China Society
Two Court Sentences Trending on Weibo: The Xuzhou Chained Mother Case and the Dalian BMW Driver Death Penalty
From Xuzhou to Dalian, the conclusion of these criminal cases was eagerly awaited, with varying opinions on the verdicts and sentences.

Published
2 months agoon

Chinese netizens have been closely following two criminal cases that saw major developments recently. A verdict came out in the Xuzhou chained woman case, and the BMW driver who killed five people was executed. Has justice been served?
The case of a mother of eight children who was found to be chained up in a shed next to the family home became one of the biggest social media topics in China in 2022.
The story first attracted nationwide attention in late January 2022 when a video of the mother, filmed by a local TikTok user, went viral and triggered massive outrage. People demanded answers about the woman’s circumstances and why her husband (Dong Zhimin 董志民) was seemingly exploiting their situation on social media.
The mother, who seemed confused, was kept in a dirty shed without a door in the freezing cold – she did not even wear a coat. Videos showed how her husband Dong Zhimin and their eight children were playing and talking in the family home right next to the hut.
Chinese internet users, from local reporters to internet sleuths and feminists, started investigating the case, wanting to find out who this woman was and if she might have been the victim of human trafficking (read ‘Twists and Turns in the Tragic Story of the Xuzhou Chained Mother‘).
Thanks to the ongoing social media attention surrounding the woman, and with the help of local authorities, it was eventually determined that the woman was indeed a victim of human trafficking and she was identified as Xiao Huamei (小花梅) from Yagu, Fugong County, who went missing – without anyone reporting her missing – in 1996.
On April 7th, 2023, the Xuzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu Province delivered its verdict in the case. Dong Zhimin, Xiao Huamei’s husband, was found guilty of abuse and illegal detainment and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Five other people were also sentenced for their involvement in the case. Shi Lizhong (时立忠), Sang Heniu (桑合妞), Tan Aiqing (谭爱庆), Huo Yongqu (霍永渠), and Huo Fude (霍福得) were found guilty of human trafficking.
Together with Shi Lizhong, Sang Heniu is the woman who lured Xiao Huamei away from her hometown under false pretenses in 1998 and sold her to a man in Donghai County for 5000 yuan ($725) before she ended up with Dong Zhimin. Shi and Sang were sentenced to 11 and 10 years in prison respectively.
It is not entirely clear what happened to Xiao Huamei later in 1998, but she was separated from the first man and was reportedly resold by Tan Aiqing to Huo Yongqu and Huo Fude for 3000 yuan ($435), who then took her to Huankou where she was again resold for 5000 yuan ($725) to Dong Zhimin. Tan Aiqing, Huo Yongqu, and Huo Fude received sentences of 11 years, 10 years, and 13 years respectively.
On Weibo, where the verdict went trending (#丰县八孩案一审宣判#), there were those who said justice has been served, but louder voices expressed that they thought the sentences imposed were still not harsh enough.
One concern people have is that Dong Zhimin has not been sentenced for human trafficking, while many people think that “selling” and “buying” should be equally punished: “Actually, the judgment was too light, the law should be amended and people who buy should also be punished for it.”
Then there are those who just want to know how Xiao Huamei – who is suffering from mental illness – is doing together with her eight children and what will happen to them now that Dong is in prison. Those questions are still left unanswered.
Execution of Culprit in Dalian Shocking Hit-and-Run Case
The execution of Liu Dong, a man who was sentenced to death for plowing into a group of pedestrians, was the other major criminal case that went trending recently.
On May 22 of 2021, a Saturday morning, a black BMW drove into a crowd of pedestrians in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, leaving five people dead and five injured.
The driver, who was soon arrested, was a man by the name of Liu Dong (刘东), who reportedly purposely drove into the crowd to take “revenge on society” after an investment failure.
In October 2021, Liu Dong was sentenced to death at the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court. Although Liu appealed, the initial ruling was upheld. With approval by the Supreme People’s Court of China (SPC), Liu Dong was executed on April 7th, 2023.
On social media, the execution attracted a lot of attention. One related hashtag, “Dalian BMW Driver Who Drove Into People Executed by Death Penalty” (#大连宝马撞人案司机被执行死刑#), received over 230 million clicks.
“He got what he deserved,” a recurring comment said.
Because the Dalian case is very similar to another incident that happened in January of this year in Guangzhou, many people on Chinese social media asked for an update on that case.
Five people were killed and 13 others were injured in that incident, which also involved a BMW driving into pedestrians at Tianhe Road in Guangzhou on 11 January, 2023. The shocking incident was all over Weibo, where one hashtag related to the topic received over 1.2 billion views at the time. Many hashtags were removed shortly after and are still offline now, three months later.

