PREMIUM NEWSLETTER | ISSUE #3 | READING TIME: 12 MIN

Dear Reader,

Ms. Wang was already tired when she got on the C6276 high-speed train to Chengdu on Tuesday evening. Just as she was trying to get settled into her reserved seat, she was rudely interrupted by the constant kicking of the chair from behind her. Looking back, she saw two children, merrily kicking her chair as if it were a playground ride. She found herself annoyed with the state of parenting in China today, where it seemed like too many parents were willing to let their children run wild without consequence. She decided to confront the kids immediately.

Meanwhile, Ms. Yang, a mother traveling with three children, was also feeling exhausted and on edge. Her children were overly energetic and couldn’t seem to calm down. It was way past their bedtime. As the lady in front of them suddenly began scolding her kids, Ms. Yang had had enough of people showing no consideration for her and her children. She decided to stand up for herself right away.

This was the scenario that unfolded when two female passengers on a high-speed train recently became embroiled in an argument. The confrontation between the two women quickly escalated, and Ms. Yang slapped Ms. Wang in the face. In response, Ms. Wang retaliated by slapping Ms. Yang twice. The incident, seemingly a minor altercation, gained nationwide attention on Chinese social media, sparking a debate on the problem of ‘brat children’ and their passive parents, self-defense, and whether authorities were too quick to punish both parties involved.

Is the ‘train slapping incident’ an important event? Probably not. But the incident is symptomatic of a larger trend. Videos of altercations on China’s high-speed trains flooded social media following the May Day busy travel season.

These kinds of high-speed train scenes are like a microcosm of the larger society. As people from different backgrounds and walks of life are seated together in a confined environment, the dynamics and problems that exist in society are suddenly magnified, and conflicts can quickly escalate. Whether it is about intergenerational respect, individualism, or a lack of consideration for others, there is much more to these small incidents than meets the eye. While these dynamics are not unique to China by any means, the frustrations that arise do relate to problems specific to present-day Chinese society. The online discussions that ensued analyzed every second of the incident, and the subsequent viral video garnered a range of opinions on how the incident should have been handled.

For all this and more, see our list of featured articles in this newsletter to dive deeper into the major trends that have attracted attention on Chinese social media this week. Also make sure to get the quick takes on social media, noteworthy trends, and popular Chinese catchwords by Miranda Barnes, Zilan Qian, and Andrew Methven in this week’s newsletter.

Got questions or suggestions? I always like to hear more about the China topics you’d like to know more about. Contact me via email or DM, or follow me on Twitter for the latest news and trends.

Best,
Manya @manyapan

What to Know

 
Major trends to know:

• ▶︎ Xi Jinping’s Xiong’an New Area tour. Xi Jinping’s visit to Xiong’an New Area, located in northern Hebei Province, has placed renewed attention on the development of the broader Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region this week. The area is now being touted as a leading model for China’s urban future and eco-friendliness, innovation, high-tech advancement, and economical growth.
• ▶︎ Tianzhou 6: The new space mission. An upgraded version of China’s Tianzhou cargo spacecraft was successfully launched on Wednesday and docked with China’s Tiangong Space Station less than 8 hours later. The news event received a lot of attention on Chinese social media, where news was celebrated by state media outlets.
• ▶︎ 15th anniversary Sichuan earthquake. Footage and images of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake were trending this week as May 12 marked the 15th anniversary of one of the most catastrophic earthquakes in Chinese history which caused the death of approximately 70,000 people.
• ▶︎ District mayor pushes museum director. It almost sounds like the plot of a crime drama. On May 8th, the Luliang Revolution Museum in the city’s Lishi District released a closure notice stating that their director got into a dispute with the district mayor and was pushed by him, allegedly leading the museum director to lose consciousness. Local government denies, and investigations are underway.
• ▶︎ Solar sun in Wuhan There have been a lot of videos on Weibo showing the spectacular sun halo that appeared in Wuhan on Saturday. The rather spectacular phenomenon, also known as a 22-degree halo, is a ring of light that appears when sunlight is refracted, or bent, by ice crystals in the atmosphere.
• ▶︎ Death sentence for couple killing children. A father and his girlfriend were sentenced to death in their second trial for killing two toddlers by throwing them off a building in Chongqing in 2020. The girlfriend allegedly could not accept her boyfriend’s children, and conspired to kill them together with him. The couple appealed their earlier death penalty verdict, but the original judgment was upheld. The verdict has been widely supported by Chinese netizens, who called for their immediate execution.

