot, we see Zhang blowing the trumpet at the Gala, with flashbacks showing him blowing that trumpet in all those decades before. He has finally made it to the big stage.
A Noteworthy Story
While Me and My Spring Festival Night received a lot of praise on Chinese social media, the story behind the film was not immediately clear to many viewers celebrating the Chinese New Year, but it was explained in several articles and interviews with director Zhang Dapeng.
During the live-televised Spring Festival Gala itself, the airing of Me and My Spring Festival Night was directly followed up by a shot featuring a person (a veteran) in the audience standing up and actually playing the trumpet.
Directly after, the song “Goodmorning Sunshine” began, representing multiple people from all kinds of professions and social groups. About one minute into the song, the camera turns to another audience member: the person who plays ‘Uncle Zhang’ in the mini-film. Later in the song, we can see he is wiping away tears, visibly moved.
Why was he so moved? The older man in the audience, the main ‘Uncle Zhang’ actor in the film, is Jin Changyong (金长勇), and he actually is not a professional actor.
Somewhat similar to the character Zhang Jianguo, Jin Changyong or “Uncle Jin” (金叔) is a hardworking veteran from Hebei’s Huailai County in Zhangjiakou.
Jin Changyong is a 63-year-old farmer who is also active at the Hebei Tianmo Film and TV Park doing security and logistics-related jobs. He served in the army for four years from the age of 19, as, among others, a military chef.
Director Zhang Dapdeng came across ‘Uncle Jin’ one day while shooting another film at the studio. While Jin was busy doing kitchen work, director Zhang saw him and, as he later recounts, was struck by his face that showed he had “lived through many changes” (“这种饱经沧桑的脸”).
Zhang later invited Uncle Jin to star in the movie, and he also made sure Jin’s own story played a role in the script.
Director Zhang Dapeng, image via CCTV.
This makes this short movie all the more special, something which has since been discussed on Chinese social media (#春晚微电影的主演是普通农民#).
The surprising twist in the story is how Zhang Jianguo tells other people he has just always been “too busy” to attend the Gala, while he had in fact already written to the show for 39 years with the hope of one day being invited.
Another noteworthy aspect of the film is how Zhang Dapeng chose to cast some of China’s most celebrated actors as supporting roles to lift up the main character and actor, Jin, who was inexperienced and learnt from his fellow players.
In an interview, Jin expressed that the entire experience of playing in this short film left his overcome with emotion. After the filming had ended, he told reporters that he had sleepless nights because he had not received an actual invitation to the Spring Festival Gala yet, something which he so very much hoped for. Just one week before the show, that invitation finally came.
The fact that Jin, in a way, played a man like himself in the short movie has added to the film’s popularity.
“I was sincerely moved by this film,” one commenter wrote, with others saying: “This was the best program I’ve seen on the Gala over the past decade.”
While some people also remarked that the short film seemed to have been influenced by The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson, others praised it for its originality.
“This was just the best part of the night,” several commenters said: “It made me cry.”
“Zhang Pengda – a name to remember,” others wrote.
You can watch the short film on Youtube here.
By Manya Koetse
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China Arts & Entertainment
Weibo Night: All the Winners and the Highlights of the 2022-2023 Weibo Awards Ceremony
The main winners and trending topics surrounding the 2022/2023 Weibo Night Awards Ceremony.
PREMIUM CONTENT ARTICLE
Weibo Night was one of the biggest trends on Weibo this week. Weibo Night (#微博之夜#) is the yearly much-anticipated live-broadcasted ceremony that looks back on Sina Weibo’s hottest celebrities, entertainment productions, and happenings of the last year.
Hosted by the Sina media company, the night has been a recurring event since 2003 – long before the Sina Weibo platform was launched. The night was initially known as the ‘Sina Grand Ceremony’ (新浪网络盛典) until it turned into the ‘Weibo Night’ (微博之夜) in 2010.
During the ceremony of Weibo Night, which took place on the evening of March 25 in Shanghai and was broadcasted live on Weibo and on Sina, various prices were awarded in categories such as ‘The Hottest Weibo Celebrity of the Year’ (微博年度热度人物), ‘The Movie of the Year’ (年度电影), ‘Drama of the Year’ (年度电视剧), ‘Weibo Original Musician of the Year’, and ‘Weibo King & Queen.’
