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Defying Spinster Stereotypes: Why Chinese Unmarried Women are Rooting for Actress Faye Yu

Chinese actress Faye Yu has become a social media hit because of her views on love and marriage.

Manya Koetse

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The unconventional attitudes on love & marriage of the unmarried 47-year-old actress Faye Yu have taken Chinese social media by storm. In a society where women are facing real pressures to get married, many welcome Yu’s refreshing perspectives.

With contributions from Miranda Barnes.
 

Chinese actress Yu Feihong (俞飞鸿, born 1971), also known as Faye Yu, has recently become a big topic of discussion on Chinese social media for her refreshing perspective on marriage and singlehood.

The 47-year-old unmarried celebrity was previously on various Chinese talk shows hosted by older (male) presenters, who questioned the actress about her single status. These shows include ‘Behind the Headlines‘ (锵锵三人行) and and ‘Thirteen Invitations’ (十三邀), hosted by Xu Zhiyuan (许知远).

Faye Yu

Yu became a social media hit when popular writer Shen Jiake (@沈嘉柯), on June 20, posted images and quotes of her on the talkshow ‘Behind the Headlines,’ which was hosted by two men Dou Wentao and guest Feng Tang.

The various quotes show how Yu, in a relaxed and matter-of-fact way, addresses questions about her being unmarried, expressing that she does not need a partner to fulfill her needs, and that she did not feel she wants or needs to adapt her life to existing social expectations on the right age to get married.

Within a time frame of three days, the post has been reposted on Weibo over 120,000 times, receiving more than 100,000 likes. Other posts dedicated to Yu’s appearance on the shows have also attracted hundreds of comments and reposts.

Faye Yu became a social media hit after Shen Jiake posted these images of her appearance in a talk show.

Some of these screenshots include the following:

Presenter Dou Wentao: “Why have you already been single for so long?”

Faye answers: “I don’t think it’s a problem. For me whether to be single or married is not a difficult choice. Whatever stage I find more comfortable, is the stage I’ll choose to be in.

Author Shen Jiake says about Yu: “Yu Feihong (俞飞鸿) really mirrors [these] old men’s own demons*, making a fool of their own reflections. Xu Zhiyuan, Feng Tang, and Dou Wentao all have to face their defeat.”

 

“I am rooting for Yu Feihong, she expresses my feelings!”

 

Over the past few days, thousands of people on Weibo comment on Yu’s attitude and previous interviews. Many of them are young and female.

In recent years, much has been written and discussed on the pressures Chinese women are facing today when it comes to marriage, and their risk of being stigmatized as a ‘spinsters’, ‘leftover women‘ or ‘shengnu‘ when they are older than 25 and still single.

In 2016, an SK-II skincare ad campaign titled ‘She Finally Goes to the Marriage Corner’ became a huge trending topic on Chinese social media. The ad video focused on Chinese single women, pressured to get married by their families and society, who pluck up the courage to speak out towards their parents against the burdens they face.

The SK-II video about China’s ‘leftover women’ that became a hit in 2016.

The online hype around Faye Yu shows similarities with the SK-II topic, and reveals that for many women in China today the pressure to get married is very real.

Chinese media outlets have also started to report on the Faye Yu hype, headlining: “Why are young people suddenly such fans of the 47-year-old Yu Feihong?” The trend is especially noteworthy because the talkshow appearances that have gone viral were recorded a time ago; ‘Behind the Headlines’ is a show that has already been canceled since 2017.

“Why have young people suddenly become such fans of Yu Feihong?”

“There is no age one should get married, there’s just an age one feels they should get married” (“没有该结婚的年龄,只有该结婚的感情), Weibo blogger Yan Wangye (@颜王爷) writes.

“I am rooting for Yu Feihong, she expresses my feelings!”, a typical comment says. “She’s just cool. Beautiful and cool,” others say.

But there are also many men responding to the topic. Famous designer ‘Teacher Kevin’ (@Kevin凯文老师) says: “I really appreciate Yu Feihong’s attitude on marriage: marriage is not a woman’s necessity. To be married or to be single is a personal choice, completely depending on what makes you more comfortable.”

 

“I have my own concept of marriage.”

 

Yu Feihong has been in the Chinese showbusiness since she was a child and has starred in dozens of movies since. Outside of China, she is mostly known for her role in the Joy Luck Club (1993). Many of these movies are about romance, and her own love life has been a topic of interest for Chinese journalists for years, especially because Yu is known as China’s “most beautiful woman above the age of 40.”

Faye Yu has worn a wedding dress in many of her movies, but not in real life.

In a 2016 interview with Phoenix News, Yu says: “By the time I was 20 years old, I was instilled with the concept of marriage by society and my family. But up to the present day, I will not simply accept a concept given to me by others. I have my own concept of marriage.”