The horrific incident that happened in Guangzhou earlier in 2023 had many similarities to the Dalian hit-and-run case.
“The Guangzhou driver should be next,” many commenters wrote.
Support for Harsher Sentences
On Chinese social media, it is often those supporting the harshest penalties who seem to be in the majority. In the case of the BMW driver, the majority of comments commend the Chinese legal system for enforcing capital punishment. Regarding the Xuzhou chained mother case, a common sentiment is that the sentences should have been harsher.
Under China’s criminal law, penalties for trafficking women and children range from five years imprisonment to life or even the death penalty. But the maximum prison term for people who buy abducted or trafficked women is only three years.
There have been many discussions about this on social media, where many argue that the punishment should actually be the same regardless if someone sells or buys. Others say that those buying trafficked women or children should also be able to receive the death penalty.
In China, where capital punishment has a centuries-old history, executions are carried out by lethal injection or by shooting and always have to be approved and confirmed by the Supreme People’s Court.
“I’m in favor of the death penalty,” (“支持死刑”) is a recurring comment in discussions about the Dalian hit-and-run case. Looking at social media alone, it seems that an overwhelming majority of commenters support the death penalty in cases such as these.
In 2020, The China Quarterly published a study by Liu (2021) about public support for the death penalty in China. Based on national survey data, the author argues that although there is indeed strong support for the death penalty in China, it is perhaps not as strong as is commonly assumed.
According to the study by Liu, a majority of 68% of China’s citizens are for the death penalty, while 31% are opposed to it. At the same time, the study also showed that most Chinese people would agree to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole (Liu 2021, 541).This sentiment is also reflected in some online discussions.
The level of support for the death penalty varies depending on which factor is given the most weight in the views of individuals. Some emphasize the ‘warning role’ of the death penalty, arguing that it has a deterrent effect. Others consider retribution an important reason to be in favor of the death penalty. Then there are those who think that the death penalty allows offenders to avoid facing the consequences of their crimes, and they suggest that spending life in prison would be a better way to make them pay for what they did.
The idea of capital punishment serving as a warning and deterrent is an important one in China. One study comparing death penalty views in China, Japan, and the US (Jiang et al 2010) found that while retribution is the most significant factor for Americans who support the death penalty, deterrence plays a more important role in Chinese and Japanese views in favor of capital punishment (868).
In the two trending cases, there is some disagreement online on whether or not justice was truly served. There is one thing that virtually everyone agrees on: they hope that the surviving victims and their families will find peace and happiness after everything they have been through.
By Manya Koetse
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References
Jiang, Shanhe, Eric G. Lambert, Jin Wang, Toyoji Saito, Rebecca Pilot. 2010. “Death Penalty Views in China, Japan and the U.S.: An Empirical Comparison.” Journal of Criminal Justice 38.5: 862–869.
Liu, John Zhuang. 2021. “Public Support for the Death Penalty in China: Less from the Populace but More from Elites.” The China Quarterly 246: 527-544.
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©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.

China Brands, Marketing & Consumers
‘Carpet Pacific’: A Timeline of the Cathay Pacific Scandal Through Weibo Hashtags
Cathay Pacific flight attendants mocking non-English speaking passengers by saying, “If you can’t say blanket, you can’t have it,” has sparked a major controversy and caused a marketing catastrophe.