The award ceremony is always much anticipated since it is attended by all the big stars of the Chinese entertainment world, including the most famous actors/actresses, musicians, and online influencers.
What they are wearing is a big part of online discussions on Weibo Night, and with some celebrities changing their outfits during the night, talking about what they wear and who shines the brightest on the red carpet and who sits where is part of the fun.
So many stars in a row! Many thought that Yang Mi, in the red dress, was one of the best-dressed celebrities of the night; others thought it was Angelababy (杨颖), who is sitting next to her. Image via Weibo.
The hype surrounding the event begins long before the actual award ceremony as Weibo users can vote for their preferred candidates, and the shortlist of winners, based on Sina Weibo’s annual “Weibo Index,” is also published prior to the event.
The event is an important one for Weibo as a platform, not just because it drives massive traffic to the site, but also because all the celebrities have a strong Weibo presence and, throughout the night, express their love for the platform.
It is also important for celebrities, as it is an opportunity for them to promote themselves and the projects they are working on. Many celebrities do special photoshoots before the event and change outfits multiple times to make the most of their participation in the event.
As you can see below, there are so many categories during the award show, and some are actually really similar. This gives the idea that more important than the awards themselves is the showcasing of Weibo’s most popular celebrities.
On Weibo, the event was promoted using the slogan “Make the world more beautiful with the power of Weibo” (“以微博之力•让世界更美”).
Although the award ceremony is taking place in 2023, they are referred to as the 2022 Weibo Night since it mostly covers the year 2022, but also part of 2023, up to Spring Festival. For an overview by What’s on Weibo on the biggest topics of 2022 see this article.
THE RED CARPET
On Weibo, the hashtag “Weibo Night Red Carpet Livestream” (#微博之夜红毯直播#) received a staggering 610 million views this week.
The live stream of the red carpet was suddenly canceled midway, as there allegedly were too many fans gathering, and cancellation was done as a safety precaution.
Some videos surfacing on social media during the day also showed many fans around the area and some food delivery staff shouting out names to bring the right order to the right customer in the midst of the crowds.
MOST IMPACTFUL EVENTS
Weibo Night started with the presenters (Nigermaidi Zechman 尼格买提·热合曼 being one of them) announce an overview of the Weibo news topics that became a part of people’s collective memory over the past year.
The video shows different topics that went trending on Weibo in 2022-2023 with news footage. The video is divided into different segments.
▶︎ Under the topic of “conflict and disaster,” they listed the following (please note that not all hashtags are literally translated, but conveying the meaning so that everyone will understand what it is about):
• Tonga Volcanic Eruption and Tsunami #汤加火山喷发# (780 million clicks on Weibo)
• Russia-Ukraine War (#俄乌局势#) (10.1 billion clicks on Weibo) (read more)
• US Federal Reserve Interest Increase (#美联储加息#）(320 million clicks on Weibo)
• Europe’s Cold Winter (#欧洲寒潮#) (110 million clicks on Weibo) (related article)
• China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 (#MU5735#) (5.6 billion clicks on Weibo) (read more)
• Turkey-Syria Earthquake (#土耳其强震#) (510 million clicks on Weibo) (related article)
• Assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (#安倍普三身亡#) (2.5 billion clicks on Weibo) (more here)
▶︎ A text on the screen then emphasizes how love and kindness can shine through in times of struggle and catastrophe, and the following events are listed:
• Sichuan Luding Earthquake (#四川泸定地震#) (1.59 billion clicks on Weibo) (read here)
• Missing Man Found 17 Days after Luding Earthquake (#泸定地震中失联17天的甘字找到了#) (2 billion clicks on Weibo)
• Building a Great Wall of Fire [to Prevent Wild Fire from Spreading] (#他们用微光筑起防火长城#) (1.43 billion clicks on Weibo) (read)
• Young Courageous Heroes to the Rescue (#这些娃儿侠肝义胆#) (540 million clicks on Weibo) (more)
▶︎ Then the text on the screen says: “There will always be people who create miracles by challenging oneself.”
