China Society

Silence! The Xianzi Versus Zhu Jun Court Case Has Begun

Published

4 years ago

December 2, 2020

As the Xianzi versus Zhu Jun court case begins, Chinese official media stay silent and social media posts are being removed.

On December 2nd, 13:30 Beijing time, a landmark court case commenced in Beijing’s Haidian district court, namely that of Xianzi versus Zhu Jun, the famous 56-year-old TV host and actor.

Xianzi (弦子) is a nickname for Zhou Xiaoxuan, a 27-year-old scriptwriter from Beijing who published a personal essay on social media in 2018 in which she accused Zhou Jun of sexually assaulting her while she was interning at CCTV for the Art Life (艺术人生) TV show in 2014. On Weibo, she is active under the name of ‘Xianzi and her Friends’ (@弦子与她的朋友们 over 271,000 followers).

Xianzi accuses Zhu of forcibly kissing and groping her in his dressing room, where she had come to interview him on June 10th, 2014. She had managed to escape the situation when another person entered the room. As previously reported by New York Times, Xianzi ran to the police after the incident had occurred. They reportedly urged her to drop the complaints.

For years, Xianzi stayed silent on the case, until that day in July 2018 when the American ‘Metoo’ campaign was in full swing and Xianzi spotted a friend’s story of experiencing sexual assault. Xianzi then posted her own story online, and it went viral.

The person she accuses of sexual intimidation, Zhu Jun, is a household name in China. In his teenage years, Zhu joined the People’s Liberation Army where he also joined the Military Band. He later started a career as a professional actor and became a familiar face on the Chinese state media outlet CCTV in 1993. He frequently appeared as a host for the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala, the most-watched live broadcasted program in China.

Zhu Jun’s portrait photo on Baidu’s Baike.

After Xianzi’s story gained widespread attention, Zhu Jun did not only deny all accusations, he also proceeded to sue Xianzi for damaging his reputation and for inflicting emotional distress, demanding a compensation of 655,000 yuan ($99,800). In October 2018, Xianzi filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against the TV host and is asking for a public apology as well as 50,000 yuan ($7600) in damages.

As the court case was ongoing on Tuesday afternoon, Weibo feeds were filling up with people showing their support for Xianzi, even though the hashtag page for “Go Xianxi” (#弦子加油#) was taken offline.

Information about the court hearing is spread on Chinese social media.

Photos that quickly spread on Weibo showed dozens of supporters of Xianzi standing outside the court demanding justice. Some were holding posters showing the “Me Too” hashtag. Photos of Xianzi standing outside the court before entering also made their rounds.

Xianzi holding a sign saying “we will prevail”

Many people on Weibo are eager to hear the outcome of the case and complain about the lack of coverage of this news in Chinese media. This week, official Chinese news channels have stayed silent on the topic.

People are also complaining about the apparent online censorship of hashtags and comments relating to the case: “When I checked at 3 pm this afternoon, I saw plenty of Weibo posts relating to this hashtag. Now they’re all gone.”

“All content relating to the Zhu Jun sexual harassment case is gone from Douban,” one commenter said, referring to another popular Chinese social media platform: “I’m puzzled.”

Some commenters also claimed that images, such as the one pictured above, were being taken offline. At the time of writing, one of the few hashtag pages that was still open and being used to discuss this topic (#弦子诉朱军性骚扰案今天开庭#) also seems to have been deleted.

Even a hashtag that was previously used by state-run news site The Observer (#弦子诉朱军性骚扰案将于12月2日开庭#) has by now been taken offline.

While waiting for more news to come out, some creative expressions of support are also coming out on Weibo, including drawings and edited photos.

Meanwhile, videos circulating online show how food and warm drinks were delivered to the ‘Friends of Xianzi’ waiting in the dark in front of the courthouse.

Update Dec 3, 0.15 Beijing Time

Footage of Xianzi leaving the courthouse was shared on social media on late Tuesday night, with her thanking all her supporters who have been waiting outside in the cold all day.

Xianzi came out addressing the crowd waiting outside pic.twitter.com/agjKysBxso

— Bo An (@bo__an) December 2, 2020

For now, the latest news is that the trial is being adjourned.

By Manya Koetse
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Manya Koetse

Manya is the founder and editor-in-chief of What's on Weibo, offering independent analysis of social trends, online media, and digital culture in China for over a decade. Subscribe to gain access to content, including the Weibo Watch newsletter, which provides deeper insights into the China trends that matter. More about Manya at manyakoetse.com or follow on X.

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China Society

Death of Chinese Female Motorcycle Influencer ‘Shigao ProMax’ Sparks Debate on Risky Rides for Online Attention

After the tragic death of young motorcyclist ‘Shigao ProMax,’ netizens criticize influencers for reckless riding in pursuit of followers and likes.

Published

1 week ago

October 2, 2024

Manya Koetse

A Chinese female motorcyclist from Suzhou, known as “Shigao ProMax” (@石膏ProMax) on Douyin, tragically passed away this week following a motorcycle crash in Suzhou’s Wujiang District.

The incident occurred in the late afternoon of September 29, when the 19-year-old Shigao, whose real name was Yang Huizi (杨惠子), was a passenger on the motorcycle, with her (male) friend driving the vehicle.

As the motorcycle collided with a car emerging from a side intersection, Yang was thrown off the back, propelled several meters through the air before landing on the road. Although she was reportedly wearing a helmet, it cracked during the crash, and she sustained a severe head injury.

