When one film breaks a record in China, the previous champion often celebrates with a playful and creative congratulatory poster. It’s a uniquely Chinese mix of solidarity, box-office success, and internet culture.

China’s 2025 summer box office season has been a success, surpassing 10 billion yuan (~US$1.4 billion), driven by record-breaking domestic films that have also made waves on Chinese social media.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the Chinese 2D animated feature Nobody (浪浪山小妖怪) has emerged as the season’s breakout hit.

On August 11, Nobody overtook the total earnings of the 2016 hit Big Fish & Begonia (大鱼海棠), also a domestically produced animation, becoming the highest-grossing domestic 2D animated film in Chinese history.

In keeping with industry tradition, Big Fish & Begonia celebrated the milestone by releasing a congratulatory poster on its official Weibo account.

The poster shows the quirky characters of Nobody sitting on top of a giant red flower, while the protagonists of Big Fish & Begonia cheer them on from below. Written in bold calligraphy (“浪浪山冲鸭!”) is a playful phrase to cheer the movie on (translatable as: “Go, Langlang Mountain!” [Langlang Mountain is the original Chinese title.])

This is a unique “tradition” in China’s film industry: whenever a movie breaks a box-office record—no matter the category—the previous record-holder pays tribute by releasing a specially designed “congratulatory poster” in a gesture of camaraderie.

These posters are usually shared through the official Weibo accounts of the former champions, as it is common for Chinese film and TV drama productions to have their own accounts on Weibo.

 
Origins of the Poster Relay in China
 

The tradition of the so-called “box-office champion poster relay” (票房冠军海报接力) in China dates back to 2015, when Xu Zheng’s hit Lost in Thailand (泰囧)—which had held the record for highest-grossing domestic film since 2012 with a box office of 1.267 billion yuan (~US$200M)—was overtaken by Monster Hunt (捉妖记), which went on to gross 2.44 billion yuan (~US$340M).

Director Xu Zheng, who also starred in Lost in Thailand, took the initiative to release a humorous congratulatory poster for Monster Hunt. In the image, the little monster Huba (胡巴) is shown dancing on Xu’s bald head, accompanied by the text: “Lost in Thailand congratulates Monster Hunt on topping the Chinese box office.”

The poster that started a tradition.

Then, in 2016, Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid (美人鱼) surpassed Monster Hunt with a box office take of over 2.44 billion yuan (~US$340M). In response, the Monster Hunt team also released a congratulatory poster showing its main character Huba transformed into a mermaid, gazing up at the tail of The Mermaid.

The text on the poster reads: “Xing Ye (星爷) reaches the top, and Huba comes to congratulate him” — Xing Ye being Stephen Chow’s well-known nickname in Chinese. The vertical text on the right quoted lyrics from The Mermaid’s theme song: “You ask if this mountain is the highest in the world — there are always mountains higher than the other.”

Monster Hunt had been congratulated for its own win; now it was its turn to congratulate The Mermaid.

The relay continued in 2017 when Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2) became the first Chinese film to cross the 5-billion-yuan mark (~US$700M), topping the chart. The Mermaid sent its congratulations with a poster featuring the Mermaid placing a crown on Wu Jing (吴京), the director and star of Wolf Warrior 2.

Caption: The Mermaid’s congratulatory poster for Wolf Warrior 2 in 2017. The text at the top reads: “When the nation is prosperous and the people are strong, the Mermaid shares in the honor.”

 
Beyond the Championship
 

Over time, the tradition expanded. Films that were overtaken in the rankings, even if it was not a change of the championship, also began releasing congratulatory posters.

In 2019, the animated sensation Ne Zha 1 (哪吒之魔童降世) surpassed a string of blockbusters, including Monster Hunt, Operation Red Sea (红海行动), and The Wandering Earth (流浪地球), to become the second-highest-grossing Chinese film at the time. Each of these films then sent their own tribute to “Little Nezha.”

A hand-drawn congratulatory poster by Xu Chengyi (许诚毅), the director of Monster Hunt, said: “We are all little monsters, free and easy together,” as a slight twist on Nezha’s classic line from the movie.

Congratulatory posters by Monster Hunt and Operation Red Sea to celebrate the success of Ne Zha in 2019.

The congratulatory poster by Operation Red Sea to Ne Zha 1 in 2019 also included a reference to The Bravest (烈火英雄), another film from the same producer, Bona Film Group, released at the same time as Ne Zha 1. In doing so, Bona used the popularity of Ne Zha 1 to promote its own new film at the same time.