• Kipchoge Won Men’s Marathon World Record (#吉普乔格打破男子马拉松世界纪录#) (120 million clicks on Weibo)
• Argentina Wins World Cup (#阿根廷冠军#) (3.9 billion clicks on Weibo)
• Eileen Gu Wins Gold (#谷爱凌金牌#) (4.1 billion clicks on Weibo) (related articles)
• Su Yiming Wins Gold (#苏翊鸣金牌#) (1.7 billion clicks on Weibo)
• Xu Mengtao Wins Gold (#徐梦挑金牌#) (1 billion clicks on Weibo)
• China Wins Its First Gold of the Games (#短道速滑中国队北京冬奥会首金#) (1.37 billion clicks on Weibo)
• China Wins in Women’s Asian Cup (#中国女足亚洲杯冠军#) (2.8 billion clicks on Weibo)
▶︎ The text on the screen then says: “There will always be people who firmly believe that there will be Spring after longing for it.”
• China Cancels Circuit Breaker Measures for Inbound Flights (#入境航班熔断机制取消#) (150 million clicks on Weibo)
• End to [Covid-19] Travel Code Service (#行程卡下线#) (550 million clicks on Weibo)
• Goodbye Health Code (#告别健康吗#) (1.19 billion clicks on Weibo) (read here)
• Hello, 2023 (#你好2023#) (670 million clicks on Weibo)
▶︎ Text: “There will always be people who restart first after facing difficulties.”
• Full River Red Breaks 4.5 Billion at Box Office (#满江江实时票房破45亿#) (170 million views on Weibo)
• Wandering Earth 2 Breaks Box Office 4 Billion (流浪地球2票房破40亿) (290 million clicks on Weibo)
• Boonie Bears Guardian Code Breaks 1.4 Billion at Box Office (#熊出没之伴我熊芯票房破14亿#) (120 million clicks on Weibo)
• The Knockout (#狂飙#) (1 billion clicks on Weibo)
• A Lot of Concerts (#好多演唱会#) (110 million views)
▶︎ “There will always be people who turn a seed once planted into glory.”
• China Discovers New Moon Mineral (#月亮上发现嫦娥石#) (160 million clicks on Weibo)
• China Launches Third Aircraft Carrier (#我国第三艘航母下#) (1 billion clicks on Weibo)
• China’s C919 Jet Obtains Certificates for Commercial Flight (C919交付准备工作正有序推进) (190 million views)
• China’s Shenzhou-14 Manned Space Mission (#神十四发射成功#) (490 million clicks on Weibo)
• China Space Station Completes T-shape Basic Structure Assembly (#中国空间站“T”字基本构型在轨组装完成#) (140 million clicks on Weibo)
• Chinese Astronauts’ Firt Space Meeting (中国航天员首次太空会师) (110 million views on Weibo)
• China’s Shenzhou 14 Returns on Earth (#神十四返回地球#) (490 million clicks on Weibo)
Highlighted events: Tribute to China’s Firefighting Heroes
After the overview of all of these big topics, Chinese spaceflight Shenzhou 14 was highlighted and honored as one of the most important Weibo events of the year, together with the Chongqing wild fires.
Yang Zi, dressed in a black dress, was the actress to deliver a speech to pay tribute to the heroes of the Chongqing wildfires.
MOST INFLUENTIAL IN MUSIC
Weibo Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Voted as musicians that made the biggest breakthrough were:
• Liu Yuxin (刘雨昕), Guizhou-born singer/dancer
• Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜), Taiwanese singer, musician, and actress
• Shan Yicun (单依纯), Chinese singer and former winner of The Voice of China
▶︎ In this same category, the group INTO1 received the award for the most notable breakthrough pop group of the year. The group received attention on social media for their extremely correct posture during the award ceremony.
INTO1 was like its own little army during Weibo Night (image via Weibo).
Best Newcomer and Rising Stars
In the category of rising star awards – or those having made the biggest “leap” (微博年度飞跃音乐人), – are:
• Ayunga (阿云嘎), Mongolian musical theater actor, singer, and songwriter
• Gina Alice Redlinger (吉娜爱丽丝), German-Korean pianist who happens to be married to the renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang
• Dany Lee (李斯丹妮), Chengdu-born singer
▶︎ Boy band BOYSTORY was among the first to receive an award during Weibo Night, namely that of the best newcomer pop group (微博年度新锐团体).
Weibo’s Original and Influential Musician of the Year
• Wang Yuan (王源)
▶︎ Wang Yuan (王源, also known as Roy Wang) won the award for Original Musician of the Year. Born in 2000, Wang is mostly known as a member of the hugely popular TFboys idol group that debuted in 2013, but his solo career has also been thriving for years.
