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Video of Assault on Woman in Beijing Hotel Causes Urban Safety Concerns Amongst Netizens

Video footage of one woman being attacked near a hotel known for prostitution in the popular Beijing 798 neighbourhood has gone viral on Weibo and WeChat. The case causes concern amongst netizens, who fear for women’s safety in the city.

Manya Koetse

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Video footage of a woman being attacked near a hotel known for prostitution in the popular Beijing 798 neighbourhood has gone viral on Weibo and WeChat. The case causes concern amongst netizens, who fear for women’s safety in the city.

One Sina Weibo one user named Wanwan_2016 from Hangzhou posted a surveillance video on April 4 that showed her being attacked by a man in a hotel hallway in Beijing’s popular 798 Art District. The assault occurred on Sunday evening, April 3rd, just before 11 pm.

The video caused a lot of commotion amongst China’s netizens for multiple reasons. One of the major things that angered people was that the video revealed how bystanders and hotel staff did not help the woman when she was attacked by the man. It also raised concerns about the safety of Chinese hotels like the one where the assault occurred – which are meet-up places for prostitution. Many netizens furthermore spoke of the fact that Chinese media initially hardly covered the topic. Lastly, the case also increased public awareness on women having to be able to defend themselves in such situations.

By now, the topic has become an online sensation that has been shared nearly a million times, attracting thousands of comments within a time frame of 48 hours.

“Why is it tolerated in the minds of Chinese people that wives or children are beaten?”

The video clip that went viral is actually a video of a video – recorded by the victim as she is shown the security footage of her own assault. During the clip, you can hear the woman commenting and crying as she sees the footage of her own attack. The footage shows how the woman is assaulted by a man as she is about to leave the hotel. The man first grabs her by the throat and then drags her to the street, just outside the view of the surveillance cameras. Although the woman reportedly cries out, people passing by do not help her. One hotel staff person stands by as the man makes a phone call to take the girl away, but does not intervene. If it had not been for another female hotel customer who stops the man by the end of the video, it is likely that the woman would have been abducted.

According to China.org, one of the reasons people did not help out might be because they thought that this was a quarreling couple. One popular comment on Weibo said: “Why is it tolerated in the minds of Chinese people that wives or children are beaten? How many times has it happened that suspects pretend to be spouses or head of the household, so that bystanders don’t care about their cruel acts?”

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The comment raises a sensitive issue, as it is not the first time that perpetrators act as if the woman they are assaulting is actually their wife or girlfriend. In 2013, several stories of men dragging away women in the Beijing subway while pretending to be their husband or boyfriend also made their rounds on the internet.

“The problem is society’s indifferent attitude.”

Within hours after Wanwan herself posted the clip of her assault on her Weibo page, it was shared over 65,000 times, with netizens reacting in anger over the indifference of the hotel staff and bystanders. China.org reports that the hotel management issued an online statement saying that a fight between a man and a woman had taken place that night: “The hotel staff tried to separate them after hearing the noise. The man then made a phone call and tried to take the woman away. The woman sat down on the ground and called the police. When the man tried to drag the woman towards the emergency exit, he was stopped by a female customer and a hotel guard,” the statement said.

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Through her Weibo account, Wanwan calls for people to share the video so that more people know about it, and women can learn from it to be more vigilant. She also hopes for justice in this case. The topic went viral under the hashtag of ‘Woman attacked at Yitel Hotel’ (#和颐酒店女生遇袭#). By Wednesday, the video was shared more than 920,000 times and had attracted over 260,000 comments.

One netizen pointed out: “The crucial problem here is a great shortcoming of our society, where people have become accustomed to showing an indifferent attitude. The problem is not about where this happened (..), it is about the state of society.”

“I am so disappointed.”

Weibo netizens worry for women’s safety in Beijing and condemn the hotel chain that Yitel belongs to, Home Inns, complaining that these kinds of hotels are often used for prostitution and other illegal activities, are unsafe and have bad service: “I hope this case will raise hotel staff’s awareness on the safety of its customers,” one netizen says.