Congratulatory poster by Guo Fan(郭帆), director of The Wandering Earth.

In 2019, Guo Fan (郭帆), the director of The Wandering Earth (流浪地球), hand-drew a congratulatory poster for Ne Zha. The illustration featured playful artwork accompanied by the text: “Little Nezha, now it’s your turn!”

Ne Zha also set a milestone for Chinese animation in an international context, earning 1.834 billion yuan (~US$260M) within nine days and reclaiming the animated film box office record in China from Zootopia.

Coloroom Pictures, the producer of Ne Zha and other Chinese animated hits, marked the achievement with a poster that both celebrated the unity of China’s animation community and acknowledged the challenges that still lay ahead, writing: “Chinese animation has taken a big step forward, but it is still just starting out.”

The poster features dozens of Chinese anime characters in formal dress, with Little Nezha standing in front of them and looking back.

These kinds of online congratulatory wishes, resonating with netizens, continued in 2021 when Hi, Mom (你好,李焕英) climbed to second place in China’s all-time box office.

Ne Zha 1 then released a hand-drawn poster showing Nezha sitting on the back of his mother’s bicycle, vowing to make something of himself—a promise fulfilled four years later when Ne Zha 2 actually surpassed Hi, Mom in early 2025.

Ne Zha 1’s congratulatory poster to Hi, Mom in 2021. The poster depicted a scene in front of Chentangguan Cinema where Hi, Mom is being shown, with Nezha sitting on the back seat of his mother’s bicycle (a classic scene in Hi, Mom’s promotion poster), vowing, “Mom, I will surely make something of myself when I grow up.”

In return, Hi, Mom published a poster in a matching style to response Ne Zha’s congratulatory poster in 2021.

Hi, Mom’s congratulatory poster to Ne Zha 2 in 2025, in which Nezha’s mother and the mother from Hi, Mom sitting together and applauding for the success of Ne Zha 2, saying, “Look! Our children are all promising.”]

All these exchanges have created unexpected interactions between vastly different movie genres.

In November 2021, when the war epic The Battle at Lake Changjin (长津湖) surpassed Chinese animation feature Ne Zha 1, the congratulatory poster released by Ne Zha 1 depicted Nezha alongside volunteer army soldiers, gazing at rockets, fighter jets, and satellites.

Ne Zha 1’s congratulatory poster to The Battle at Lake Changjin in 2021.

In 2025, when Ne Zha 2 seized the all-time box-office crown, The Battle at Lake Changjin also responded with a creative image.

The Battle at Lake Changjin’s congratulatory poster to Ne Zha 2 in 2025.

In that image, Nezha’s magical weapon the Hun Tian Ling (混天绫) was ingeniously linked to the red scarf thrown to soldiers in The Battle at Lake Changjin. At the bottom, a soldier’s large hand is shown in a lifting gesture, holding Nezha up.

The concept of such a serious war movie interacting with a humorous animated film sparked some excitement among Chinese netizens at the time. They saw the exchange as a dialogue between traditional mythology and modern history, and as a symbol of the continuity and success of China’s film industry.

 
A Unique Chinese Tradition?
 

The custom of one film “passing on the torch” to the next hit film through a congratulatory message is not entirely unique to China. The practice can actually be traced back to Hollywood.

In 1977, when Star Wars dethroned Jaws at the North American box office, director Steven Spielberg congratulated George Lucas with a full-page ad in Variety, humorously depicting R2-D2 reeling in the great white shark.

When Star Wars was dethroned by Titanic at the global box office in 1998, George Lucas sent a famous congratulatory message to James Cameron, again as a full-page ad in Variety.

Star Wars meets Titanic, famous congratulatory message to James Cameron .

In May 2019, when Avengers: Endgame officially overtook Titanic’s worldwide box office total to become the second-highest-grossing film of all time (behind Avatar), James Cameron — director of both Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009) — posted a congratulatory image to salute Marvel Studios.

James Cameron on Twitter in May 2019.

So, although the practice of “passing the torch” among box office record-holders is not uniquely Chinese, the way it has developed in China is very distinct:

🔹 In Hollywood, box-office champions often hold the crown for years, and the ‘changing of the guards’ is relatively rare. In China, however, the industry has flourished mainly in the past decade, and records are broken far more frequently.