Published
1 day agoon
May 27, 2023
Last week, Xiamen Airlines was the focus of attention on Chinese social media after one of their pilots was caught secretly filming a female staff members in the ladies room. This week, the focus has shifted to Cathay Pacific, as the Hong Kong-based airline faced accusations of discrimination against travelers from mainland China.
The incident gained significant attention on May 22 when a user of the Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) app shared a public complaint about the Hong Kong airline. In the post, the author, who claimed to have resided in Hong Kong for eleven years, expressed their inability to remain silent after witnessing overt discrimination on a Cathay Pacific CX987 flight from Chengdu to Hong Kong.
The passenger said they were seated near the area where the flight attendants rest and prepare meals, and that they could hear the cabin crew making fun of passengers who could not speak English. Passengers who tried to ask them for help in English about filling out immigration cards allegedly also received impatient responses. The passenger recorded some of their conversation, and later posted the audio clip online.
In one clip, you can hear the staff laughing about a passenger who wanted a blanket but could not properly say it in English. “If you cannot say blanket, you cannot have it,” they joked. Since some passengers allegedly had used the word ‘carpet’ instead of ‘blanket’, the cabin crew can be heard saying: “A carpet is on the floor.”
The biggest China social story of the past few days started with one passenger exposing Cathay cabin crew mocking & discriminating against non-English speaking (Mainland) passengers. His complaint and this 30 second audio snippet led to them being fired, and a social media storm. pic.twitter.com/BDuabQcm0S
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) May 27, 2023
Since the incident was first exposed on social media, it turned into a major controversy and a marketing crisis for the Cathay Pacific company. As Cathay was condemned by million of netizens, many also vowed to boycott the airline.
Cathay Pacific has been hit hard by the pandemic, and was seeing an increased demand for travel into the Chinese Mainland since quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong the Mainland was finally resumed on January 8 of this year. Cathay is heavily dependent on the Chinese market, and approximately 70% of its revue reportedly comes from China (#国泰航空近七成营收来自中国#).
The incident has ignited anger due to the discriminatory treatment of mainland customers by a Hong Kong company, leading to further discussions on anti-Chinese sentiments in Hong Kong and the role of language in fostering (or hindering) national unity between mainland China and Hong Kong.
This is a timeline of the incident through Weibo hashtags that have gone trending over the past few days.
▶︎ The Cathay Discrimination Audio Leaked Online #国泰空乘歧视乘客录音曝光# (260 million views)
After a netizen posted about supposed discrimination against non-English speaking passengers by cabin crew members on the Cathay Pacific CX987 flight, the incident soon garnered widespread attention on Chinese social media, especially when the 30-second audio was also shared online (hear the audio snippet here).
▶︎ Cathay Pacific Apologizes #国泰航空致歉# (210 million views)
On May 22, Cathay Pacific soon issued a response apologizing for the passenger’s experience and promised a thorough investigation. However, their initial apology was considered inadequate by many netizens, and only sparked more debates about the discrimination against mainland Chinese passengers within Cathay’s work environment.
On May 23, Cathay Pacific issued a second apology via social channels, mentioning that they had contacted the passenger and that they had suspended the flight attendants involved.
▶︎ Cathay Pacific Uses Standard Mandarin to Apologize #国泰航空行政总裁用普通话道歉# (10 million views)