 
Note from the News Editor – by Miranda:

• ▶︎ 200 households evacuated after accidental removal of load-bearing wall | A trending topic this week brought back memories of a 2015 Chinese New Year’s Gala sketch, which featured a man who hired a migrant worker to help renovate his new apartment. The worker used two hammers to break down walls, causing chaos and damage to the property and neighboring wall. The act elicited laughter from the audience, who found the chaotic construction scenario all too relatable.
• Last week, that scene became a reality as residents from an apartment in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, found several huge cracks on the walls inside their home. Later they learned that the person who rented the business unit on the lower floors had removed a load-bearing wall to make space for their billiard room. As the building is unsafe to live in, over 200 households were evacuated from their homes.
• The damage is estimated to be over 160 million yuan (approximately 23 million USD), and the property’s value is now uncertain, although most of the households still have mortgages to pay. The tenant who initiated the disastrous construction work could be held accountable, along with the contractors and property management company, but it’s impossible for them to provide the required compensation. No house insurance was held by the 200 households (it’s also not obligatory for property owners in China). The trending hashtag “Who will pay the 160 million in compensation” (“1.6亿赔偿款谁来出”) reflected the fear of being in a similar situation. Some referenced the 2005 comic sketch and argued that it was a missed chance to educate the public on the dangers of unsafe construction, the significance of building insurance, and the importance of hiring skilled construction workers.

 
Spotted by Zilan, What’s on Weibo author & intern:

• ▶︎ Shifting clothes sizes, celebrity diet craze | Why do women’s clothes keep getting smaller and smaller? This hashtag (#为什么女装越做越小?#)” has recently become popular on Chinese social media. Many women have shared their experiences of being unable to find properly fitting clothes, despite choosing sizes that used to fit them well. Online shoppers have complained about receiving unreasonably small clothes. Netizens are expressing frustration that XL-sized clothes look like they are meant for children, that skirts are too short to cover their buttocks, and that some clothes only come in sizes as small as M.
• As clothing sizes continue to shrink, people are left wondering who these clothes are designed for. This trend has sparked body anxiety among some individuals who question whether they need to lose weight in order to fit into the smaller sizes.
• Although there may not be enough suitable clothes for women, there are always enough ways to lose weight. Over the past week, Chinese actor Qin Hao’s diet plan (秦昊减肥法) received a lot of attention online. After Qin successfully lost over 20 pounds he gained for a role in the series “The Long Season (漫长的季节),” his wife shared his diet plan on Weibo. Despite complaints that the plan starves people to death, many people are still strictly following it and sharing their progress on social media. The topic of celebrity diet plans keep going viral. Discussions about celebrities losing weight, and finding and following their diet plans are never-ending, indicating the persistent body anxiety among Chinese women. The topic of celebrity diet plans will be covered in more depth in my upcoming article for What’s on Weibo – stay tuned!

What’s Trending

1: Teaching Fake History | The inclusion of a propaganda print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Toshihide Migita (右田年英) from 1895 in a new Chinese history book for children has sparked controversy this week. The illustration, which portrays the surrender of the esteemed Chinese Admiral Ding Ruchang during the Sino-Japanese War, is historically inaccurate and has raised concerns among Chinese netizens about the quality of Chinese textbooks. Many are questioning how the book was ever approved for publication back in 2017.

