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China Memes & Viral

TikTok Is Watching: PetroChina Executive Hu Jiyong Fired after Extramarital Affair Exposed Online

After their romantic stroll in Chengdu was captured by street photographers, their illicit affair suddenly became the talk of the day.

Manya Koetse

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A short video captured by a street photographer on China’s TikTok (Douyin) went completely viral this week, showcasing a Chinese official who held a high-ranking position at PetroChina enjoying a romantic stroll with his secret girlfriend. The video’s widespread circulation led to the downfall of Hu Jiyong and Ms. Dong, who also worked at PetroChina.

Hu Jiyong (胡继勇), the former Chinese executive director and general manager of Beijing Huanqiu Construction Co, a subsidiary of PetroChina, is the talk of the week on Chinese social media after a video of him holding hands with a supposed mistress went viral.

Hu Jiyong, who is a Party secretary, was removed from his post after the incident. PetroChina Beijing Project Management Company issued a statement on Wednesday at 17:30 in which they stated that Hu Jiyong had been dismissed from his positions as Executive Director, Party Committee Secretary, and General Manager of Huanqiu Project Management Company, and that he will be further investigated by the company’s disciplinary committee.

The statement by PetroChina.

State media outlet Shanghai Daily writes: “Being a Communist Party of China member, Hu has moral obligations, which he transgressed by having an alleged extramarital affair.”

On Weibo, the hashtag “PetroChina’s Hu Jiyong Fired” (#中石油胡继勇被免职#) received nearly 1,2 billion views on Wednesday, making it the absolute top trending topic of the day. On Chinese TikTok, the topic was also in the top 10 trending lists.

See and Be Seen in Chengdu

The video went viral after a street fashion photographer captured the two strolling the street and holding hands in downtown Chengdu in a popular area some even refer to as “Douyin Street” (TikTok Street / 抖音街).

Street photography has been common in China for many years, as photographers have since long been gathering around trendy spots from Beijing’s Sanlitun to Chengdu’s Taikoo Li with their big lens cameras to capture people walking by.

Many of these people are older, amateur photographers, who are simply snapping photos of attractive, fashionable, and unique-looking people as their hobby, posting these videos on Douyin, China’s Tiktok, and other platforms. There are also those who are working for street fashion accounts or style magazines, and are doing street snaps to capture China’s latest fashion trends.

The places where these street photographers gather are usually spots where people go to see and be seen. In one of the shots posted online, it seems that Ms. Dong is very much aware that she is being filmed. There are also photographers standing behind her.

In 2019, Chengdu’s Taikooli already placed signs around the area prohibiting commercial street photography and warning about the unauthorized commercial use of an individual’s image (#成都太古里明确禁止未经允许街拍#).

In an interview with Netease, the photographer in question stated that multiple people were taking photos and videos at the time, and that the couple did not refuse to being filmed. As usual, he later posted the video on his TikTok channel.

A sign at Chengdu’s Taikooli warns photographers to take people’s portrait rights into account.

The video soon started circulating online and blew up once people, including co-workers, recognized the man as the married PetroChina executive and identified the woman as another PetroChina employee. The photographer soon received private messages in which he was asked to take the video down, and he did. But it was already too late as the story has already snowballed out of control.

Netizens digging deeper soon found photos proving that the woman holding hands with Hu was his colleague. Some pointed out that the handbag the woman carried in the video appears to be a limited edition Lady Dior bag, that is allegedly priced anywhere from 39,000 to 44,000 yuan ($5470 – $6170).

On June 8, it was reported that the female PetroChina employee Ms. Dong was also dismissed. A related hashtag received over 110 million views on Weibo (#董某某也已停职并接受调查#)

Online Responses

The incident has garnered significant attention on Chinese social media. While stories about top officials being exposed for immoral behavior or corruption often generate considerable interest, this particular incident stands out due to the crucial role played by Chinese social media and netizens in uncovering the extramarital affair.

During the May holiday of this year, a woman from Hunan was at home tending to her baby and casually browsing through TikTok, when she stumbled upon a video showcasing her husband enjoying a theme park ride alongside another woman. After the story of how this affair was exposed through TikTok went trending (#女子刷短视频刷到老公和小三约会#), one other popular TikTok video included a woman shouting out to give everyone in the video frame a heads up: “If you are not here with you’re wife, go away, because I’m filming!”

