China Memes & Viral

‘Grand Theft Claw Crane’: Big Win at the Claw Machine Leads to Police Investigation in South-Korea

The art of claw craning recently made headlines when an all-too- successful game of claw crane led to a formal police investigation in Daejeon, South Korea. As the story goes viral on Chinese social media, responses show that South Korea’s ‘claw crane hype’ has also sprung up in China.

Published

7 years ago

March 5, 2017

Manya Koetse

The art of claw craning recently made headlines when an all-too-successful attempt at a claw machine arcade led to a formal police investigation in Daejeon, South Korea. The story’s popularity on Chinese social media shows how South Korea’s ‘claw crane hype’ has also sprung up in China.

Local police in the South Korean city of Daejeon recently had to deal with a remarkable ‘theft case’ when they received a report from the owner of a claw machine shop that all 210 plush toys out of his arcade’s five claw machines had disappeared.

The case made it to the news in South Korea and was also reported by various Chinese media (e.g. Sina News) on Weibo, where it soon triggered thousands of reactions.

“The two men had “a fixed method to operate the joystick.””

According to the police report over the claw machine mystery, the toys had an estimated total value of 2.1 million won (±1820US$). The incident happened at a time when no shop assistant was present at the claw machine arcade.

After police investigated the case by looking at security camera footage, they discovered that the plush toys were not stolen, but were legitimately grabbed by two skillful 20-year-old South-Korean men. They succeeded in grabbing all toys within a time frame of 2 hours.

The claw machine hall has a fee of around 8US$ which allows players to operate the claw a total of 12 times. If the men would have succeeded in grabbing all toys within 1 attempt, it would have cost them approximately 140$.

According to Sina News, most people usually need around 20-30 attempts before succeeding in grabbing a toy with the claw. But the local police investigation pointed out that the two men from Daejeon only needed 1 or 2 attempts to win a toy.

In a police interview, the two men declared that they had found “a fixed method to operate the joystick.” Because they paid money for all of their attempts, did not damage any arcade material, and legitimately won their prices, they cannot be held accountable for the arcade hall losses.

On Weibo the incident triggered thousands of comments, also of netizens who feel frustrated with Chinese claw cranes: “This boss was actually sincere, but if you come and play the sh*tty claw crane here, you never win. I’ve spent 20 RMB (±3$) and nothing even moved.”

“I’ve spent 200 RMB (±30$) on claw cranes today,” another person comments: “I’ve only won 1 toy.”

“Maybe the claws in South Korea are less loose than here,” some wonder.

Although claw cranes are popular all around the world, South Korea has recently seen a claw machine ‘hype’, with claw game halls popping up everywhere.

In 2015, a Taiwan newspaper also reported that there was a ‘claw hype’ going on. The game is especially popular among people born in the 1980s and 1990s.

“The kids whose parents never gave them money for the claw machine have now grown up and finally have their own money to play the game.”

The countless responses on Weibo show that the game is also very popular (again) in mainland China. Some netizens share pictures of the toys they have recently ‘won’ and collected.

A collection of claw crane toys, shared on Weibo.

“The toys I’ve won last month,” one Weibo user says.

“I’ve grabbed them all” (Sina Weibo).

Some think they know why claw cranes have become so popular again. One Weibo user (@叶远远叶) says: “I suddenly realized that the recent growing popularity of the claw machine is because the kids whose parents never gave them money for the claw machine – thinking it was fraudulent – have now grown up and finally have their own money to play the game.”

The popularity of the game also might have to do with it being a typical ‘date activity’, where boys win toys for their girlfriends. “I am so good at grabbing plush toys from the claw machine, why am I still single?” one young man wonders.

A video showing techniques on how to grab toys from claw cranes is also widely shared Sina Weibo. In February, one Chinese man became known as the “Claw Game God” when he won over 3000 toys in half a year.

Most commenters seem to agree that the machines in South Korea have a higher success rate than those in China. “We might be boycotting South Korea,” one person says (in response to recent THAAD controversy): “But at least their claw cranes are better than China’s.”

No matter how popular the claw crane game may be, for some people the game is over: “With the money I’ve spent on these machines, I could’ve bought at least a 100 toys – but I never even grabbed one single toy.”

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is the founder and editor-in-chief of whatsonweibo.com. She is a writer, public speaker, and researcher (Sinologist, MPhil) on social trends, digital developments, and new media in an ever-changing China, with a focus on Chinese society, pop culture, and gender issues. She shares her love for hotpot on hotpotambassador.com. Contact at manya@whatsonweibo.com, or follow on Twitter.

