China Memes & Viral
Happy Ending to Unfortunate Love Story of Dutchman in China
The unfortunate love story of a Dutchman in China has made international headlines over the past week, as the man waited for over ten days on Changsha airport in hopes of meeting his online Chinese girlfriend who failed to show up. Although the man was even admitted to a local hospital in critical condition, the story now seems to have taken an unexpectedly happy turn.
The 41-year-old Alexander Pieter Cirk from the Netherlands recently traveled to China’s Hunan province in the hopes of meeting his online girlfriend there. When the young woman did not show up, Cirk did not give up hope to see her and stayed at the airport day and night. After the man had been waiting at the airport for 8 days, his remarkable story was reported by Chinese local media on June 28.
The story of ‘Peter’ and ‘Zhang’
News of the Dutchman’s failed romance made its rounds on Chinese social media under the hashtag of “Foreign Man Visits Online Girlfriend in Changsha” (#外籍男赴长沙见女网友#). The story was later also reported internationally, from Dutch blog Geenstijl to the BBC and Washington Post.
Although some Chinese netizens saw Cirk, simply referred to as ‘Peter’ (皮特), as the poor victim of an online fake romance, others deemed him a cheat and a swindler. Many netizens initially blamed the girl for cheating the Dutchman: “This girl really is unbelievable,” one netizen writes: “She cheats foreign men and lets them come from so far away.” But others commented: “You can just see he’s a swindler by looking at him, go back to your own country!” And: “He looks like a drug addict.”
Cirk made headlines again when he was admitted to the hospital after waiting at the airport for over ten days, on July 31. The Dutchman reportedly was hospitalized for physical exhaustion and neglecting his diabetes, eating nothing but instant noodles and sleeping on airport benches. Doctors stated that he was critically ill.
According to Tencent News, the man had initially not been in contact with his online girlfriend after arriving in China. But when his story appeared on local news stations, the mysterious girlfriend – who goes by the name of ‘Zhang’ – got in touch with reporters to share her side of the story.
According to Zhang, she had met ‘Peter’ on an online platform only over a month ago and the two hit it off. They had discussed meeting one day, but according to Zhang, this would maybe take place a year from now. When he later suddenly send her a photo of him and an airplane, she thought he was joking and never expected him to really come to Changsha. In the days that followed, Zhang waited online to get in touch with Peter, but could not get hold of him.
Zhang later traveled to Zhengzhou, where she underwent a plastic surgery procedure. It was from the hospital where she learned of Cirk’s arrival and hospitalization. She told reporters she was not able to come and meet him as she was still recovering from her plastic surgery, which was allegedly confirmed by her doctor.
A Happy Ending
A video of the story of the Dutchman has been shared on Chinese social media through video platform Miaopai that shows the man waiting and being hospitalized, accompanied by a cheerful tune. Most netizens find the situation funny, people commenting “this guy is crazy”, or saying “she thought she’d meet a northern European Mr. Perfect, but saw a hooligan instead.”
The story of Peter and Zhang – turn on subtitles for English.In the meantime, Cirk is no longer in critical condition and he has been released from the hospital. He flew back to Amsterdam on Tuesday, August 2, where he told reporters at the airport that he “took the wrong steps to meet the girl” and that it was “the wrong timing”. He also confirmed he did not have the girl’s phone number upon his arrival in China and that there was no way to reach her.
The story does seem to have a happy ending since various Chinese media outlets now report that despite all upheaval, Zhang still hopes to “continue this romance” with Peter.
Cirk also confirmed that he has now obtained Zhang’s phone number and spoke to her over the phone for 4,5 hours to clear things up. The girl allegedly told him “not to do this again”. Next time, the two can make a proper appointment to meet up.
According to the Dutch Telegraaf newspaper, Sander has arrived home safely and is currently together with his parents in the Dutch city of Den Helder.
The Dutchman’s unfortunate week in China has not made him lose hope on his affair with Zhang: “She is the woman of my dreams,” he tells Dutch reporters. Both Zhang and Peter have confirmed that their love affair is not over yet – it might just be the beginning. For now, they will not meet at any airport, but will safely keep their love affair right where it started: in cyberspace.
– By Manya Koetse
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‘Chinese Traditional Culture University’ Turns Out to Be Fake
The ‘Chinese Traditional Culture University’ sounded so refined, but it turned out to be a sham.
A crackdown on an educational institute known as the “China Traditional Culture Institute University” (“中国国学院大学”) has become a major news topic on Chinese social media this weekend. The institute was banned for being an “illegal social organization” (“非法社会组织”) without any accreditation.
The ‘China Traditional Culture University’ was found to have forged official documents and registration certificates. Besides its main location in Beijing, the institute has 70 branches in various cities across China, including in Tianjin, Guangzhou, Guangdong, and Shenzhen.
These branches, including a “China National University of Chinese Medicine and Life Sciences” (中国国学院大学国医药生命科学院), an institute of “Mao Studies” (中国国学院大学毛学研究院), and a “Laozi Research Institute” (中国国学院大学老子研究院) have now also all been banned.
Beijing Youth Daily reports that the institute was not officially registered and forged official credentials. The organization collected money by holding various award and inauguration ceremonies and events across the country. They claimed to be an affiliate institution of the Ministry of Culture to train Chinese officials as well as international ambassadors and cultural workers.
Because of its name, its nationwide presence, and its alleged association with many high-reliability organizations, the fake university apparently fooled many into thinking it was a qualified and renowned educational institute.
According to its own former website, which has since been taken down, the institute was established in 2009 and taught courses in Chinese language and literature, Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, calligraphy and painting, martial arts, Chinese medicine, and more.
On Weibo, the hashtag page “China Traditional Culture University Taken Down” (#中国国学院大学被取缔#) received over 210 million views on Saturday. A video report showing authorities taking down the university’s sign was widely shared.
Many people on social media express disbelief at how this university could go on for so many years, establishing 70 branches, without being caught. The institute’s new branch openings or award ceremonies made it to local newspapers multiple times.
“Their name sounds so high-end, but they were passing off fish eyes for pearls,” one Weibo commenter said. Other commenters also note how the fact that the institute’s name contained “China” (中国) and “academy” (学院) and “university” (大学) made it sound trustworthy.
In 2019, a social media storm broke out when it turned out that students studying at the Nanjing Institute of Applied Technology (南京应用技术学校) had actually been studying for a ‘fake Major’ (假专业) since their study programmes were not even registered.
“How many fake schools are there out there?”, some people wonder.
The "China Traditional Culture Institute University" that now turns out to be a complete sham had 70 branches across China with some catchy names, including an Institute of Quantum Medicine, Mao Studies, and Dragon Culture (https://t.co/Z5Y4hhGnYH). pic.twitter.com/T59A48X0N9
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) April 24, 2021
By Manya Koetse
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