Roy Wang accepts his award at the Weibo Night, images by Sina Weibo.
• Li Yuchun (李宇春)
Li Yuchun shared a photo of her outfit on her own Weibo account.
▶︎ Li Yuchun (李宇春), once known as China’s “most handsome supergirl,” received the award for Weibo Influential Musician of the Year. Since winning the nationwide talent show ‘Supergirl’ (Chaoji Nüsheng) and appearing on the cover of Time Magazine Asia in 2005, Li Yuchun has become a household name in China and managed to stay popular. During Weibo night, she wore a beautiful white suit and was one of the few ladies not wearing a long dress for the occasion (Eileen Gu also wore pants!). Li Yuchun also performed at the event later on in the show.
Weibo Outstanding Musician of the Year
In the “Outstanding Singers” category, the awards went to the popular female singers:
• Yu Wenwen (于文文)
• Yuan Yawei (袁娅维)
• Zheng Suyan (郑秀妍)
Weibo Music of the Year
The award for Weibo Music of the Year (微博年度人气音乐) went to the following songs:
• “Just Like Sunshine” (像阳光那样) – Wang Yibo (王一博)
• “To Find You” (寻一个你) – Liu Yuning (刘宇宁)
• “Worry-Free” (花开忘忧) – Zhou Shen (周深)
MOST INFLUENTIAL IN ACTING
Weibo Breakthrough Actor of the Year
• Wang Yibo (王一博)
▶︎ Wang Yibo (王一博) is the winner of the Weibo Breakthrough Film Star of the Year. Wang (1997) has been super popular in China for years. Born in Henan, he is a multi-talent and is active as an actor, singer, dancer, rapper, and professional road motorcycle racer. In 2014, Wang debuted as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boyband UNIQ. since then, his career has been thriving and he has starred in various popular productions, such as 2019 drama The Untamed (陈情令).
The Weibo Breakthrough Actor of the Year Award (微博年度突破演员), given to those actors who made a significant breakthrough in their careers during the past year, went to:
• Han Dongjun (韩东君)
• Jin Chen (金晨)
• Li Yitong (李一桐)
• Liu Yuning (刘宇宁)
• Xu Kai (许凯)
• Zhang Jingyi (张婧仪)
Newcomers, Rising, and Eye-Catching Actors of the Year
The award for best newcomer went to young actors:
• Hu Lianxin’er (胡连新儿)
• Wang Churan (王楚然)
• Wang Jiayi (王家义)
• Wu Xuanyi (吴宣仪)
• Zhang Yifan (张艺凡)
• Zhou Yiran (周艺然)
The Rising Actors Award (微博年度飞跃演员) went to:
• Bai Lu (白鹿)
• Guan Xiaotong (关晓彤)
• Mao Xiaotong (毛晓彤)
• Song Yi (宋轶)
• Tang Jianji (檀健次).
The ‘Eye-Catching Actors’ award (微博年度瞩目演员), which is about those actors who have achieved significant popularity and influence on social media, went to:
• Wang Jun (王俊)
• Wang Hedi (王鹤棣)
• Wu Lei (吴磊)
• Yu Shuxin (虞书欣).
The Weibo award for most promising or hard-working actors (微博年度进取演员) went to:
• Chen Zheyuan (陈哲远)
• Hou Minghao (侯明昊)
• Li Landi (李兰迪)
• Shen Yue (沈月)
• Tian Xiwei (田曦薇)
• Wang Ziyi (王子异)
• Zhang Linghe (张凌赫)
Tian Xi wei in Sophie Couture for Weibo Night, photos via Sina Weibo.
▶︎ Chinese actress Tian Xiwei stood out with a beautifully designed pink dress by Sophie Couture.