Lin Shaobo apologizes using Standard Mandarin, image via Weibo.com.
During a media briefing in Guangzhou on May 24, Cathay Pacific CEO Lin Shaobo (林绍波) once again expressed his sincere apologies on behalf of Cathay for the incident. In doing so, he used Standard Mandarin, the national language of mainland China.
▶︎ Three Employers Fired for Discriminating Against Passengers #国泰航空3名歧视乘客空乘被解聘# (460 million views)
At this time, it was also announced that Cathay had completed their investigation into the matter and, in accordance with the company’s regulations, had dismissed the three involved cabin crew members. Lin Shaobo clarified that the airline maintains a “zero tolerance” approach towards any employees who violate the company’s rules and ethical standards.
▶︎ Cathay Pacific’s Flight Attendant Union Regrets the Incident #国泰空乘工会对空姐被解聘感到遗憾# (180 million views)
On May 24, there was some online turmoil over a statement issued by Cathay Pacific’s Flight Attendant Union (FAU). In the statement, the union expressed that Cathay is “facing a shortage of both manpower and resources, a significant increase in workload and low salaries.” Because these problems are ignored, Cathay is seeing an “extremely low” morale among cabin crew and more complaints regarding cabin service. “Nothing comes from nothing,” the statement said. The Union was criticized for “whitewashing” the cabin crew’s discrimination against non-English-speakers.
▶︎ No Official Support for The Union #国泰航空称空中服务员工会不代表国泰# (130 million views)
On May 25, Cathay Pacific issued a statement in which they clarified that The Union is an independent labor union and does not represent the company. They also clarified that did not support the union’s position nor agreed with it.
▶︎ Hu Xijin Recommends Mainland Passengers to Speak Mandarin #胡锡进建议乘国泰航空只讲普通话# (910,000 views)
Chinese political & social commentator Hu Xijin (@胡锡进) also responded to the Cathay incident in multiple posts. In one of them, he suggested that mainland passengers should primarily speak Mandarin when they fly Cathay in the future. Since so much of their customer base is from mainland, Cathay should have enough cabin crew speaking Mandarin, he argued. Hu also reflected on how Cathay also caused controversy in 2019, when it would not stop staff from joining the Kong Kong pro-democracy protests. According to Hu, the company should pay attention to “correcting the values” of their employees.
▶︎”Leaked” Internal Email Labeled as Fake News #国泰航空称网传英文内部信件为伪造# (77 million views)

Post by Cathay in which they deny that this “leaked memo” is authentic. Screenshot by What’s on Weibo.
In the meantime, some images circulated online that allegedly showed an internal Cathay Pacific memo by the company’s HK Express CEO Mandy Ng in which a warning was issued to be “cautious when engaging with customers from China and be aware of their media culture.” That memo was labeled as being false by Cathay Pacific.
▶︎ Hong Kong Perfomer Condemns Cathay for Incident #香港演员怒斥国泰空乘歧视乘客# (170 million views)
Hong Kong celebrity Maria Cordero, nicknamed ‘Fat Mama’ (肥妈) went trending on Weibo for condemning the Cathay Pacific crew members in a recent interview. “Is speaking English that important?” she wondered: “The whole world is learning Chinese!” She also expressed that the primary duty of flight attendants is to look after passengers and help solve their problems. If they are incapable of fulfilling their duty, they should be sacked.
▶︎ Blankets for Everyone #旅客称现在国泰的航班挨个发毛毯# (6.5 million views)
According to passengers flying Cathay after the ‘blanket incident,’ the cabin crew went around explicitly asking all passengers if they needed any blankets, making announcements in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
▶︎ Follow-up to the Incident #国泰航空空乘歧视乘客后续# (26 million views)
As the Cathay scandal keeps fermenting online, one commenter expressed a common viewpoint by stating: “If Cathay Pacific is so unwilling to serve Chinese people and they refuse to speak Mandarin, why don’t they clearly state that they don’t welcome Chinese passengers? They can’t have it both ways by earning money from Chinese tickets without providing the same level of service.”
Meanwhile, an online meme has gained popularity, depicting ‘Cathay Pacific’ as ‘Carpet Pacific’ in reference to the controversial comments made by the cabin crew.
Other memes include the quote: “If you cannot say blanket, you cannot have it,” or include the phrase “no zuo no die” – a popular internet meme that basically means ‘what goes around comes around.’
Those flying China Southern Airlines or Eastern Airlines are posting about their warm on-board blankets, joking: “I didn’t even have to say ‘blanket’ and still got it!”
By Manya Koetse
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China Celebs
China’s Celebrity Weight Craze: Qin Hao’s Viral Diet and Body Anxiety Behind the Weight-Loss Trend
The extreme diet of Chinese actor Qin Hao has sparked a trend of people sharing photos of their corn and egg meals. It’s yet another celebrity weight-loss trend that is more about unrealistic expectations than healthy ways of shedding pounds.