Homeinn has again commented one the case through its Weibo account earlier today (April 6), saying that “the police is currently investigating this case and we are assisting them in this, we are in close contact with them, and will report more on this matter soon.”

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Through Sina Weibo, state media outlet People’s Daily warns all women: “Ladies, please pass this on. Safety guidelines for women. A woman from Hangzhou was attacked at a Beijing hotel and police is investigating the case. Please keep this in mind: 1. Please do not go to appointed places with strangers. 2. Do not go into dark streets at night by yourself. 3. Do not just open the door for anyone. 4. Do not cling to your property in dangerous situations.”

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The guidelines also warn women not to take black cabs. Many netizens are critical about the warning as they feel that it puts the responsibility of an attack on the shoulders of women: “Isn’t it the job of the police to make sure we can safely go out?” one netizen wonders.

Wanwan herself only had one final reaction today to the media, police and hotel’s reactions: “I am so disappointed.”

– By Manya Koetse & Diandian Guo

Featured image: original footage screenshots compilated by What’s on Weibo

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

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 Local News

“Scared to Intervene”: Local Celebrity ‘Bag-Clutching Brother’ Stabbed to Death during Square Dancing

In a shocking incident caught on camera, a well-known Songyuan resident nicknamed “Brother Clutch Bag” was tragically stabbed to death. On Weibo, people react with disbelief.

Manya Koetse

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In a stabbing incident caught on camera by bystanders, a man locally known as “Bag-Clutching Brother” (夹包哥) was killed in the city of Songyuan in China’s Jilin province on June 30.

The incident occurred around 19:00 at Bodune Square in the city’s Ningjiang District, where people often gather for square dancing.

One familiar face on the square was the 54-year-old Mr. Zhao, who became well-known locally for his eccentric square dancing while clutching a bag, earning him the nickname “Jiabaoge” (夹包哥), meaning “Bag-Clutching Brother” or “Brother Clutch Bag.” As a devoted “dancing king,” he had become somewhat of a local celebrity, and he also posted videos online of his dancing at the square.

“Brother Clutch Bag” had become somewhat of a local celebrity due to his personality, dancing style, and clutched bag.

Square dancing is common across Chinese cities. It’s when local residents, usually older and retired residents, meet at a public park or plaza in the mornings or evenings to perform synchronized dance routines together or improvise own dances while playing loud music.

On Sunday, a night of careless dancing abruptly transformed into a horrifying stabbing incident.

Footage circulating online shows Mr. Zhao dancing in the square before being approached by a man in a black t-shirt, who first bumps into him and then suddenly starts stabbing him while dozens of people stand by.

Moments later, Mr. Zhao can be seen lying on the floor in a puddle of blood while still being attacked by the man. Bystanders do not seem to have intervened at this point.

On July 2nd, the police released more information about the incident. The attacker, a 53-year-old man, has been detained. He had reportedly been drinking and did not personally know the victim, but apparently was triggered by his dancing and a moment of eye contact.

On Weibo, the topic went trending. “It’s terrifying!” one commenter wrote: “He just stabbed him like that in front of everyone, and so many people were watching.” “I’m speechless,” others said.

“Looking at the video, people just stand around without running away or saving him,” one person observed.

According to one account, a bystander who also knew Mr. Zhao said he wanted to help but was scared to intervene, fearing he might be implicated if the police ruled it a “mutual fight” (互殴) instead of justified defense (正当防卫).

One Toutiao blogger responded: “I’m sorry that for us ordinary people, these terms [justified defense vs mutual fight] have clouded our ability to judge. From the initial ‘whoever hits first is responsible’ to ‘it’s ruled justifiable defense once you’re hurt,’ and now to the so-called ‘mutual fight,’ determining who is responsible is entirely up to ‘them.’ As a result, people have become numb and fearful.”

“So many people were at the scene. If just one person had gone up and kicked him, they could have stopped it. But instead, all those people just looked on helplessly and watched him get stabbed to death. My God.”