Weibo Attractive Actors of the Year
Honored as the most “attractive” actors of the year are:
• Gao Ye (高野)
• Pan Yueming (潘粤明)
• Tong Yao (童瑶)
• Wang Yang (王洋)
Weibo Night Performers of the Year
The Weibo award for performance of the year (微博年度表现力演员) went to:
• Dilraba Dilmurat (迪丽热巴), Chinese actress who recently starred in the popular series You Are My Glory (这个杀手不太冷静)
• Li Xian (李现), Chinese actor who starred in TV series Meet Yourself (which actually boosted Yunnan tourism)
• Yang Zi (杨紫), one of the big stars of the night who starred in multiple successful productions recently
Weibo Public Favorite Actors of the Year
The Weibo Public Favorites Actors of the Year awards, also called the Weibo Word-of-Mouth Actors of the Year (微博年度口碑演员) award, went to:
• Ma Li (马丽)
• Song Jia (宋佳)
• Yao Chen (姚晨)
▶︎ Of course, Yao Chen should be on this list – although Yao Chen is not necessarily China’s number one actress, she was one of the first celebrities to share her personal life on Weibo since 2009,and interact with her fans. On Weibo, she talks about her everyday life, family, news-related issues, work, and fashion. She posts a lot personal pictures every day. Yao Chen’s popularity as an actress and philanthropist combined with her frequent Weibo updates and closeness to her fans have made her a huge Weibo celebrity.
▶︎ Ma Li (马丽) has been in the limelight a lot reently. The Chinese actress starred in Too Cool to Kill (这个杀手不太冷静) and was a hit star during the Spring Festival Gala.
Weibo Quality Actor of the Year
They received the Quality Actor of the Year (微博年度品质演员) Award at the Weibo Award stage:
• Xiao Zhan (肖战)
• Liu Yifei (刘亦菲, Crystal Liu)
• Zhang Ruoyun (张若昀)
▶︎ Zhang is known for his acting work in various productions and well-known dramas, such as Joy for Life (2019). In 2022, he starred in Under The Microscope, a series about a math genius who ends up in a complex web of corruption and lies after he discovers a major tax discrepancy in his county’s finances.
Weibo Awards for Fine Acting of the Year
The award for realistic acting / fine acting (微博年度质感演员) went to some of China’s most renowned actresses, namely:
• Yang Mi (杨幂), the super popular actress who recently starred in Thank You Doctor (谢谢你医生)
• Angelababy (杨颖), the multitalented celebrity who often makes it to Weibo’s top trends
• Tong Liya (佟丽娅), actress and dancer of Xibo ethnicity who won many awards for her acting work
• Liu Shishi (刘诗诗), the renowned actress who is commonly praised for her quality acting
The actresses take their award at the Weibo Night stage.
▶︎ This became a much talked about moment since it was the first time for Angelababy to be at an event with Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming. The moment Angelababy went on stage, the camera focused on Huang who spoke a few words with Li Bingbing who sat right next to him. This sparked discussions on what he said at that moment, and simlarly, when Huang was on stage, people wanted to know what Angelababy was saying to Yang Mi. Oh, if only you could be a fly on the wall!
Weibo Award for Influential Actor
The award for actor that had the most influence / impact on Chinese social media thi year (微博年度影响力演员) went to:
• Li Bingbing (李冰冰)
▶︎ Li Bingbing shared the stage with Li Yuchun for this award, as Li Yuchun was honored for being the most influential musician.
MOST INFLUENTIAL IN MOVIES
Weibo Breakthrough in Film
The awards for the most notable breakthrough in film (微博年度突破电影人) went to:
• Wang Yibo (王一博)
• Da Peng (大鹏)
• Zhang Chiyu (张吃鱼/张迟昱)
The breakthrough in film winners, photo shared by Da Peng on Weibo.
▶︎ Da Peng, who is always quite active on Weibo (@大鹏董成鹏), is the director and screenwriter for the Chinese comedy movie Post Truth (保你平安) about a former mob boss who has now ventured in the business of selling burial plots and finds himself in the middle of a rumor scandal after the death of one of his clients.
Weibo Quality and Impactful Films of the Year
Honored in the category of “quality film” of the year (微博年度品质电影):
• Moon Man (独行月球)
• Song of Spring (妈妈)
• Lighting Up the Stars (人生大事)
• Hidden Blade (无名)
Honored in the category of films that made the most impact on Weibo (微博年度影响力电影), meaning they generated the most online discussions and often topped the Weibo trending lists:
• Wandering Earth 2 (流浪地球2)
• Full River Red (满江红)
• Home Coming (万里归途)
Weibo Quality Filmmakers of the Year
The award for quality film influentials of the year (微博年度品质电影人) went to:
• Lei Jiayin (雷佳音)
• Jackson Yee (易烊千玺)
• Rao Xiaozhi (饶晓志)
• Wen Muye (文牧野)
▶︎ Wen Muye directed the 2022 movie Nice View (奇迹·笨小孩) which stars Jackson Yee and tells the story of the 20-year-old Jing Hao who comes to live in Shenzhen to look after his little sister Tong Tong after the unexpected death of their mother. Rao Xiaozhi directed Home Coming, one of the major box office hits of 2022.
