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“Cheap”, “Ugly”, “Nothing like Hong Kong” – Netizens Disgruntled with New Shanghai Disneyland Trains

Shanghai’s very first Disney-themed trains will start running on June 16, the very same day of the grand opening of Shanghai Disneyland. Many netizens, however, are disgruntled with the design, saying it is ugly compared to that of Hong Kong’s Disney trains.

Manya Koetse

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Shanghai’s very first Disney-themed trains will start running on June 16, the very same day of the grand opening of Shanghai Disneyland. Many netizens, however, are disgruntled with the design, saying it is ugly compared to that of Hong Kong’s Disney trains.

On June 14, Shanghai Metro accounced through its official Weibo account (@上海地铁shmetro) that its first Disney-themed trains will start running on June 16 at 12:00 noon.

The trains will operate on Line 11, that runs between the Disney Station and Luoshan Road Station.

“These trains are the result of a long-term strategic cooperation between Disney and Shanghai subway,” the post says: “All the design, images and different elements of the themed trains have received the official authorization from Disney America.”

Shanghai Metro released the following pictures of the train’s design:

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Most Weibo netizens, however, did not like the design at all, saying the Disney-themed trains in Hong Kong are much prettier.

“This looks so cheap,” one commenter writes. Other Weibo users also think the Disney “wallpaper” looks “cheap”.

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There are also netizens who think the ‘special theme’ looks “forced”. “This is nothing special. It’s just a regular train with Disney paper stuck to it.”

“So ugly,” one netizen says: “This nowhere reaches the level of the Hong Kong Disney trains.” And: “This is just plain ugly in comparison to Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong Disneyland has been open to visitors since September 2005. Its Disneyland Resort Line was opened earlier in the same year. The train has special Mickey Mouse windows, Disney-themed interior couch seating, and bronze statues of Disney characters displayed in the carriages (see pictures below).

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A reporter sits in the new Disneyland Resort Line train in Hong Kong April 25, 2005. The entertainment park launched the Disneyland train which will bring visitors to China's first Disney theme park when it opens on September 12. REUTERS/Kin Cheung

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There are also netizens who are understanding of the difference between the Shanghai and Hong Kong Disney trains: “Although there definitely is a huge difference with Hong Kong, I can also understand it. After all, the passengers are different, too. If the sofa was like the one in Hong Kong, it would probably be ruined within a couple of days, and the Mickey rings would be gone.”

“Actually, I don’t think it’s as ugly as some people here say it is,” another commenter says: “Come on, let’s be a bit more supportive of our own homeland Disney!”

Shanghai Disneyland will hold its three-day grand opening ceremony starting from Tuesday. It will formally be open to the public at noon on Thursday, which is also when the Shanghai Disneyland train will officially start running – whether Chinese netizens like it or not.

What do you think? Let us know on the What’s on Weibo Twitter poll.

– By Manya Koetse

©2016 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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 Brands, Marketing & Consumers

Tick, Tock, Time to Pay Up? Douyin Is Testing Out Paywalled Short Videos

Is content payment a new beginning for the popular short video app Douyin (China’s TikTok) or would it be the end?

Manya Koetse

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The introduction of a Douyin novel feature, that would enable content creators to impose a fee for accessing their short video content, has sparked discussions across Chinese social media. Although the feature would benefit creators, many Douyin users are skeptical.

News that Chinese social media app Douyin is rolling out a new feature which allows creators to introduce a paywall for their short video content has triggered online discussions in China this week.

The feature, which made headlines on November 16, is presently in the testing phase. A number of influential content creators are now allowed to ‘paywall’ part of their video content.

Douyin is the hugely popular app by Chinese tech giant Bytedance. TikTok is the international version of the Chinese successful short video app, and although they’re often presented as being the same product, Douyin and Tiktok are actually two separate entities.

In addition to variations in content management and general usage, Douyin differs from TikTok in terms of features. Douyin previously experimented with functionalities such as charging users for accessing mini-dramas on the platform or the ability to tip content creators.

