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Alice Yan

China’s first virtual student developed by Tsinghua University has made her debut online on Thursday.
“Hello everybody, I am Hua Zhibing. I am glad to become a student of Professor Tang. I will start my study and research life at the laboratory of Tsinghua University’s Computer Science,” the virtual student greeted Chinese internet users in her first Weibo post.
In the accompanying video, a young woman wanders around the campus accompanied by a female voice.
According to Tang Jie, a professor at the department who helped develop Hua, the character is based on a real person while her face and voice are virtually synthesised, news portal Thepaper reports.

Hua is able to write poems, draw paintings and compose music, said Tang.
She registered and became a student of the university earlier this week. Developers have high expectations for her, hoping she could solve problems by herself and write programs. She might also be employed after graduating from the university, said Tang.
This virtual student was based on the latest version of a China-developed deep learning program, called Wudao 2.0, which can process 1.75 trillion parameters, breaking the record of 1.6 trillion previously set by Google’s Switch Transformer AI language model.
“This is the most exciting thing in this boring world,” wrote one person on Weibo.
“Sister Zhibing, I am your fan from today,” another user commented.
Hungry elephants break into botanical garden and endanger rare plants
As a herd of 15 wild elephants in Yunnan has captured the world’s attention after travelling over 500km northward, another group of elephants entered an important botanical garden, endangering rare plants.
The second herd, containing 17 elephants including two calves born this year, has set up home in the Chinese Academy of Sciences Tropical Botanical Garden in Xishuangbanna for the last 10 days, the China News Service reported.

The garden’s food supply for the elephants is due to run out soon. There are now concerns that the elephants will move into the main area of the botanical garden, where thousands of rare plant species will be at the risk of being eaten and trampled, warned the garden’s caretakers.
At the end of last month, the herd passed the garden while migrating. The rising water in the nearby Luosuo River caused by recent thunderstorms forced the elephants to stay in the garden. The herd tried several times to cross the river, but failed as the water is too deep for the calves, the report said.
Experts said the animals might stay in the garden and adjacent area for many more days.
The garden’s management is discussing with local authorities to find out routes feasible for the young members to continue on their journey.
Lucky lottery winner says life ruined by win
A woman who became a sensation after winning a 100 million yuan (US$15.6 million) lottery prize three years ago said on social media that she has not lived well since.
Xin Xiaodai was chosen by Alipay as the Chinese Koi (the term given to the winner of the lottery prize) from over three million participants in October, 2018. Koi, the coloured carp, has long been seen as a symbol of good luck in Chinese culture. The top prize included various consumption coupons worth 100 million yuan in total, said Alipay, the mainland’s leading mobile payment platform.

After hearing this news, Xin wrote on Weibo: “Am I free from work for the rest of my life?”, attracting nearly one million comments online.
She then quit her job as an IT engineer, applied for a passport and started a non-stop overseas journey.
But she soon realised she had to take money out of her own pocket to use those coupons. She spent more than 200,000 yuan (US$31,190) on her overseas trips in the following year since the coupons were only valid for a year, Xin said in a video released earlier this week.
“For example, one of the most eye-catching items among those coupons is to go to America to attend a three-month course to learn flying helicopter for free,” Xin, 29 this year, said in the video. “But I had to pay by myself the travelling fee and the living cost in the US.”
She said her health has deteriorated because of frequent travelling. She was criticised last year after a marketing activity she organised was cancelled by the government, because her partner company did not have a business license.
“I am surely not a good luck girl now. Instead, quite possibly I am just a joke,” said Xin, adding that she does not have a job nor any income now.
“I hope my experience and my reflection can help some people,” she said. “Hope my fans can, through their own efforts and a little luck, live a life they aspire for.”


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Quirky China: AI student meets fans, elephants move in at botanic gardens, and lottery winner says win ruined her life

China’s first virtual student (left) and an elephant herd in Xishuangbanna (right) Photo: China News

Handout image shows China's first virtual student.CREDIT: China News

Handout image shows an Elephant herd in XishuangbannanCREDIT:  China News

Handout image shows a woman that was chosen to receive a top award in 2018.CREDIT:  Baidu

After a 500km journey, a herd of 15 elephants arrives at Yunnan capital in China

15 elephants travelled nearly 500km in China in search for new habitat. Photo: Thepaper

===PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== A herd of elephants walk along a road in Eshan, Yunan, China, May 27, 2021 in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. Eshan County Fang Yuan Car Care Center

Chinese student’s comment that he is a pig determined to ruin cabbages during TV show causes controversy

A student who referred to himself as pig determined to ruin cabbages in a speech aimed at encouraging others to work hard has been criticised for promoting hatred in China. Photo: Artwork

Handout image shows a student who made a âIâm a pig determined to ruin cabbagesâ speech aimed at encouraging others to work hard to change fate stirs controversy and criticised for promoting hatred, in China. CREDIT:  weibo

Top Chinese university graduate working as a domestic nanny highlights challenges for job-seeking graduates

A highly qualified university graduate seeking work as a domestic nanny has stunned many in China, even as the job market for graduates becomes increasingly challenging. Photo: Handout

Chinese university professor complains ‘lower IQ’ daughter is ‘mediocre student’ due to poor primary school results in viral video

A Beijing academic has said that he will stop pressuring his daughter over her academic performance after his tutoring methods left her depressed and anxious. Photo: Baidu

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China’s elephants are on the move, threatening a rare plant garden
A lottery winner says her life was ruined by the windfall



China’s first virtual student meets fans, lucky ‘carp girl’ says her lottery win was a nightmare, and elephants on the run — we look at the quirky events making news in China.


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Quirky China: AI student meets fans, elephants move in at botanic gardens, and lottery winner says win ruined her life

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} China’s elephants are on the move, threatening a rare plant garden A lottery winner says her life was ruined by the windfall

China’s elephants are on the move, threatening a rare plant garden

A lottery winner says her life was ruined by the windfall