Published
5 days agoon
May 23, 2023By
Zilan Qian
Actor Qin Hao’s remarkable weight loss has sparked waves of online excitement over a potential new diet plan. Qin is not the only Chinese celebrity whose weight loss journey has become an online hype. But behind the relentless pursuit of celebrity weight loss plans lies the issue of body anxiety, particularly among young Chinese women.
Why do we see so many photos with one ear of corn on Weibo these days? It has everything to do with Qin Hao (秦昊). The actor, renowned for his role in the highly acclaimed 2020 Chinese drama series “The Bad Kids” (隐秘的角落), has recently garnered significant attention for his appearance in another compelling series titled “The Long Wait” (漫长的等待).
This time, his surge in popularity is not just because of his exceptional acting abilities or the captivating character he portrayed, but mostly because of the remarkable diet plan he followed to lose weight during the filming of the series.
In his latest role, Qin played a middle-aged man with a chubby physique, round cheeks, and a beer belly. He had put on a lot of weight to play this character. However, later on, the director asked him to quickly lose weight and “sharpen up” (“必须瘦出棱角”).
Qin’s wife, Yi Nengjing (@伊能靜), discovered an online diet menu that helped Qin successfully lose over 20 pounds, resulting in a significant transformation in his appearance. Due to numerous inquiries from fans and followers, Yi decided to share the diet plan on her Weibo account.
The five-day diet plan consists of the following meals:
Day 1: Only unsweetened soy milk is consumed throughout the day.
Day 2: Each meal consists of one ear of corn.
Day 3: Breakfast includes dragon fruit, lunch consists of an apple, and dinner consists of blueberries.
Day 4: Breakfast consists of one boiled egg, while lunch and dinner consist of boiled shrimp.
Day 5: Breakfast includes broccoli, lunch consists of spinach, and dinner consists of lettuce.

Qin before (left) and after (right) following the diet plan. Photos from Yi Nengjing’s Weibo post.
On Weibo, many people trying out this diet are posting photos of their daily meals, resulting in dozens of photos of a single ear of corn being posted on the platform these days.

Many Chinese netizens are posting photos of corn – their entire meal according to day 2 of Qin Hao’s diet (images via Weibo.com).
Despite the supposed effectiveness of the diet, Yi also issued a warning to her followers. “I want to emphasize once again that I do not recommend this menu to anyone,” she wrote on Weibo. “The entire process is incredibly arduous, and Qin experienced weakness in his legs due to hunger for some days.”
Despite the warning, the menu still managed to attract a significant number of netizens willing to give it a try. With titles like “Challenging Qin Hao’s Diet Plan (挑战秦昊饮食法)” and “Losing 8 Pounds in Five Days (五天瘦八斤),” many people took to platforms such as WeChat, Bilibili, and Weibo to share videos, images and texts documenting their experiences with the same diet plan and the amount of weight they lost each day.
Among those who decided to try the diet plan was the renowned screenwriter and producer Yu Zheng (于正), known for his works such as “The Palace” (宫) and “The Story of Yanxi” (延禧攻略). Yu shared on his Weibo account that he successfully lost 10 pounds in just a few days by following Qin’s diet plan. In doing so, he also inspired others to give it a try.

Bilibili users sharing themselves practising Qin’s diet plan.
While some individuals recognize the extreme nature of Qin Hao’s diet plan, they have made modifications by adding carbohydrates and proteins on certain days or incorporating other “diet foods” like cucumbers or healthy snacks.

A user on Bilibili tried out Qin Hao’s diet plan and shared her experience. Although she admitted feeling “extremely hungry,” she said she lost almost 8 pounds and was “very pleased” with the outcome.
However, many choose to strictly adhere to the original plan, expressing sentiments such as “As long as I’m not starving to death, I’ll push myself to the limit” or “Even though I’m so hungry that I could eat a person, I’m still very happy with my progress.”
EXTREME CELEBRITY DIETS
“You are truly too fat.”
Qin is not the only celebrity whose weight loss journey has captured widespread attention. Earlier this year, another viral trend emerged among netizens, who urged director Guo Jingming (郭敬明) to establish a weight loss camp due to the noticeable weight loss among actresses who had worked on his film sets. On Weibo, this phenomenon was described as “no one can leave Guo Jingming’s film crew without losing weight” (“没有人能够胖着走出郭敬明剧组”).
Guo later disclosed his diet plan for actors and actresses during a television program. According to Guo, they were required to adhere to a diet that excluded oil, salt, and sugar. Additionally, he admitted that he would tell them “you are truly too fat (你真的太胖了)” on a daily basis, as a form of persuasion for those who were reluctant to follow the diet plan. Despite the extreme nature of this diet and his ‘brainwashing’ methods, many individuals continued to express their desire for Guo to realize an actual weight loss camp for them to join.

