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China Books & Literature

“I Am Fan Yusu” (我是范雨素) (Full Translation)

In late April of 2017, Fan Yusu became an overnight literary sensation in China when her essay “I Am Fan Yusu” was published on online platform Noonstory.com and soon went viral. Here is a full translation of the original Chinese essay. Translation provided by What’s on Weibo.

Manya Koetse

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In late April of 2017, Fan Yusu became an overnight literary sensation in China when her essay “I am Fan Yusu” was published on online platform Noonstory.com and soon went viral. Here is a full translation of the original Chinese essay. Translation provided by What’s on Weibo.

“I Am Fan Yusu”, by Fan Yusu

1

My life is like a book that’s dreadful to read – fate has made its bookbinding very messy. I…

Manya Koetse is a sinologist, writer, and public speaker specializing in China’s social trends, digital culture, and online media ecosystems. She founded What’s on Weibo in 2013 and now runs the Eye on Digital China newsletter. Learn more at manyakoetse.com or follow her on X, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Jorge Bravo-Pratscher

    May 10, 2017 at 3:25 pm

    Hopefully one person with loads of money is willing to make a movie out of this story. Thanks for the translation.

  2. Soi Chong Powell

    June 20, 2017 at 11:57 pm

    Moving story! Reminds me of George Orwell’s “Down and Out in Paris and London” only evoking even more empathy from the reader. Thank you for your sensitive translation, Manya Koetse.

  3. John Myers

    August 26, 2017 at 7:42 pm

    A powerful and truthful look at the real lives of people in China–gripping, human and heart-felt. I speaks to the human spirit in all of us. I think anyone from any country or culture can relate to her story. Thanks Fan Yusu for writing this and Manya for translating it for us.

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🔥 China Trend Watch (Week 21–22 | 2026) Part of Eye on Digital China by Manya Koetse, China Trend Watch is an overview of what’s trending and being discussed on Chinese social media.


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Manya Koetse

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🔥 China Trend Watch (week 16/17 | 2026) Part of Eye on Digital China by Manya Koetse, China Trend Watch is an overview of what’s trending and being discussed on Chinese social media.

Dear reader,

Hope you’re having a good week. Time for an update on what’s been trending.

In this newsletter:

👉Victor Hugo’s day has come
👉China’s grassroots football couldn’t get more viral
👉A scrollable new book by Mo Yan
👉The Chinese office meme of the moment

..and more.

Let’s dive in.

Quick Scroll

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    • 🐺 A feel-good wildlife story from Inner Mongolia: a pregnant wild wolf descended from the mountains to give birth at a wildlife conservation station where she had been previously fed. The noteworthy move shows she had apparently developed trust in the station workers, and felt safe there.
    • 🐖 Pork prices hit historic lows but spare ribs still cost 20 yuan (US$3) – this became a topic of discussion this week. Despite the drop in pig prices, retail pork still feels expensive because added costs across the supply chain haven’t changed.
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    • 🤖 Unitree’s humanoid robot is almost as fast as Usain Bolt. The company announced that the H1 humanoid robot achieved a peak sprint speed of 10 meters per second during a 100-meter test.
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[#苏超开幕式] [#何润东项羽造型亮相苏超观后感#]

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