Many other commenters on Weibo made similar remarks: “All these men standing around, was there not one of them who could have stopped it?”

The problem of bystanders not intervening has been a long-discussed issue in China. Some say it is related to a cultural attitude of “mind your own business” or “shaoguanxianshi” (少管闲事), where people are accustomed to remaining uninvolved when it does not concern them.

This attitude is often more pronounced in situations involving an altercation between a man and a woman, as people may feel it is a private issue. A notable example is the 2016 incident where a woman was attacked near a Beijing hotel without anyone stepping in to help.

While there might be specific Chinese social, cultural, and legal reasons why people are scared or hesitant to step in when someone needs help, the ‘bystander effect’ is a worldwide phenomenon. This effect describes the tendency for people not to help a victim in need when (many) other people are present.

It is a social psychological matter: the more people who witness a person in peril, the less likely it is that any one of them will intervene as they feel it is not their responsibility to do so. In other words, a person is more likely to help in an emergency situation when they are alone than when there are ten people standing by.

But on Chinese social media platforms, many discussing the tragic death of “Bag-Clutching Brother” believe that people in society today are just too self-centered: “Everyone stands in silence because the person on the floor isn’t them.”

Amidst this sentiment, the Chinese woman Hu Youping (胡友平) is seen as a ‘selfless heroine.’ The school bus attendant was recently praised by Chinese authorities and state media for her bravery in protecting a Japanese mother and child during a stabbing incident at a school bus stop in Suzhou, ultimately sacrificing her own life.

Meanwhile, Mr. Zhao, his clutched bag, and eccentric moves are now gaining nationwide fame after news of his death spread online. As people are visiting his Douyin account and old videos, they wish him a peaceful journey to the afterlife. “I’m sorry I got to know you like this, rest in peace, Brother Clutch Bag.”

By Manya Koetse

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 Local News

Knife-Wielding Woman Goes on Rampage at Guixi Primary School

Shortly after the incident, videos and photos began circulating on WeChat, showing young children covered in blood on the ground.

Manya Koetse

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A woman in Guixi, a county-level city in Jiangxi’s Yingtan, has been taken into custody after stabbing people at a primary school on Monday, May 20, around noon. The incident resulted in at least two fatalities and left ten others injured.

Shortly after the incident, videos and photos began circulating on WeChat, showing young children covered in blood on the ground, victims of the woman’s stabbing rampage at the Mingde Primary School in Guixi’s Wenfang.

The incident immediately attracted significant attention on Weibo, where netizens not only commented on the tragedy of innocent children being involved in such a horrific crime but also on the unusual fact that the suspect is female; as typically, perpetrators of such crimes are male.

Others also questioned why the school security guards were not present to prevent such an incident and how the woman managed to gain access to the school grounds in the first place.

The 45-year-old female suspect is a native of Guixi. It’s reported that she used a paring knife to carry out the stabbing attack on the school premises.

Shortly after the incident, local authorities called on blood donation centers in Guixi to extend their opening hours, and local residents started queuing up to donate blood to help out the victims who are still being treated for their injuries.

Another question that lingers is why the woman would commit such an atrocious crime. People suggest it is bàofù shèhuì (报复社会), a Chinese term that translates to “retaliate against society” or “taking revenge on society.”

Baofu shehui is often cited as a type of criminal motivation for knife-wielding incidents in China, particularly those occurring at schools, where individuals with personal grievances and/or mental health issues commit these extreme crimes. Such incidents have happened multiple times in the past, notably between 2010 and 2012, during a series of elementary school and kindergarten attacks.

Different from these kinds of attacks in Europe or the US, it often involves older perpetrators who are disillusioned, frustrated, and alienated from their communities amid rapidly changing social and economic conditions in China.

But for many netizens, such a possible motivation does not make sense. Some commenters wrote: “Taking revenge on society should never be done by venting one’s anger against children.”

Others wish the worst upon the perpetrator. One popular comment says, “I hope she gets the death penalty, and that the victims’ families get to execute her.”

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:

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

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