Best Movies of the Year
The most beloved movies of the year on Weibo (微博年度人气电影) are：
• Hidden Blade (无名)
• Wandering Earth 2 (流浪地球2)
• Home Coming (万里归途)
▶︎ Hidden Blade is a 2023 Chinese World War II espionage thriller directed by Cheng Er. ‘Home Coming’ (万里归途) is inspired by China’s overseas citizens protection response during the 2011 Libya crisis, and it sparked waves of nationalistic sentiments earlier in 2022.
▶︎ The sci-film Wandering Earth 2 became a box office hit in 2023 and has already become a part of China’s online culture in terms of visuals, memes, and vocabulary.
Weibo Most-Watched Movie Person of the Year
The award for Weibo Most-Watched Movie Personality (微博年度关注电影人) went to:
• Karry Wang (王俊凯)
• Li Yu (李玉)
• Yang Lina (杨荔钠)
▶︎ Yang Lina wrote and directed the 2022 film Song of Spring (妈妈), which tells the moving story of an 85-year-old mother caring for a 65-year-old daughter with Alzheimer’s disease.
Weibo Most Influential Director of the Year
▶︎ Zhang Yimou (张艺谋) received the award for most influential director of the year. The renowned director’s latest film Full River Red (满江红), a historical suspense comedy film starring Shen Teng and Jackson Yee, became a hit during the Spring Festival holiday and is China’s sixth highest-grossing box office entry of all time.
MOST INFLUENTIAL IN TV
Weibo Drama of the Year
This honors the Weibo serialized dramas of the year (微博年度剧集):
• Love Between Fairy and Devil (苍兰诀)
• Draw The Line (底线)
• Wild Bloom (风吹半夏)
• The Knockout (狂飙)
• The Three-Body Problem (三体)
• Bright Future (县委大院)
• Love Like the Galaxy (星汉灿烂·月升沧海)
• The Story Of Xing Fu (幸福到万家)
• The Blue Whisper (驭鲛记之与君初相识·恰似故人归)
Weibo Drama of the Year
• The Oath of Love (余生，请多指教) – Yang Zi and Xiao Zhan both star in this drama about a romance between a doctor and pianist
• Being A Hero (冰雨火) – crime and mystery drama featuring Chen Xiao and Wang Yibo
• Immortal Samsara (沉香如屑·沉香重华) – xianxia drama starring Yang Zi and Cheng Yi
Variety Show of the Year
• Street Dance of China 5 (这就是街舞5) – reality competition show focused on street dance
• Time Concert: Season 2 (时光音乐会2) – music variety show
• Hello, Saturday! (你好星期六) – variety show including games, interviews, and more
MOST INFLUENTIAL WEIBO CELEBRITIES
Weibo Influential Sports Personality of the Year
The award for Weibo’s Annual Most Influential Sport Person (微博年度影响力体育人物) went to:
• Eileen Gu (Gu Ailing)
• Ren Ziwei (任子威)
▶︎ 2022 really was the big year of Eileen Gu (@青蛙公主爱凌, 6.5 million fans), the America-born Olympic freestyle skier and gold medalist who came out for China. Although Gu could not attend the Spring Festival Gala earlier this year, she did attend Weibo Night, wher she changed outfits twice and also gave some interviews. For more about the Year of Eileen Gu, see our article here.
Hottest Celebrities of the Year
• Xiao Zhan (肖战)
• Yang Zi (杨紫)
• Wang Yibo (王一博)
▶︎ Xiao Zhan, Yang Zi, and Wang Yibo were the big winners of the Weibo Night. They all received the awards as the most popular Weibo celebrities. Xiao Zhan has over 31 million followers on Weibo (@X玖少年团肖战DAYTOY); Yang Zi has over 60 million (@杨紫); Wang Yibo (@UNIQ-王一博) has over 40 million.
A moment of Xiao Zhan sitting by himself, with his back super straight and a serious face, also went viral on Chinese social media.
▶︎ Besides both being super popular on Weibo, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo have more in common: they both starred together in the 2019 Chinese television series The Untamed, which is also very popular within online boys’ love communities.