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China Memes & Viral

“Bye Bye Biden”: Biden’s Many Nicknames in Chinese

Throughout the years, Biden has received many nicknames on Chinese social media.

Published

5 days ago

July 22, 2024

Manya Koetse

Our Weibo phrase of the week is Bye Bye Biden (bài bài Bàidēng 拜拜拜登). As news of Biden dropping out of the presidential race went viral on Weibo early Monday local time, it’s time to reflect on some of the popular nicknames and phrases given to US President Joe Biden on Chinese social media.

🔹 Biden in Chinese: Bàidēng 拜登

Biden in Chinese is generally written pronounced and written as Bàidēng 拜登. Although the character 拜 (bài) means “to pay respect, to worship” and 登 (dēng) means “to ascend, to climb,” they’re used here primarily for their phonetic similarity. The characters chosen are neutral to avoid any negative implications in the official translation of Biden’s name.

Why are non-Chinese names translated into Chinese at all? With English and Chinese being vastly different languages with entirely different phonetics and scripts, most Chinese people find it difficult to pronounce a foreign name written in English. Writing foreign names in Chinese not only standardizes them but also makes pronunciation and memorization easier for Chinese speakers.

🔹 Bye Biden: Bài Bài Bàidēng 拜拜拜登

Because Biden is Bàidēng, and the Chinese for ‘bye bye’ is written as bài bài 拜拜, some netizens quickly created the wordplay “bài bài Bàidēng” 拜拜拜登 (“bye bye Biden”) upon hearing that Biden would not seek reelection. Try saying it out loud—it almost sounds like you’re stammering.

🔹 Old Joe: Lǎo Dēng Dēng 老登登

Another common farewell greeting to Biden seen online is “bài bài lǎo dēng dēng” 拜拜老登登, which sounds cute due to the repetition of sounds.

“Old Biden” or “lǎo dēng dēng” 老登登 is a common online nickname for Biden in Chinese. The reduplication of the 登 (dēng) makes it sound playful and affectionate, while the “old” prefix is commonly used when referring to someone older. It’s similar to calling someone “Old Joe” in English.

🔹 Biden Variations: 拜灯, 白等, 败蹬

Let’s look at some other ways Biden is nicknamed online:

Besides the official way of writing Biden with the 拜登 Bàidēng characters, there are also other variations:

拜灯: bài dēng
白等: bái děng
败蹬: bài dèng

These alternative ways of writing Biden’s name are not neutral. Although the first variation is not necessarily negative (using the formal Biden 拜 bài character but with ‘Light’ 灯 dēng instead of the other 登 ‘dēng’), the other two variations are usually used in more negative contexts.

In 白等 (bái děng), the first character 白 (bái) means “white,” which can evoke associations with old age due to white hair (白发). The character 等 (děng) means “to wait,” and the combination can imply being old and sluggish.

败蹬 (bài dèng) is typically used by netizens to reflect negative sentiments towards the American president. The characters separately mean 败 (bài): “to be defeated,” “to fail,” and 蹬 (dèng): “to step on,” “to kick.” This would never be used by official media and is also often used by netizens to circumvent censorship around a Biden-related topic.

🔹 Revive the Country Biden: Bài Zhènhuá 拜振华

Then there is 拜振华 Bài Zhènhuá: revive the country Biden

In recent years, Biden has come to be referred to with the Chinese nickname “Revive the Country Biden,” also translatable as ‘Thriving China Biden’. This nickname has circulated online since 2020 and matches one previously given to former President Trump, namely “Build the Country Trump” (Chuān Jiànguó 川建国).

The idea behind these humorous monikers is that both Trump and Biden are seen as benefitting China by doing a poor job in running the United States and dealing with China.

🔹 Sleepy King: Shuì wáng 睡王

Shuì wáng 睡王, Sleepy King, is another common nickname, similar to the English “Sleepy Joe.” During and after the 2020 American presidential elections, there were numerous discussions on Chinese social media about ‘Trump versus Biden.’ Many saw it as a contest between the ‘King of Knowing’ (懂王) and the ‘Sleepy King’ (睡王).

These nicknames were attributed to Trump, who frequently boasted about his unparalleled understanding of various matters, and Biden, who gained notoriety for being older and tired. Viral videos, some manipulated, showed him nodding off or seemingly disoriented. The name ‘Sleepy King’ then stuck.

