China Local News

Tianjin’s Tuesday: Two Major Fires Simultaneously Blaze in the City

While the huge Xiantiandi fire captured the attention on Chinese social media, another Tianjin fire also broke out at the same time.

Published

3 years ago

August 22, 2023

Manya Koetse

On the afternoon of August 22 at 14:24, the Tianjin local fire brigade received a call about a major fire that broke out at the Xintiandi high-rise office building in the city’s Nankai district nearby the Line 1 Haiguangsi subway station.

On social media platform Weibo, the topic went trending and received over 410 million views on Tuesday (“Tianjin Fire” #天津着火#).

Eyewitnesses shared that office workers hurried out of the building, some…

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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

2 years 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…