2: Online Discussions on Salary and Inflation | Comparing prices and salaries between generations is always interesting. A hashtag titled “When My Dad Was Young His Monthly Income Was 2000 Yuan” (#爸爸年轻时的工资是2000#) received 130 million views on Weibo this week and raised discussions about changes in average monthly salary, inflation, and discouraged youth. Are people still making as little as 2000 yuan ($287) per month? A quick search on online job sites will show you that it’s what a basic McDonald’s staff member in a smaller Chinese city would start with and it’s also a reality for many in China’s more rural areas.

3: Why Three Slaps Triggered Nationwide Discussions | An explosive argument between two female passengers on a high-speed train has gone viral on Chinese social media this week. The fight has triggered widespread discussions on the issue of ‘mutual assault,’ the problem of ‘brat children,’ and why it might be wiser to avoid intervening in these types of disputes altogether.

PREMIUM NEWSLETTER | ISSUE #2 | READING TIME: 8 MIN

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Weibo Watch, the exclusive premium newsletter by What’s on Weibo that keeps you up-to-date on the latest stories and trends in Chinese social media and digital culture.

A small business owner in the Shandong city of Zibo had no idea what hit him when he saw thousands of visitors flocking to his shop. The industrial city of Zibo has been an online hit for weeks now, so he was used to seeing a large influx of travelers in the area. But now he himself had become the main attraction after a video in which a female tourist touched his muscles went viral overnight. What do you do when you suddenly see 180,000 visitors a day passing by your small duck’s head [鸭头, a Chinese snack] shop?

As described in one recent Chinese blog, the duck’s head seller is one of the latest “victims” of the ‘Zibo BBQ’ craze. By now, the incredible popularity of the barbecue city is also referred to as the “Zibo Phenomenon” (淄博现象). The city has been all over China’s social media top trending lists over the past week, and there are many discussions on how the city succeeded in becoming such a success, what it all means, and the downsides that come with it.

When a trend becomes excessively popular in a short span of time, it is almost inevitable for an anti-buzz to emerge. With high expectations, people tend to get disappointed easily. The larger the hype, the more significant the impact of even the slightest negative news.

What is striking about the recent Zibo discussions, is how it is triggering introspective debates on the dynamics of Chinese social media and the role played by online influencers and local authorities. However, there are divergent opinions among Chinese scholars, journalists, and bloggers who have written about this ‘Zibo Phenomenon.’ While some argue that it is all about free market governance and public participation, others suggest that the city’s success is actually the result of strict government control and influence.

The duck’s head shop owner probably won’t care a lot about all of these discussions. Although his hit status initially boosted sales, the crowds of people coming to his shop soon became so overwhelming that he could no longer run his business as usual (see video). As some even started harassing and physically assaulting him, he could no longer do his work and has now closed his shop. In a recent live stream, he tearfully talked about how his business, ironically, was ruined due to his viral success.

For all this and more, see our list of featured articles in this newsletter to dive deeper into the major trends that have recently attracted attention on Chinese social media. Also make sure to get the quick takes on social media, foreign affairs, and popular Chinese catchwords by Miranda Barnes, Thomas des Garets Geddes, and Andrew Methven in this week’s newsletter.

Got questions or suggestions? I always like to hear more about the China topics you’d like to know more about. Contact me via email or DM, or follow me on Twitter for the latest news and trends.

Best,

Manya

What to Know

 
Major trends to know:

• ▶︎ May Day holiday craze. The May Day “Golden week” holiday has come to an end. Travelers made 274 million trips within mainland China during the holiday, which exceeds pre-pandemic levels.
• ▶︎ King Charles III coronation. The coronation ceremony of King Charles III was also a big topic on Weibo and Douyin this weekend. noteworthy is that many of the top videos on the event were about the ‘not my king’ protests. China’s vice president Han Zheng arrived in London on Thursday for the coronation.
• ▶︎ Hotel guest finds dead body underneath bed. One Chinese man’s stay at a hotel in Lhasa turned into a nightmare when he discovered a corpse under the bed in which he had been sleeping. The man found the body after noticing a strong smell in his room. The incident led to a murder investigation and the arrest of a suspect.
• ▶︎ Chinese evacuated from Sudan. China successfully evacuated over 1,300 of its nationals from Sudan this week. The safe evacuation was met with praise online, where the mission was also called a “real life version” of Chinese blockbuster Homecoming.
• ▶︎ Chinese couple murdered in Bali? Two Chinese nationals, a 22-year-old female and a 25-year-old male, were found dead in their hotel room at the InterContinental hotel in Jimbaran, Bali. The male’s body was found on the balcony and the female’s body was found in the bathtub with wounds on her neck. While the cause of their deaths is still under investigation, the case has become a big topic on Chinese socials.