The popular actress and singer Yang Zi, also known as Andy Yang, is also known for starring in various hit dramas such as Ode to Joy, Ashes of Love, Go Go Squid!, and Oath to Love.
Weibo Annual Favorite Person
The Weibo celebrities with the most likability are:
• Chinese table tennis player Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎)
• Professional esports multigame player Yi Nuo (一诺)
• South-Korean-born Chinese short track speed skater Lin Xiaosha (林孝埈)
The Queen and King of Weibo
• Hu Ge (胡歌)
• Liu Yifei (刘亦菲, Crystal Liu)
▶︎ The most anticipated awards of Weibo Night are those of the Weibo Queen and King. This year, Hu Ge (胡歌) was voted Weibo King while Liu Yifei (刘亦菲, Crystal Liu) accepted the Weibo Queen award. Liu Yifei is a Chinese-American actress who is most famous outside of China for starring in Disney’s Mulan live-action movie. Liu Yifei, who was recently announced as the new global spokesperson for Bvlgari, wore a spectacular Elie Saab dress to the Weibo night awards.
▶︎ Liu was reunited on stage with Weibo King Hu Ge, with whom she starred in the popular Chinese TV drama series Chinese Paladin. Hu Ge has previously won numerous awards for his acting, including the Best Actor Award at the 2013 Golden Eagle Awards and the Best Actor Award at the 2016 China Britain Film Festival. He is also popular as is a singer in China.
By Manya Koetse
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China Celebs
Hong Kong Police Find Head of Murdered Model Abby Choi in Soup Pot
“Reality is more gruesome than fiction,” some commenters wrote on Weibo, where the Abby Choi murder case has drawn wide attention.
The gruesome murder of the 28-year-old Hong Kong socialite and model Cai Tianfeng (蔡天鳳), better known as Abby Choi, has been all the talk on Chinese social media this week.
The Hong Kong influencer went missing on Tuesday. Just a week ago, Choi was featured on the cover of the magazine L’Officiel Monaco.
On Saturday, South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Free Press reported that Choi’s partial remains, including her dismembered legs, were found cooked and stored inside the freezer at a village house and that four people had been arrested for murder.
The village house at Lung Mei Tsuen in Tai Po was allegedly set up as a “butchery site” equipped with a choppers, hammer, an electric saw and a meat grinder that had been used to mince human flesh.
Choi was entangled in a financial dispute with her ex-husband’s family over luxury property in Hong Kong’s Kadoori Hill. The persons arrested in relation to her murder are her ex-husband named Alex Kwong, his elder brother, his mother and his father, who reportedly is a retired police officer.
Abby Choi and Alex Kwong had two children together, a daughter and a son.
Cho was last seen in Fo Chun Road in Tai Po on Tuesday afternoon. CCTV footage captured her before she went missing. Choi was supposed to pick her daughter up on Tuesday together with Kwong’s elder brother, who drove her. She was reported missing after she did not show up to collect her daughter.
While earlier media articles reported that some of Choi’s remains had still not been found, news came out on Sunday that the decapitated head had been found in a soup pot. Seeing over 300 million views, the topic went trending on Weibo (#蔡天凤头颅在一大汤煲中找到#), where many people have closely been following the latest developments in the case. Later on Sunday night, the topic hashtag was taken offline.
Local police disclosed that the head remained “intact” although it is believed that someone tried to “smash” it. Some of Choi’s ribs were also found.
“Reality is more gruelsome than fiction,” some top comments said. “What a terrifying family,” others wrote, calling them “inhuman” and “devilish.”
Another topic related to the case also went trending on Sunday, namely that Choi’s ex-husband and his family allegedly had been planning the murder for a month (#蔡天凤前夫家1个月前开始布局#, 180 million views).
Some Weibo bloggers said the case reminded them of another well-known and gruesome Hong Kong murder case, namely the 2013 murder of Glory Chau and Moon Siu. At age 63, the couple was murdered by their own 28-year-old son Henry Chau Hoi-leung and his friend. After killing them, the two chopped up Chau’s and Siu’s bodies and cooked their remains and stored them inside the refrigerator. The 2022 crime film The Sparring Partner (正義迴廊) was based on this story.
About the Kwong family, some Weibo users write: “Too bad that Hong Kong law does not have the death penalty.” Capital punishment in Hong Kong was formally abolished in 1993.
By Manya Koetse
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