While a few individuals advocate for addressing privacy issues and condemn the actions of street photographers who share people’s photos and videos, the majority of people are simply “eating watermelon” (吃瓜), meaning they are passively observing the online spectacle without directly involving themselves.

Others are actively delving into the private lives of Hu and Dong, exposing their previous social media posts, personal photos, and private information. Even though Ms. Dong has now deleted all her social media information (#牵手门女当事人疑似清空社交账号#), netizens had previously saved some content that many consider to be posts where she flaunts her wealth.

In the meantime, the incident has not only inspired a wave of memes but has also provided e-commerce platforms with an opportunity to capitalize on the situation by selling clothing items similar to those worn by the couple in the TikTok video.

The PetroChina logo is changed to fit the couple’s outfits.

The Lego version.

The manga AI version.

As the incident keeps fermenting online, Beijing Daily has published an opinion piece in which it is argued that too many of the discussions surrounding the story are driven by sensationalism and are crossing the line. Ms. Dong in specific has become a target of online bullying, harassment, and vulgar comments.

The author also suggests that the incident has become some source of entertainment, while actually involving serious issues related to the moral conduct of state-owned enterprise officials (#舆论反腐不能沦为网暴羞辱#).

Whether serious or not, it seems that one burning question on many people’s mind is where Ms. Dong got her dress from. With similar dresses popping up all over the Chinese internet, it has unexpectedly become the hottest summer dress trend of 2023.

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.

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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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Avatar

    mario linor

    June 12, 2023 at 3:53 am

    The problem is not the morals, the problem is that we live in a world of spies, CC cameras, and envious people with a phone becomes too easily avengers of who knows what. How can a man, even if a top manager of a corporation, and his girl-friend or what, be thrown to the crowds to feed with anger and resentment? The lack of strict laws for the privacy of people are the issue of this century. Anyone, me, you, we, can be put in this situation by a rival or just by idiots with a phone. A family is destroyed, I am sure the wife would have wanted to face this issue in another way; now he lost the job and for the family is a huge loss for which the one who cowardly took these picture is the only responsible. Shame!

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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers

Zara Dress Goes Viral in China for Resemblance to Haidilao Apron

Who’s gonna buy this Zara dress in China? “I’m afraid that someone will say I stole the apron from Haidilao.”

Manya Koetse

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A short dress sold by Zara has gone viral in China for looking like the aprons used by the popular Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao.

“I really thought it was a Zara x Haidialo collab,” some customers commented. Others also agree that the first thing they thought about when seeing the Zara dress was the Haidilao apron.

The “original” vs the Zara dress.

The dress has become a popular topic on Xiaohongshu and other social media, where some images show the dress with the Haidilao logo photoshopped on it to emphasize the similarity.

One post on Xiaohongshu discussing the dress, with the caption “Curious about the inspiration behind Zara’s design,” garnered over 28,000 replies.

Haidilao, with its numerous restaurants across China, is renowned for its hospitality and exceptional customer service. Anyone who has ever dined at their restaurants is familiar with the Haidilao apron provided to diners for protecting their clothes from food or oil stains while enjoying hotpot.

These aprons are meant for use during the meal and should be returned to the staff afterward, rather than taken home.

The Haidilao apron.

However, many people who have dined at Haidilao may have encountered the following scenario: after indulging in drinks and hotpot, they realize they are still wearing a Haidilao apron upon leaving the restaurant. Consequently, many hotpot enthusiasts may have an ‘accidental’ Haidilao apron tucked away at home somewhere.

This only adds to the humor of the latest Zara dress looking like the apron. The similarity between the Zara dress and the Haidilao apron is actually so striking, that some people are afraid to be accused of being a thief if they would wear it.

One Weibo commenter wrote: “The most confusing item of this season from Zara has come out. It’s like a Zara x Haidilao collaboration apron… This… I can’t wear it: I’m afraid that someone will say I stole the apron from Haidilao.”

Funnily enough, the Haidilao apron similarity seems to have set off a trend of girls trying on the Zara dress and posting photos of themselves wearing it.

It’s doubtful that they’re actually purchasing the dress. Although some commenters say the dress is not bad, most people associate it too closely with the Haidilao brand: it just makes them hungry for hotpot.