In the interview, she says she has a stable partner, but does not feel the roles of “wife” or “mother” suit her lifestyle: “I don’t reject it, but I don’t feel it is something I need to attain in this life.”

“She says it so well,” one Weibo commenter writes: “I am a proponent of singlehood, although I do not oppose to marriage. I just feel we shouldn’t enter marriage within such a restricted time frame. This is a state of mind that is not welcomed or accepted by the majority of people.”

“I am not married for the mere reason that I do not want to be married yet,” another person says. “It is just so fascinating to see someone with such an independent way of thinking,” others say.

Besides praising Yu’s courage, there are also many who condemn Chinese men such as the talk show hosts Dou Wentao or Feng Tang who do not hesitate to question unmarried women such as Yu about their single status – even suggesting that being single and “being lonely” are practically the same thing.

Feng Tang about being single: “But you won’t finish a bottle of wine alone, and if you order food, two dishes might be too much but one dish is never enough. Aren’t you bothered by these kinda things?” Faye responds: “I really don’t have any problems with that.”

Many call these male presenters’ questioning a sign of ‘male chauvinism’ or, literally: ‘straight man’s cancer’ (直男癌). “I applaud Faye Yu’s patience to deal with these kinds of boring questions,” some say.

Faye Yu: “Listening to you guys talking, there’s one thing I don’t get – why, from a man’s point of view, is marrying something you seem to do out of some sort of charity for women?”

“I just really like Yu’s view on life,” another netizen writes: “Whether you’re single or married, the most important thing is to be your own independent person.”

Want to read more? Check out “The Shengnu Dilemma: (Don’t) Marry Before You’re 30.”

By Manya Koetse

Contributions from Miranda Barnes

* The term he literally used is ‘照妖镜’ (“老男人的照妖镜”), which means a “magic mirror for revealing goblins.”

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us.

©2018 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

Manya is the founder and editor-in-chief of What's on Weibo, offering independent analysis of social trends, online media, and digital culture in China for over a decade. Subscribe to gain access to content, including the Weibo Watch newsletter, which provides deeper insights into the China trends that matter. More about Manya at manyakoetse.com or follow on X.

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3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. LGBTspreadAIDS

    June 24, 2018 at 7:38 am

    she is probably LGBT and drinks from the furry cup.

  2. Xavier

    August 4, 2018 at 2:40 am

    @LGBTspreadAIDS

    How in the world does not wanting to get married have anything to do with LGBT? I frankly don’t care about getting married and I’m totally straight. So what’s your point?

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China Local News

Aftermath of Suzhou Marathon’s “Pissing Gate”

Manya Koetse

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🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China – Week 17
This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.


It has already been over seven weeks since the Suzhou Marathon took place, but it was trending again today in light of a statement that has come out regarding a particular situation.

During the March 2nd Suzhou Marathon, which had over 25,000 participants, images and videos went viral showing how some runners stopped to take a toilet break and urinated against the main sign of the Jiangsu Suzhou Experimental Middle School (江苏省苏州实验中学).


At the time, the Suzhou Marathon soon released an official statement denouncing the “uncivilized” behavior of the runners.

Other images showed that there were portable toilets set up along the route, but even there, there were runners urinating in public.

Portable toilets along the route.

Runner urinating behind the portable toilets.

On April 24, the Chinese Athletics Association (中国田径协会, CAA), the national governing body for athletics in China, issued a statement saying that, according to the association’s disciplinary regulations, ten participants who urinated against the school sign have been banned from participating in any marathon affiliated with the CAA for the next three years, until March 1, 2028.

The Chinese Athletics Association further stated that they have decided to revoke Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for event certification in 2026.

Although most online commenters agree that the runners should be punished for their behavior, some also note that it seems “unfair” that Suzhou Marathon also cannot apply for organizing its 2026 marathon:

💬 “(..) because of the uncivilized behavior of just 10 people, Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for certification from the Chinese Athletics Association in 2026 was directly cancelled. Isn’t this kind of penalty a bit unfair to Suzhou? After all, just 20 meters away from where those people were peeing, there were many portable toilets set up.”

Just around the corner from where the runners urinated in public, there were plenty of portable toilets set up.

Where they peed against the wall, and the toilets nearby.

The punishment for the Suzhou Marathon seems to be a classic case of “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” (杀鸡儆猴): a drastic measure that sends a clear message to other marathons. Not only should they provide plenty of portable toilets, but they must also enforce measures or assign staff to ensure that another “pissing gate” doesn’t happen in the future.

 
By Manya Koetse with contributions by Miranda Barnes

(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

©2025 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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Do You Know Who Li Gang Is? Anti-Corruption Official Arrested for Corruption

What? Another Li Gang?!

Manya Koetse

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Do you know who Li Gang is? On April 22, 2025, it is the name that is top trending on Chinese social media platforms Weibo, Douyin, and Kuaishou, following the news that Li Gang was arrested (#李刚被逮捕#) and suspected of accepting bribes.