🔹 Grandpa Biden: Bài Yéyé 拜爷爷

Throughout the years, Biden has also been nicknamed Bài yéyé 拜爷爷, “Grandpa Biden.” This is usually more affectionate, though it emphasizes his age—Trump is not much younger than Biden and is not nicknamed ‘Grandpa Trump.’

Another similar nickname is lǎo bái 老白, “Old White,” referring to Biden’s age and white hair. 白 (bái, white) can also be a surname in Chinese. This nickname makes it seem like Biden is an old, familiar friend.

On Weibo, many speculate that American Vice President Kamala Harris will be the new candidate for the Democrats, especially since she’s been endorsed by Biden. Many have little confidence that she can compete against Trump. Her Chinese name is Kǎmǎlā Hālǐsī 卡玛拉·哈里斯, commonly referred to as ‘Harris’ (Hālǐsī).

In light of the latest developments, some netizens jokingly write: “Bye bye Biden, Ha ha ha, Harris.” (Bài bài, Bàidēng. Hā hā hā, Hālǐsī 拜拜，拜登。哈哈哈，哈里斯). With a new Democratic candidate entering the presidential race, we can expect a fresh batch of creative nicknames to join the mix on Chinese social media.

Want to read more? Also read: Why Trump has Two Different Names in Chinese.

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo

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China Memes & Viral

Enjoying the ‘Sea’ in Beijing’s Ditan Park

This “seaview” spot in Beijing’s Ditan Park has become a new ‘check-in spot’ among Chinese Xiaohongshu users and influencers.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 15, 2024

Manya Koetse

“‘The sea in Ditan Park’ is a perfect example of how Xiaohongshu netizens use their imagination to change the world,” a recent viral post on Weibo said (“地坛的海”完全可以入选《红薯人用想象力颠覆世界》的案例合集了”).

The post included screenshots of the Xiaohongshu app where users share their snaps of the supposed seaview in Beijing’s Ditan Park (地坛公园).

Ditan, the Temple of Earth Park, is one of the city’s biggest public parks with tree-lined paths and green gardens in Beijing, not too far from the Lama Temple in Dongcheng District, within the Second Ring Road.

On lifestyle and social media platform Xiaohongshu, users have recently been sharing tips on where and how to get the best seaview in the park, finding a moment of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of Beijing city life.

Post on Xiaohongshu to get the seaview in Ditan Park.

But there is something peculiar about this trend. There is no sea in Ditan Park, nor anywhere else in Beijing, for that matter, as the city is located inland.

The ‘seaview’ trend comes from the view of one of the park’s stone walls. In the late afternoon, somewhere around 16pm, when the sun is not too bright, the light creates an optical illusion from a certain viewpoint in the park, making the wall behind the bench look like water.

You do have to capture the right light at the right moment, or else the effect is non-existent.

Some photos taken at other times of the day clearly show the brick wall, which actually doesn’t look like a sea at all.

Although the ‘seaview in Ditan’ trend is popular among many Xiaohongshu users and influencers who flock to the spot to get that perfect picture, there are also some social media commenters who criticize the trend of netizens always looking for the next “check-in spot” (打卡点).

There are also other spots popular on social media that look like impressive areas but are actually just optical illusions. Here are some examples:

One Weibo user suggested that this trend is actually not about people appreciating the beauty around them, but more about chasing the next social media hype.

The Ditan seaview trend is not entirely new. In May of this year, Beijing government already published a post about the “sea” in Ditan becoming more popular among social media users who especially came to the park for the special spot.

The Beijing Tourism Bureau previously referred to the spot as “the sea at Ditan Park that even Shi Tiesheng didn’t discover” (#在地坛拍到了史铁生都没发现的海#).

Shi Tiesheng (1951–2010) is a famous Chinese author from Beijing whose most well-known work, “Me and Ditan,” reflects on his experiences and contemplations in Ditan Park. At the age of 21, Shi Tiesheng suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Ditan Park became a place for him to ponder life, time, and nature. Despite the author’s deep connection with the park, he never described seeing a “sea” in the walls.

Shi Tiesheng in Ditan Park.

If you are visiting Ditan Park and would like to check out the ‘sea’ yourself in the late afternoon, there are guides on Xiaohongshu explaining the route to the viewpoint. But it should not be too difficult to find this summer—just follow the crowds.