China and Covid19

Getting ‘Pop-Upped’: The Most Hated Pop-Up Notification in China Right Now

A pop-up window doesn’t seem to bring anything good these days.

Published

4 years ago

October 10, 2022

Pop up notifications have become a much-feared phenomenon among Chinese mobile phone users recently. Last week, a Changzhou woman lost 90,000 yuan ($12,500) after clicking a pop-up ad in the super popular game ‘Sheep a Sheep.’ The pop-up turned out to be a fake ad showing a big cash giveaway, but in order to receive the money she had to transfer money herself and she got scammed (hashtag #女子玩羊了个羊被弹窗广告骗9万元#).

But feared much…

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Manya Koetse

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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China and Covid19

Weibo Watch: Small Earthquakes in Wuhan

How Wuhan is shaking off its past with a new wave of innovation, the hot topics to know, and the Weibo catchphrase of the week: ‘the Three Questions of Patriotism.’

Published

2 years ago

September 27, 2024

Manya Koetse

PREMIUM NEWSLETTER | ISSUE #37

Dear Reader,

“Wuhan Earthquake” (#武汉地震#) momentarily became the number one trending topic on Weibo this Friday night, after residents of Jiangxia District reported feeling their homes and buildings shake. “Was there an earthquake, or am I drunk?” some wondered.

I also felt a bit tipsy in Wuhan this month. Neon signs, dancing livestreamers, flying drones, bustling night markets, and holographic lights. On my first night in…

China and Covid19

Sick Kids, Worried Parents, Overcrowded Hospitals: China’s Peak Flu Season on the Way

“Besides Mycoplasma infections, cases include influenza, Covid-19, Norovirus, and Adenovirus. Heading straight to the hospital could mean entering a cesspool of viruses.”

Published

3 years ago

November 22, 2023

Manya Koetse

In the early morning of November 21, parents are already queuing up at Xi’an Children’s Hospital with their sons and daughters. It’s not even the line for a doctor’s appointment, but rather for the removal of IV needles.

The scene was captured in a recent video, only one among many videos and images that have been making their rounds on Chinese social media these days (#凌晨的儿童医院拔针也要排队#).