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Zoey Zhang

A shop owner in southwestern China has gone viral for live streaming herself plucking feathers from the bottoms of chickens, drawing tens of thousands of people seeking stress relief.
Wang Yuxian, a snack vendor in her early 30s from Leshan, Sichuan province, runs a small eatery with her friend Yang Yanli.
The shop specialises in local delicacies like chicken behinds, rabbit meat and duck tongues.
However, business had slumped since early 2025, with profits dipping.

In March, Wang posted a video of herself plucking feathers from the rear end of chickens.
It racked up more than 5 million views and gave her the idea to start live-streaming.
She uses audio gear to amplify the sound of tweezers pulling out white feathers, creating a quirky autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, experience that fans say helps them relax.
Wang’s live-streams pulls in over 12,000 viewers at a time, with many watching for an average of 38 minutes, mostly late at night.

One viewer said: “I fell asleep without even realising it. My insomnia has got better.”
“I was just curious at first. But after watching the live stream, I ordered some chicken butts. They tasted way better than I expected,” said another.
A 250g serving of the delicacy at Wang’s shop sells for 26 yuan (US$4) and comes in six flavours, including spicy, garlic and Sichuan peppercorn.
Since launching her live-streams, Wang says monthly sales have soared past 200,000 yuan (US$28,000).
One viewer asked: “I never thought chicken butts could be stress-relieving. How do you cook them so they taste good?”
Speaking to the mainland media outlet Hongxing News, Wang explained that the chicken backside is the tail section, made up of the tail bone and surrounding fat.
Some online observers raised health concerns, fearing that specific part of the bird might store toxins.
Wang assured them everything was thoroughly cleaned before cooking, including removing feather stubs and the unwanted glands.
Popular across southern China, the delicacy is seen as an energy-boosting snack, often enjoyed with alcohol.

They are usually marinated, then deep-fried or grilled with chilli, cumin, and sesame seeds.
“Chicken butts are rich in fat and a good source of protein,” Wang added.
Her live-streams have attracted much attention on mainland social media.
One netizen said: “Chicken butts are my go-to at night markets. Do not knock it until you try it!”
To keep up with demand, Wang and Yang now pluck more than 15kg of chicken each day, with help from their mothers.
They have gone through five pairs of tweezers in two months, and their hands and elbows are constantly sore.


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China shop owner live-streams feather-plucking chicken butts to promote delicacy

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Wang says she has gone through five pairs of tweezers in two months by carrying out the repetitive task.  Photo: QQ.com

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Snack vendor sees profits from popular delicacy soar, suffers aching bones, hands from plucking15kg of chicken a day


Snack vendor sees profits from popular delicacy soar, suffers aching bones, hands from plucking15kg of chicken a day.


Chinese cuisine

China shop owner live-streams feather-plucking chicken butts to promote delicacy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Snack vendor sees profits from popular delicacy soar, suffers aching bones, hands from plucking15kg of chicken a day

Snack vendor sees profits from popular delicacy soar, suffers aching bones, hands from plucking15kg of chicken a day