🔹 Social media has become central to promotion and marketing. Virtually all major Chinese films run active official accounts that not only post promotional material but also engage in playful interactions with other productions.

🔹 In Hollywood, congratulatory notes tend to come from individual directors, who salute each other as “friendly competitors.” In China, the messages are sent from the films’ official accounts, presenting it more as team-to-team recognition.

🔹 In that sense, it’s not just “movie versus movie,” but rather the Chinese film industry collectively measuring itself against Hollywood and other foreign hits. Each congratulatory poster is therefore not only a celebration of a new record, but also a statement of pride in the broader success of Chinese cinema.

🔹 Participation is not limited to the very top box-office leaders; other productions often join in, creating a ripple effect of collective celebration.

In China, the frequent turnover of box-office leaders combined with the creativity of these posters has turned the practice into a beloved feature of both film culture and the social media landscape.

In an earlier online poll, a majority of respondents described the tradition as “encouraging, and a demonstration of solidarity in China’s film industry.” Others called it a form of “romantic etiquette” unique to Chinese cinema.

Most importantly, it simply feels good — a win-win for both older and newer productions. As one netizen wrote after seeing the congratulatory artwork from Big Fish & Begonia’s official account: “I was inspired and hope that these little monsters can give everyone the courage to set out on their journeys, as well as the strength and passion to pursue their dreams. I hope domestic animation will keep getting better and better!”

By Wendy Huang
Edited by Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo

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Anti-smoking activism, especially by foreigners, has recently drawn attention on Chinese social media. A renewed online push to stop smoking in no-smoking areas highlights broader challenges of enforcing public smoking bans in a country where smoking remains prevalent.

From “smoking is prohibited in public spaces” (#公共场所禁止吸烟#) to “tobacco control” (#控烟#), anti-smoking hashtags have been popping up more frequently on Chinese social media. Many of them accompany videos from influencers who call out or try to stop people smoking where it’s not allowed.

Some of these influencers aren’t even Chinese.

In recent years, Chinese media reports and online discussions have fueled a perception among many netizens that foreigners in China often receive preferential treatment. In certain situations, this perception seems to hold true — perhaps linked to a belief among some officials that incidents involving foreigners are diplomatically sensitive and tied to China’s image. This can lead to extra caution or leniency in handling such cases, sometimes giving foreigners an unspoken advantage in public-facing services and spaces, from dormitories to restaurants.

Now, some netizens are suggesting that foreign residents use this “advantage” to report public smoking violations more actively.

A post on RedNote saying, “I hope every foreigner traveling to China will help complain about the problem of smoking in public spaces in China,” received many likes and thousands of comments.

Others even suggest that foreigners could quickly build their social media followings by posting such encounters, dubbing them “anti-smoking bloggers” or “smoking-dissuasion bloggers” (劝烟博主).

Foreign Influencers’ Anti-Smoking Efforts Go Viral

One of these anti-smoking foreign bloggers is Xiaohongshu blogger “Alibabame” (alibabame 艾伦, real name Malik X.). On July 30, he posted a video in which he asked two Chinese men to stop smoking in a restaurant with a prominent “No Smoking” sign, speaking mostly in English with some Mandarin phrases.

The exchange turned tense and turned into a verbal altercation, but the clip went viral — by 11 PM on August 1, it had attracted over 154,000 likes and 18,000 comments, his highest engagement rate to date according to Newrank data. His other most-viewed posts have also centered on smoking dissuasion.

Many of Alibabame’s videos focus on discouraging smoking in public.

In a follow-up video shared on August 1, Alibabame said local police had given him a surprising interpretation of the rules: if someone smokes in a no-smoking area but extinguishes the cigarette after being asked, they are not breaking the law. Many viewers expressed disbelief, with comment sections filled with criticism and calls for stricter enforcement.

From Online Clashes to Court Cases

These recent viral clips have turned a niche activist effort into a broader discussion about how China’s anti-smoking regulations are interpreted — and whether enforcement can match public expectations.

Shanghai, for instance, has comprehensive smoking control rules Indoor public venues, workplaces, and public transport — including e-cigarettes — are fully smoke-free, with individuals facing fines of 50–200 yuan (US$7-US$28) and establishments up to 30,000 yuan (US$4180) for failing to prevent smoking. Outdoor bans cover spaces for children and teenagers, medical facilities, sports and performance venues, heritage sites, and transit stops.