Weibo users compared photos of actresses Yu Shuxin and Jin Jing before and after joining Guo’s film crew to illustrate the effectiveness of Guo’s diet plan. The post where the above photos come from simply said: “I want to go! (想去!)” after the hashtag “#Guo Jingming film crew diet camp #郭敬明剧组减肥营#.

Guo reveals his way of helping actors lose weight (source).
The trend of following celebrity diets for weight loss remains popular, with an increasing number of individuals adopting the diet plans promoted by celebrities like Yu Shuxin, IU, Zhang Tianai, and others.
These diets come in various forms, ranging from single-food diets like cucumber and egg or boiled broccoli with plain porridge, to more restrictive approaches that eliminate specific ingredients, such as carbohydrates, or advocate for skipping evening meals. The widespread popularity of these diets is evident on social media, where netizens, mostly female, try them out and document their weight-loss journeys, sharing their progress with a wider audience.

Screenshot of the cover photo of one video on Bilibili introducing Yu Shuxin’s diet plan, which has been played over 150,000 times. The title says “Yu Shuxin’s way of losing 20 pounds’ weight. Revealing the diet plan to make your body easy to slim down! Losing 10 pounds in 10 days!”
The majority of posts and short videos revolving around these diet plans often feature attention-grabbing titles like “losing xx pounds in xx days,” accompanied by celebrities showcasing their slimmed body shapes.
CONCERNS SURROUNDING CELEBRITY CRASH DIETS
“Let me advise you: never, ever go down this terrible path.”
With the increasing popularity of celebrity diets, concerns about their impact on (mental) health have arisen. Doctors have issued warnings against attempting Qin Hao’s diet plan, cautioning that it can cause significant harm to the body and result in weight gain once discontinued.
Diets that severely restrict calorie intake, like this one, can have detrimental effects such as weakened immunity, decreased bone density, impaired memory, hair loss, and an increased risk of depression. Netizens commenting on posts of people trying these diets often warn others against blindly following their lead. One user offered a stern warning, saying: “To my sisters who haven’t started dieting, let me advise you: never, ever go down this terrible path.”
Despite the prevailing health concerns associated with celebrity diets, not everyone places their well-being above achieving a desired body shape. In response to a diet plan video by Kpop singer IU, one user acknowledged the potential harm it could cause but still said losing weight was their primary goal, as being overweight made them feel miserable: “I don’t care if it’s harmful to my body, as long as I can lose weight.”
Other users argue that everyone has the right to do whatever they want with their body: “We are all adults and responsible for our own affairs. If you want to lose weight, eat less. If you don’t want to lose weight, then continue to be overweight.”
PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT BODY
“For female celebrities, being fat destroys everything.”
Behind the never-ending new celebrity diet plans is the question of why celebrities losing weight garners such significant attention. It appears that shedding pounds has become a convenient method for celebrities to attract public interest and enhance their overall image. Losing weight is often portrayed as a symbol of willpower and dedication to one’s career.
For instance, Yuan Shanshan, who previously faced criticism for her appearance in certain TV series, received applause and positive attention after slimming down and achieving a V-line figure. Media reports frequently associate female celebrities’ dietary practices with the concept of “self-discipline,” utilizing titles such as “How self-disciplined are female celebrities?” to highlight their various weight-loss approaches.