The pay-to-view feature on Douyin would require users to pay a certain fee in Douyin coins (抖币) in order to view paywalled content. One Douyin coin is equivalent to 0.1 yuan ($0,014). The platform itself takes 30% of the income as a service charge.

According to China Securities Times or STCN (证券时报网), Douyin insiders said that any short video content meeting Douyin’s requirements could be set as “pay-per-view.”

Creators, who can set their own paywall prices, should reportedly meet three criteria to qualify for the pay-to-view feature: their account cannot have any violation records for a period of 90 days, they should have at least 100,000 followers, and they have to have completed the real-name authentication process.

On Douyin and Weibo, Chinese netizens express various views on the feature. Many people do not think it would be a good idea to charge money for short videos. One video blogger (@小片片说大片) pointed out the existing challenge of persuading netizens to pay for longer videos, let alone expecting them to pay for shorter ones.

“The moment I’d need to pay money for it, I’ll delete the app,” some commenters write.

This statement appears to capture the prevailing sentiment among most internet users regarding a subscription-based Douyin environment. According to a survey conducted by the media platform Pear Video, more than 93% of respondents expressed they would not be willing to pay for short videos.

An online poll by Pear Video showed that the majority of respondents would not be willing to pay for short videos on Douyin.

“This could be a breaking point for Douyin,” one person predicts: “Other platforms could replace it.” There are more people who think it would be the end of Douyin and that other (free) short video platforms might take its place.

Some commenters, however, had their own reasons for supporting a pay-per-view function on the platform, suggesting it would help them solve their Douyin addiction. One commenter remarked, “Fantastic, this might finally help me break free from watching short videos!” Another individual responded, “Perhaps this could serve as a remedy for my procrastination.”

As discussions about the new feature trended, Douyin’s customer service responded, stating that it would eventually be up to content creators whether or not they want to activate the paid feature for their videos, and that it would be up to users whether or not they would be interested in such content – otherwise they can just swipe away.

Another social media user wrote: “There’s only one kind of video I’m willing to pay for, and it’s not on Douyin.”

By Manya Koetse

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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.

©2023 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers

Tsingtao Brewery ‘Pee-Gate’: Factory Worker Caught Urinating in Raw Material Warehouse

The pee incident, that occurred at a subsidiary Tsingtao Beer factory, has caused concerns among consumers.

Manya Koetse

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A video that has circulated on Chinese social media since October 19 shows how an alleged worker at a Tsingtao Beer factory climbs over a wall at the raw material production site and starts to urinate.

The incident reportedly occurred at the Tsingtao Beer Factory No. 3, a subsidiary of the Tsingtao Brewing Company, located in Qingdao, Shandong.

After the video went viral, the Tsingtao Brewery Company issued a statement that they took the incident very seriously and immediately report it to the authorities, who have started an investigation into the case. Meanwhile, the specific batch in production has been halted and shut off.

The incident has caused concern among consumers, and some commenters on social media wonder if this was the first time something like this has happened. “How do we know this hasn’t happened many times before?”

Others speculate about what might have motivated the man to urinate at the production site. There are those who believe that the man is part of an undercover operation orchestrated by a rivaling company, aimed at discrediting Tsingtao. It’s even suggested that there were two ‘moles’ leaking in this incident: one doing the urinating, and the other doing the video ‘leak.’

Meanwhile, there are voices who are critical of Tsingtao, suggesting that the renowned beer brand has not effectively addressed the ‘pee gate’ scandal. It remains uncertain how this incident will impact the brand, but some netizens are already expressing reservations about ordering a Tsingtao beer as a result.

But there are also those who joke about the “pissing incident,” wondering if Tsingtao Beer might soon launch a special “urine flavored beer.”

By Manya Koetse

Get the story behind the hashtag. Subscribe to What’s on Weibo here to receive our newsletter and get access to our latest articles:

Featured photo by Jay Ang (link).

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.

©2023 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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