A video circulating on social media shows the aftermath of the accident, with the motorcycle driver lying on the road and Yang Huizi a few meters away, initially attempting to crawl before collapsing (warning for graphic content). Despite rescue efforts, she later died in the hospital. The current condition of Yang’s friend, the rider, remains unclear.

Screenshot of the scene of the accident.

Yang had nearly 80,000 fans on Douyin, where she posted her first video in December 2019. By September 2024, she had shared a total of 1,298 videos.

On Weibo, many commenters voiced concern over how the news was headlined, criticizing the emphasis on her gender in the hashtag. The hashtag “Famous Female Rider Shi Gao Dies in Traffic Accident” (#网红女骑士石膏发生车祸身亡#) garnered over 170 million views on Weibo on Tuesday. Many commenters felt the headline made it seem as if the young woman had crashed the motor herself, while she was merely a passenger.

Others, however, see this trending news as an opportunity to highlight the risky behavior of motorcyclists, who not only endanger their own lives by speeding but also jeopardize the safety of others by showing off in traffic and driving recklessly.

Especially female influencers/motorcyclists are criticized for careless driving while flaunting their looks for social media posts.

(See example video here)

Over the past years, the death of multiple motorcycle influencers have made Chinese headlines. In 2022, a popular Douyin influencer and motorcyclist known as “Xiaoyu Loves Eating Fish” (@小鱼爱吃鱼) died in a collision after riding in the wrong lane. She was instantly killed on the spot. Xiaoyu had gained attention for her risky driving behavior, often wearing short skirts, tight leggings, or other revealing outfits instead of proper motorcycle gear.

“Xiaoyu Loves Eating Fish,” images via Tencent News

In 2023, two young girls—one 16 and the other 21—tragically lost their lives after their motorcycle crashed into a pillar. They were speeding and, apart from wearing helmets, were dressed in skirts and stockings with no additional protective gear. Both died instantly. The 16-year-old, known as An’an (安安), was a social media influencer. Her followers had previously warned her about her reckless behavior. She rode a motorcycle without a license.

An’an’s social media profile.

Within one year alone, from October 2022 to September 2023, at least seven motorcycle influencers made headlines in China after losing their lives in traffic accidents. Some bloggers blame the intense competition for online attention for these accidents, as influencers pull dangerous stunts and push the boundaries to gain more likes and followers.

Posting a video of a woman posing for a video while riding a motorcycle, the popular Weibo content creator HuangXiPao (@黄西炮) wrote: “So many female motorcycle influencers have died, yet it doesn’t stop others from still posing on the road for photos! Is this trend really that profitable?”

(See video here)

One commenter expresses frustration over how news about motorcycle influencers consistently reaches the top trending lists, while other serious incidents, such as the big stabbing incident that happened in Shanghai this week, seem to be kept off the hot lists. “Every time a female motorcycle influencer dies, it makes the trending lists. Meanwhile, three people are dead and 18 injured in Shanghai! Yet you’ve completely suppressed the search term (…) What is this about?!”

News about the motorcycle incident is also a reason for official channels to remind netizens about road safety. The official China Police account shared photos of the incident, stating: “Raise safety awareness and take responsibility for your life.”

Also read: What Went Wrong in Suzhou Acrobatic Show? Fatal High-Altitude Fall Triggers Discussions on Safety Measures

By Manya Koetse
(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

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China Memes & Viral

Why the “人人人人景点人人人人” Hashtag is Trending Again on Chinese Social Media

China’s Golden Week, from October 1 to October 7, is one of the busiest times of the year for travel and sightseeing, with crowds surging across popular destinations.

Published

1 week ago

October 2, 2024

Manya Koetse

China is celebrating its National Day Holiday this week. This week-long holiday, also known as the Golden Week, is a popular time for trips, travel, and sightseeing.

On Chinese social media, it has become somewhat of a tradition to post about just how busy it is at China’s various sightseeing spots. This is often done using hashtags like “人人人人[place]人人人人” or “人人人人[me]人人人人.”

The character 人 (rén) means person or human; “人人” (rénrén) means “everyone,” and the more “人人人” (rén rén rén) are used, the more it playfully emphasizes the crowds of people.

On October 2, the hashtag “人人人人景点人人人人” was top trending, rén rén rén rén jǐngdiǎn rén rén rén rén, which basically means “people, people, people everywhere at the tourist spots, and more people.”

One such crowded place is Suzhou (苏州), where its ancient Shantang Street in the heart of the old town is packed with tourists this week ( #人人人人人苏州人人人人人#).

Crowds in Suzhou, photos posted on Weibo by @数码王小机

Other places like Chongqing, Xi’an, and Hangzhou also saw vast crowds during the various celebratory events and performances organized in these cities.

People also posted photos of the situation in places like the Guangzhou Zoo on October 2nd, or at the Beijing Great Wall, or at the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang.

Crowds in Luoyang, images by @李旭的散装生物学

Besides the Great Wall in Beijing, other places in the Chinese capital are also seeing large crowds this week, such as Tiananmen, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Lama Temple, and Nanluoguxiang.

Beijing crowds via @秒观视频

Beijing crowds via @秒观视频

Although China’s domestic spots are drawing massive crowds, China Daily reports that international travel has become more popular again during this year’s week-long National Day holiday, with bookings for international flights doubling compared to the same period last year.

According to the travel platform Qunar, there is increasing demand for new and more niche destinations, including countries in Africa. However, the most popular international destinations remain closer to home, such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Osaka.

Also read: China’s National Holiday Crowds: Even the Desert’s Camels Are Stuck in Traffic

By Manya Koetse
(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

Featured image on top: Guangzhou South Station during National Holiday, by @爱打板的乐哥

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