Violations can be reported via the Public Service Hotline 12345 or other hotlines.

Earlier this year, Shanghai also became the first mainland city to target “wandering smoking (游烟)” control measures, banning smoking while walking in outdoor queues, sidewalks, and at popular spots such as the Bund and Wukang Road. Offenders face fines of up to 200 yuan ($28).

Despite these measures, ensuring smoke-free environments remains a problem in Shanghai and across other mainland cities.

Recent high-profile cases illustrate the difficulties. On July 3, Renwu magazine (人物) published an article titled “The ‘Lin Zexu of Universities’ and the War Against Secondhand Smoke” (“高校“林则徐”与二手烟的战争“), profiling Shang Mengmeng (尚萌萌), a Beijing film school graduate student with extreme nicotine sensitivity. After leaving jobs due to smoke exposure, he hoped campus life would be different, only to encounter smoking indoors, even in elevators and classrooms. Since March, Shang has filed about 120 complaints using cigarette butts and ash as evidence, earning him the nickname “Modern Lin Zexu” — referencing the Qing Dynasty official famed for his anti-opium stance.

Supporters praise his persistence, but Shang has also faced backlash from smokers accusing him of “extremism,” and even some non-smokers questioning his approach. Shang maintains he is not against smoking itself, only against smoking in prohibited areas, framing it as a matter of personal freedom versus public health rights.

On June 28, 2025, the Shenzhen Health Commission published an article titled “Secondhand Smoke Is Actually a Form of Bullying” (Image: Shenzhen Health Commission WeChat account).

Another case, reported by Southern People Weekly (南方人物周刊) on July 27, follows Jin Lanlan (金烂烂), a young woman assaulted in a mall after asking a man to stop smoking. On November 11, 2024, Jin confronted Tang, who responded with verbal abuse and a kick. Police fined Tang 200 yuan ($28), but he refused to apologize or compensate, prompting Jin to sue.

At a July 22 court hearing, Tang’s lawyer rejected all demands. Jin, who experienced secondhand smoke-induced vomiting as a child and left art school due to teachers smoking indoors, sees her actions as defending her legal rights. While some hail her as a “fighter,” others — including her own mother, who speaks of her “making trouble” — question her persistence.

The Road Ahead for Smoking Control in China

These court cases, along with the online discussions around the videos of foreign influencer ‘Alibabame,’ reveal long-standing obstacles to public smoking control on the mainland.

➤ Generational divides play a role: younger people are generally more aware of secondhand smoke risks, while some older smokers see it as a personal choice. Smoking also remains embedded in social customs, such as offering cigarettes at business or family gatherings.

➤ Misunderstandings about “freedom” and “rights” compound the problem, with some smokers prioritizing personal choice over non-smokers’ health rights, and many non-smokers staying silent to avoid further conflict.

➤ Enforcement is another weak point. Responsibility is split among multiple agencies, creating gaps in oversight. In smaller cities and rural areas, limited resources make it harder to police high-risk venues like restaurants and internet cafés. Low fines — as little as 50 yuan (US$7) in some places — do little to deter violations.

Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan provide contrasting examples, with much higher on-the-spot fines — HKD1,500 (US$190), MOP1,500 (US$186), and NTD2,000–10,000 (US$62–310) respectively — and dedicated enforcement bodies such as Hong Kong’s Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office.

As more mainland residents speak out, calls for stricter enforcement are growing. Some netizens have even urged Alibabame to involve international media like The New York Times to pressure authorities, but he has declined, stressing that this is a domestic issue and expressing confidence that Chinese authorities will act.

Whether this wave of public attention will push Shanghai toward tougher enforcement, and whether similar measures could spread to other mainland cities, remains uncertain.

What is certain is that smoking control will be a long-term challenge in China, requiring stronger enforcement, higher penalties, and, perhaps most crucially, a cultural shift that prioritizes clean air for non-smokers as much as the “freedom” of smokers.

Meanwhile, Alibabame’s follower count is climbing — he gained over 79,200 new followers since his viral video. His popularity suggests growing online support for smoking-dissuasion influencers, both foreign and Chinese, who are taking a stand for smoke-free public spaces.

Also Read:

• Zhang Yue, “China’s First Anti-Smoking Campaigner” (“中国第一反烟人”)
• Social Media Blows Up over Chinese Teen Celebrity Roy Wang Smoking in Beijing Restaurant

 
By Wendy Huang
Edited by Manya Koetse

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.

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