China Local News

Schoolgirl from Rural China Writes to Queen Elizabeth, Gets Letter Back

A schoolgirl from a small city in the south of China wrote a letter to the Queen of England asking her to visit her town. Much to her surprise, the girl got a letter back.

Published

11 years ago

January 14, 2016

Manya Koetse

A schoolgirl from a city in the south of China wrote a letter to the Queen of England asking her to visit her town. Much to her surprise, the girl got a letter back.

A middle-school student from the South of China named Siwen Ma recently sent a letter to the Queen of England, asking her to come and visit her hometown.

Siwen Ma (马思雯) is from a prefecture-level city named Zhaotong (昭通) in Yunnan,…

Related Topics:inspirational Rural China Weibo trending

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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 Local News

Six Chinese Students Dead After Falling Into Flotation Tank During Mine Visit

After six students drowned in a mine tank, social media users question safety precautions and media framing.

Published

1 year ago

July 25, 2025

Manya Koetse

🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China
This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.

The tragic death of six Chinese students during a visit to the Wunugetushan Copper-Molybdenum Mine (乌努格吐山铜钼矿) in Inner Mongolia has been trending on Chinese social media this week.

The students, who study mineral…

China Local News

The Liaoyang Restaurant Fire That Killed 22 People

Published

1 year ago

April 29, 2025

Manya Koetse

🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China – Week 18
This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.

An enormous fire that happened at a restaurant in Liaoning’s Liaoyang on the afternoon of April 29 (see video) has gone top trending on Chinese social media, mainly…