Li Gang is the former head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office (纪检监察组) at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission (NSC). The CCDI (中央纪委) is China’s top internal Party watchdog, while the NSC (国家监委) is the anti-corruption agency at the state level. Together, they form the most powerful Party-state anti-corruption force in the country.

The 59-year-old Li Gang is — or rather, was — an experienced Party member and senior investigator who led the team at the Central Organization Department.

Of course, there is great irony in the fact that the very person whose job it was to act as an internal watchdog overseeing and investigating corruption among officials is now accused of accepting bribes himself. According to China Daily, Li associated with political fraudsters and resisted organizational investigations. He accepted banquets that compromised the impartial execution of his duties, illegally took money and goods, and abused his position for personal gain and to benefit others in various ways.

Li, born and raised in Sichuan Province, joined the Communist Party in 1986. Over the years, he held various positions, including Deputy Party Secretary of his native Dazhu County, Party Secretary of Zigong city, and Vice Governor of Sichuan Province. In 2023, he was appointed head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office at the Central Organization Department.

Many commenters on social media call Li Gang a “traitor” or “mole” (内鬼 nèiguǐ). One Weibo blogger (@张胜军), along with one commenter (@第一球迷胖哥), wrote:

💬 “This is truly a case of breaking the law while enforcing it (执法犯法), like a thief crying ‘stop the thief’ (贼喊捉贼), and they got caught in the end.

💬 “The case of Li Gang exposes the problem of how some officials have lost their ideals and are just hungry for power. Public opinion is calling for systematic limitations to leave less room for corruption, and to strengthen the normalization of oversight for the ‘key minority’ [the power elite].

Besides the comments pointing out the irony of Li being caught for bribery given his position, and those calling him a disgrace to Sichuan Province, many netizens are also noting the familiarity of his name.

For many Chinese, the name Li Gang—especially in connection with power abuse—brings to mind another official associated with the famous online meme “My Dad is Li Gang.”

In October 2010, 22-year-old Li Qiming (李启铭), while driving under the influence, hit two female college students at Hebei University, killing one and seriously injuring the other. After fleeing the scene, he was arrested and infamously said: “Sue me if you dare! My dad is Li Gang!” His father, also named Li Gang, was the deputy director of the local public security bureau in Baoding.

Despite efforts by authorities to suppress the story at the time, “My Dad is Li Gang” (“我爸是李刚”) quickly went viral, becoming a nationwide meme. The phrase inspired widespread online creativity, including a contest encouraging netizens to incorporate the quote into classical Chinese poetry—drawing thousands of humorous and satirical entries.

The humor extended offline as well. Road safety signs in Guangxi read: “Dear friends, drive slowly. Your father is not Li Gang” (“朋友,开慢点, 你爸不是李刚”). Car stickers appeared with slogans like: “Don’t touch me, my dad is Li Gang” (“别碰我,我爸是李刚”).


Li Qiming was eventually sentenced to six years in prison for the accident, but the phrase “My Dad is Li Gang” lived on as a meme to expose and mock abuses of power.

The other Li Gang tearfully apologizing for his son’s actions back in 2014.

The sentence resurfaced in June 2014, when the phrase “Do you know who my dad is?” (你知道我爸是谁啊) became a trending topic on Weibo. This followed an incident during the college entrance exams in Fuxin, where a student arrived at school in a BMW and was caught cheating on his phone. When confronted by a teacher, he attacked her, shouting: “Do you know who my dad is? You still dare to check me?”

That moment also drew comparisons to the Li Gang meme. The phrase “Do you know who my dad is?” reflects the attitude of a group often labeled as fù’èr dài (富二代, “Second-Generation Rich”) and guān’èr dài (官二代, “Second-Generation Officials”)—those who believe they are untouchable due to their parents’ status. This attitude is closely tied to fraud, corruption, and power abuse—not just by the children themselves, but by their parents as well.

The current Li Gang incident brings everything together for many people, though it has also led to some confusion: “Which Li Gang is this? Is this the Li Gang from ‘My Dad is Li Gang’?” The current Li Gang is actually much higher in position than the one from 2010.

“Again, another Li Gang,” some say. “Another corrupt official.”

Although the name Li Gang itself may not be so special—many people have an uncle or neighbor with the same name—the current trending Li Gang news story now inevitably links the name with power abuse, entitlement, and corruption, but also with the idea that eventually, those who do wrong will be punished.

As of On April 7, 2025, Li has been expelled from the Communist Party and dismissed from public office. His case has now been transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.

By Manya Koetse

(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

 

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

©2025 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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What’s on Weibo is run by Manya Koetse (@manyapan), offering independent analysis of social trends in China for over a decade. Subscribe to gain access to all content and get the Weibo Watch newsletter.

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