By Manya Koetse

Independently reporting China trends for over a decade. Like what we do? Support us and get the story behind the hashtag by subscribing:

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.

©2024 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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China Memes & Viral

Chengdu Disney: The Quirkiest Hotspot in China

How a senior activity park in Chengdu was ‘Disneyfied’ and became a viral hotspot.

Manya Koetse

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How did a common park turn into a buzzing hotspot? By mixing online trends with real-life fun, blending foreign styles with local charm, and adding a dash of humor and absurdity, Chengdu now boasts its very own ‘Chengdu Disney’. We explain the trend.

By Manya Koetse, co-authored by Ruixin Zhang

Have you heard about Chengdu Disney yet? If not, it’s probably unlike anything you’d imagine. It’s not actually a Disney theme park opening up in Chengdu, but it’s one of the city’s most viral hotspots these days.

What is now known as ‘Chengdu Disney’ all over the Chinese internet is actually a small outdoor park in a residential area in Chengdu’s Yulin area, which also serves as the local senior fitness activity center.

Crowds of young people are coming to this area to take photos and videos, hang out, sing songs, cosplay, and be part of China’s internet culture in an offline setting.

 
Once Upon a Rap Talent Show
 

The roots of ‘Chengdu Disney’ can be traced back to the Chinese hip-hop talent show The Rap of China (中国新说唱), where a performer named Nuomi (诺米), also known as Lodmemo, was eliminated by Chinese rapper Boss Shady (谢帝 Xièdì), one of the judges on the show.

Nuomi felt upset about the elimination and a comment made by his idol mentor, who mistakenly referred to a song Nuomi made for his ‘grandma’ instead of his grandfather. His frustration led to a viral livestream where he expressed his anger towards his participation in The Rap of China and Boss Shady.

However, it wasn’t only his anger that caught attention; it was his exaggerated way of speaking and mannerisms. Nuomi, with his Sichuan accent, repeatedly inserted English phrases like “y’know what I’m saying” and gestured as if throwing punches.

His oversized silver chain, sagging pants, and urban streetwear only reinforce the idea that Nuomi is trying a bit too hard to emulate the fashion style of American rappers from the early 2000s, complete with swagger and street credibility.

Lodmemo emulates the style of American rappers in the early 2000s, and he has made it his brand.

Although people mocked him for his wannabe ‘gangsta’ style, Nuomi embraced the teasing and turned it into an opportunity for fame.

He decided to create a diss track titled Xiè Tiān Xièdì 谢天谢帝, “Thank Heaven, Thank Emperor,” a word joke on Boss Shady’s name, which sounds like “Shady” but literally means ‘Thank the Emperor’ in Chinese. A diss track is a hip hop or rap song intended to mock someone else, usually a fellow musician.

In the song, when Nuomi disses Boss Shady (谢帝 Xièdì), he raps in Sichuan accent: “Xièdì Xièdì wǒ yào diss nǐ [谢帝谢帝我要diss你].” The last two words, namely “diss nǐ” actually means “to diss you” but sounds exactly like the Chinese word for ‘Disney’: Díshìní (迪士尼). This was soon picked up by netizens, who found humor in the similarity; it sounded as if the ‘tough’ rapper Nuomi was singing about wanting to go to Disney.

Nuomi and his diss track, from the music video.

Nuomi filmed the music video for this diss track at a senior activity park in Chengdu’s Yulin subdistrict. The music video went viral in late March, and led to the park being nicknamed the ‘Chengdu Disney.’

The particular exercise machine on which Nuomi performed his rap quickly became an iconic landmark on Douyin, as everyone eagerly sought to visit, sit on the same see-saw-style exercise machine, and repeat the phrase, mimicking the viral video.

What began as a homonym led to people ‘Disneyfying’ the park itself, with crowds of visitors flocking to the park, some dressed in Disney-related costumes.

This further developed the concept of a Chengdu ‘Disney’ destination, turning the park playground into the happiest place in Yulin.

 
Chengdu: China’s Most Relaxed Hip Hop Hotspot
 

Chengdu holds a special place in China’s underground hip-hop scene, thanks to its vibrant music culture and the presence of many renowned Chinese hip-hop artists who incorporate the Sichuan dialect into their songs and raps.