Articles perpetuating body shaming comments towards female celebrities for weight gain. Headlines employing phrases like “the image of you giving up yourself is ugly” and “being fat destroys everything” depict weight gain negatively. The highlighted sentence emphasizes the damaging impact of being fat on a woman’s self-esteem.
On the other hand, when female celebrities gain weight, they are often accused of “betraying” their professional careers or “giving up” on their ambitions.
A quick online search reveals how numerous news articles and blog titles highlight female celebrities’ self-discipline through their successful weight loss. These pieces often showcase extraordinary diet methods, like relying on single strands of noodle as a carbohydrate source or consuming plain, boiled vegetables without any additional ingredients.
SLIM LIKE A CELEBRITY
“Will your boss promote you because you’re as thin as a celebrity?”
The public’s scrutiny of celebrities’ weight, often using it as a measure of willpower and success, is a common phenomenon, but celebrities themselves also influence the public’s perception of the ‘perfect’ figure. On various variety shows, female celebrities’ heights and weights are increasingly showcased, which inadvertently contributes to viewers’ anxieties about their own bodies.
Articles on social media treat these measurements as if they represent the standard for the majority, presenting titles such as “After looking at the heights and weights of these female celebrities, I swear I will never eat again,” or “The true heights and weights of female celebrities – a reference for weight loss,” and: “How light is thin? Revealing female celebrities’ heights and weights.” These articles contribute to the idolization of specific body shapes and weights as symbols of beauty and perfection.
‘Am I too fat weighing xx pounds?’ ‘What weight is considered “fat” in today’s society?’ ‘Why do people care about women’s weight so much?’ ‘Why am I so obsessed with my own weight?’ As women track and critique the weight fluctuations of female celebrities, many are grappling with questions about body image on social media. They seek answers to their own concerns, shaped by constant exposure to the seemingly ideal body weights of these celebrities.
Amidst all the celebrity weight craze, more critical voices are emerging in the Chinese social media sphere. Witnessing people blindly following celebrities’ weight loss journeys, one Zhihu user recently wondered: “Why should everyone strive to have the same bodies as the ones displayed by celebrities? Is there any tangible benefit for ordinary individuals to achieve the same level of thinness as these celebrities? Will your boss promote you or increase your salary simply because you’re as slim as a celebrity?”
Many individuals also question the connection between weight loss, self-discipline, and professional success. They assert that celebrities’ ability to maintain a slim figure is predominantly driven by financial incentives rather than exceptional personal qualities.
One Weibo user commented on Qin Hao’s diet plan, highlighting the disparities between celebrity lifestyles and those of everyday individuals: “Most people don’t have jobs that demand such extreme measures, nor do they lead a celebrity lifestyle with chauffeured transportation and dedicated services for nutrition and exercise management. Furthermore, everyday individuals don’t need to rely on weight loss as a means to seek public attention or stay in the spotlight.”
Chinese author Mao Li (毛利), in a Zhihu post, shared her perspective on the issue and acknowledged that she also has wasted valuable time on futile body image anxieties. She suggests breaking free from the media’s “perfect body” hype, embracing self-acceptance, and finding joy in living together with our bodies. She encourages people to “accept it, enjoy it, and praise it.”
By Zilan Qian
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Meanwhile in Panda News: After More Than Two Decades, Yaya Returns to Beijing

‘Carpet Pacific’: A Timeline of the Cathay Pacific Scandal Through Weibo Hashtags

“The Frog in the Well”: China’s Condemnation of the G7 Summit

China’s Celebrity Weight Craze: Qin Hao’s Viral Diet and Body Anxiety Behind the Weight-Loss Trend

Weibo Watch: Comedy, Controversy, Complexity
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The 11.24 Urumqi Fire: Mourning and Anger at Lives Lost in Apartment Building Inferno

The ‘Blank White Paper Protest’ in Beijing and Online Discussions on “Outside Forces”

Much Ado About Big Breasts: Two Controversies Surrounding Busty Women on Chinese Social Media

Did This TikToker Find Unseen Nanjing Massacre Photos? Regardless, Chinese Netizens Want the World to Know about 1937

Tribute to Urumqi at Shanghai’s Wulumqi Road

Barbie Hsu, Wang Xiaofei, and the Mattress Incident: Weibo’s Divorce Drama of the Year
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