China Memes & Viral

How the Gaokao Unexpectly Brought China’s Holiday Arrangement Discussion Back on the Table

Interviewed exam candidates seized the opportunity to express their stance on China’s ‘make up workday’ holidays and advocated against weekend-weekday swaps.

Published

1 year ago

June 13, 2023

Wendy Huang

Last week, China’s national college entrance examinations, better known as the “Gaokao” (高考), commenced on June 7th with a new record-high of 12.91 million registered examinees. According to China’s Ministry of Education, the number of participating students has increased by 980,000 compared to last year’s figures.

As the Gaokao is an annual event that captures great attention of Chinese society, some topics have generated extensive online discussion that keep going even after the exams have finished. From the essay topic (#高考作文#) to the level of difficulty in math (#数学到底难不难#), there is always a wide range of related subjects and incidents that trigger discussions before, during, and even after the exams.

Consequently, Chinese news outlets have heightened their focus on the Gaokao, with one of their recurring features being interviews with students who have just completed their exams and are the first to exit the examination venues.

In recent years, comments made by some students during these interviews have frequently gone viral on Chinese social networks, primarily due to their humorous or nonchalant nature.

Calls to End Weekend ‘Make-up Working Days’

With Chinese netizens recognizing the news value of these interviews, a hashtag trended on June 6th, the day before the exams began. The hashtag, titled “First Students Exiting the Exam Venue, We’d Like Your Help” (#第一个出考场的考生麻烦你了#) urged the students who would be interviewed straight after their exam to voice their opinions on various issues, representing a cause on behalf of others.

One of the most prominent requests associated with the hashtag was a plea to revise China’s holiday arrangements and discontinue the practice of combining public holidays and weekends to create extended holidays (取消调休).

In China, the General Office of the State Council usually announces the holidays for the upcoming year approximately two or three weeks before the start of the year.

The holiday schedule in China typically includes two significant week-long holidays, commonly known as Golden Week: the Spring Festival (also known as Chinese New Year) and the National Day holiday. Additionally, there are several 3- to 5-day holidays throughout the year. These extended holidays are often created by rearranging weekends and weekdays around the actual holiday dates.

As a result, there are instances where Saturdays and Sundays are designated as official workdays to compensate as a ‘make-up working day’ for the extended breaks, something that is not well received by most employees. The Beijinger recently reported that in 2012, an online survey already revealed that more than 70 percent of respondents were not satisfied with these holiday arrangements.

As an example, let’s consider the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 22 (Thursday). The official holiday period for this festival is from June 22 to 24 (Thursday to Saturday). To create an extended holiday, one working day is adjusted by swapping June 25 (Sunday) with June 23 (Friday). This arrangement results in a 3-day holiday, followed by a consecutive six-day work period.

It became evident that recent exam takers also became aware of the trending call on social media to discontinue the practice of combining public holidays and weekends for extended breaks. During interviews, several students voiced this request (see video here and here).

This student went viral after advocating against make-up weekend work days.

A hashtag related to this, namely “Exam Candidates Demand Cancellation of Holiday Adjustments” (#考生喊话取消调休#) garnered more than 410 million views in a single day on June 9, receiving widespread support and applause from Chinese netizens.

To Swap or Not to Swap, That Is the Question

Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, China’s holiday arrangement has undergone various transformations. Initially, there were only four official holidays: New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Labour Day, and National Day. These holidays provided a combined total of seven days off.

In 1999, the holiday policy in China underwent a revision aimed at promoting tourism and consumption. As a result, Chinese citizens were granted three consecutive days off for the Spring Festival, Labour Day, and National Day.

Subsequently, the policy was further modified to create a seven-day holiday period by bridging the weekends before and after these holidays. This arrangement gave rise to the concept of the Golden Week (黄金周), a highly anticipated and popular vacation period.

In 2007, the holiday policy in China underwent another revision. This revision entailed reducing the Labor Day holiday from three days to one day, while adding three traditional festivals — Qingming Festival (Tomb-sweeping Day), Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival — each with a one-day holiday.

Consequently, this allowed for the formation of two seven-day holidays during the Spring Festival and National Day, as well as five shorter extended holidays (known as 小长假 or “small long holidays”) for New Year’s Day, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. These extended holidays were achieved by swapping weekends with weekdays next to the actual holiday.

The Golden Week and other “small long holidays” have enjoyed popularity for years, although occasional complaints have arisen. However, in the wake of the pandemic, which has reshaped people’s perspectives on life, there has been an increase in discussions surrounding holiday arrangements that leave individuals feeling exhausted due to the practice of sacrificing weekends in exchange for time off.

The discourse sparked by the Gaokao is not the sole discussion that has taken place this year. At the start of the year, when the holiday arrangement for Chinese New Year was announced, there was already a fervent online debate. This was followed by further discussions prompted by the proposals put forth by NPC deputies (#代表建议取消调休制度#, #代表建议延长春节法定假期#) during the Two Sessions held in March.

This year, the Qingming Festival fell on April 5th, which coincided with a Wednesday. Since no special arrangements were made, many people applauded the decision, as it meant there was no need for additional compensation days. However, some individuals expressed disappointment as they were unable to return to their hometowns to participate in the traditional tomb-sweeping activities.

It seems that the Chinese government is still in the process of finding a balance between promoting consumption through extended holidays and taking into account the public’s feedback. Will the current discussions and debates lead to new revisions in holiday policies? Time will tell. At least for now, the exam students did their best to bring awareness to an issue that so many weekend-loving young workers find important.

By Wendy Huang
Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. Please note that your comment below will need to be manually approved if you’re a first-time poster here.

Up Next

Farewell to a Self-Taught Master: Remembering China’s Colorful, Bold, and Iconic Artist Huang Yongyu

Don't Miss

Weibo Watch: Weibo’s Moral Compass

Wendy Huang

Wendy Huang is a China-based Beijing Language and Culture University graduate who currently works for a Public Relations & Media software company. She believes that, despite the many obstacles, Chinese social media sites such as Weibo can help Chinese internet users to become more informed and open-minded regarding various social issues in present-day China.

Click to comment

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

4 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

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.

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.