This is one reason why this ‘Disney’ meme happened in Chengdu and not in any other Chinese city. But beyond its musical significance, the playful spirit of the meme also aligns with Chengdu’s reputation for being an incredibly laid-back city.

In recent years, the pursuit of a certain “relaxed feeling” (sōngchígǎn 松弛感) has gained popularity across the Chinese internet. Sōngchígǎn is a combination of the word for “relaxed,” “loose” or “lax” (松弛) and the word for “feeling” (感). Initially used to describe a particular female aesthetic, the term evolved to represent a lifestyle where individuals strive to maintain a relaxed demeanor, especially in the face of stressful situations.

 

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The concept gained traction online in mid-2022 when a Weibo user shared a story of a family remaining composed when their travel plans were unexpectedly disrupted due to passport issues. Their calm and collected response inspired the adoption of the “relaxed feeling” term (also read here).

Central to embodying this sense of relaxation is being unfazed by others’ opinions and avoiding unnecessary stress or haste out of fear of judgment.

Nowadays, Chinese cities aim to foster this sense of sōngchígǎn. Not too long ago, there were many hot topics suggesting that Chengdu is the most sōngchí 松弛, the most relaxed city in China.

This sentiment is reflected in the ‘Chengdu Disney’ trend, which both pokes fun at a certain hip-hop aesthetic deemed overly relaxed—like the guys who showed up with sagging pants—and embraces a carefree, childlike silliness that resonates with the city’s character and its people.

Mocking sagging pants at ‘Chengdu Disney.’

Despite the influx of visitors to the Chengdu Disney area, authorities have not yet significantly intervened. Community notices urging respect for nearby residents and the presence of police officers to maintain order indicate a relatively hands-off approach. For now, it seems most people are simply enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

 
Being Part of the Meme
 

An important aspect that contributes to the appeal of Chengdu Disney is its nature as an online meme, allowing people to actively participate in it.

Scenes from Chengdu Disney, images via Weibo.

China has a very strong meme culture. Although there are all kinds of memes, from visual to verbal, many Chinese memes incorporate wordplay. In part, this has to do with the nature of Chinese language, as it offers various opportunities for puns, homophones, and linguistic creativity thanks to its tones and characters.

The use of homophones on Chinese social media is as old as Chinese social media itself. One of the most famous examples is the phrase ‘cǎo ní mǎ’ (草泥马), which literally means ‘grass mud horse’, but is pronounced in the same way as the vulgar “f*ck your mother” (which is written with three different characters).

In the case of the Chengdu Disney trend, it combines a verbal meme—stemming from the ‘diss nǐ’ / Díshìní homophone—and a visual meme, where people gather to pose for videos/photos in the same location, repeating the same phrase.

Moreover, the trend bridges the gap between the online and offline worlds, as people come together at the Chengdu playground, forming a tangible community through digital culture.

The fact that this is happening at a residential exercise park for the elderly adds to the humor: it’s a Chengdu take on what “urban” truly means. These colorful exercise machines are a common sight in Chinese parks nationwide and are actually very mundane. Transforming something so normal into something extraordinary is part of the meme.

A 3D-printed model version of the exercise equipment featured in Nuomi’s music video.

Lastly, the incorporation of the Disney element adds a touch of whimsy to the trend. By introducing characters like Snow White and Mickey Mouse, the trend blends American influences (hip-hop, Disney) with local Chengdu culture, creating a captivating and absurd backdrop for a viral phenomenon.

For some people, the pace in which these trends develop is just too quick. On Weibo, one popular tourism blogger (@吴必虎) wrote: “The viral hotspots are truly unpredictable these days. We’re still seeing buzz around the spicy hot pot in Gansu’s Tianshui, meanwhile, a small seesaw originally meant for the elderly in a residential community suddenly turns into “Chengdu Disneyland,” catching the cultural and tourism authorities of Sichuan and even Shanghai Disneyland off guard. Netizens are truly powerful, even making it difficult for me, as a professional cultural tourism researcher, to keep up with them.”

By Manya Koetse, co-authored by Ruixin Zhang

Independently reporting China trends for over a decade. Like what we do? Support us and get the story behind the hashtag by subscribing:

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.

©2024 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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