 
Note from the News Editor – by Miranda:

• ▶︎ Over the past week, the topic “How Can Ordinary People Have 10 Million in Assets” (普通人如何拥有千万资产) trended on Chinese social media. Some argued that owning a property in tier 1 cities like Beijing or Shanghai could already make you worth over 10 million yuan (just under $1.5 million). Many found the amount of money discussed to be out of touch with reality, as they struggle to cover their daily living costs and have no hope of ever amassing such wealth. The conversation eventually evolved into a broader discussion of achieving financial success.
• ▶︎ In the past 50 years, China has made significant economic strides, leading to an improved quality of life for its citizens. This progress is still remembered by the majority of Chinese citizens who have experienced huge improvements in their standard of living during their lifetime.
• ▶︎ In the late 90s, wàn yuán hù (万元户), meaning “household with over 10k assets” (under $1.5k), was a label of wealth status. However, the number 10 million yuan now seems much harder to attain. This raises concerns about social mobility, as most people interested in the topic are “ordinary” or have not yet amassed that much wealth. It seems that hard work and opportunities may no longer be enough to achieve financial success, but that shouldn’t stop people from dreaming.

 
Sinification’s foreign affairs views from China – by Thomas:

• ▶︎ One of China’s most eminent international relations experts, Yan Xuetong (阎学通), recently warned Chinese businesses to brace themselves for a rough ride over the coming couple of decades. He bemoaned the current dire state of US-China relations and the fractures this is creating across the world.
• ▶︎ In Yan’s words: “I am now in my 70s and when we were children in the 50s and 60s we grew up cursing US leaders. Since Nixon’s visit to China in ’72, China stopped naming and shaming the American leadership. [However,] after Trump came to power, we resumed naming and shaming them, calling Pompeo an enemy of mankind. How far [down] do you want bilateral relations to go? During my most recent visit to the US, I felt that the perception of China in America had also seriously deteriorated. I met some of our overseas students who told me that American students would not say it out loud, but that everyone knows that they harbour a lot of hostility towards Chinese students.”
• ▶︎ For more in-depth takes on foreign affairs as viewed from China, subscribe to the Sinification newsletter by Thomas des Garets Geddes here.

What’s Trending

1: “College Student Special Forces” (大学生特种兵) | This Labor Day holiday, ‘special forces travelers’ were flooding popular tourist spots across China. Their mission is clear: covering as many places as possible at the lowest cost and within a limited time. While the travel trend has become a social media hype, there are also those criticizing the trend for being superficial and troublesome.

2: Consumerism and Empty Social Spectacle | Fast, fun, BBQ travel is a major topic on Chinese social media these days. Chinese journalist & academic Liu Yadong reposted a noteworthy short essay by the WeChat account Jiuwenpinglun in which the author argued that the hype surrounding Zibo barbecue is a symptom of a “sick society” in which people are disconnected from meaningful topics. While serious social issues are muted and superficial marketing tricks are blasted all over the internet, China’s “hypocritical youth” actively participate in the societal emptiness they say they reject. We translated the controversial for you:

3: Why Zibo’s Strength Is Also Its Weakness | It’s like a Shandong ‘Disneyland,’ but with more people and longer lines. The city of Zibo has become a major tourist attraction, filled with lively atmosphere, cheap BBQ, and friendly people. But local business owners also face the downsides of operating in a city that has become so extremely popular. In this feature article, we wrap up some of the latest controversies and discussions surrounding the Zibo trend.