https://www.scmp.com/rss/322695/feed Alice Yan is a Shanghai-based social news reporter. She writes about human interest stories and specialises in stories on family relationships, education, gender equality, child development, traditional culture and social media. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alice Yan Alice Yan A robot in a high-visibility vest carrying a loud hailer while patrolling a park in China’s northeastern Jilin province has caused much amusement online. “We have sprayed pesticides in the park. It is highly poisonous,” the robot was exclaiming through the loud hailer. The robot was also saying that when worms eat the pesticide it they instantly lie down and pretend to be dead, state media CCTV reported. An official from the park said the robotic warnings were necessary because it was a prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351724/quirky-china-robot-plays-dead-pesticide-warnings-bot-hugs-girl-car-toilet-approved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351724/quirky-china-robot-plays-dead-pesticide-warnings-bot-hugs-girl-car-toilet-approved?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan More than 40 years ago, he became the first person from his rural family to study at a university in China. Four decades on he was appointed chancellor of UC Riverside, a prestigious school in the United States. The story of S. Jack Hu, a Chinese-American who is the first individual with a bachelor’s education from mainland China to head a top US institution, has trended on social media, inspiring millions of internet users. The 62-year-old Hu, whose Chinese name is Hu Shixin, hails from a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351124/chinese-man-makes-history-first-educator-mainland-university-lead-top-us-institute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351124/chinese-man-makes-history-first-educator-mainland-university-lead-top-us-institute?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Chinese actor who is well-known for playing dominant bosses in miniseries and has taken part in 200 such productions has become unemployed due to the impact of AI technology. In March, to make ends meet, Zhang Xiaolei, 28, began doing farm work in the northwestern province of Qinghai, Red Star News reported. Starting with some basic dancing skills, Zhang was introduced by his friend to a miniseries filming crew at the end of 2023. Since then, he has become a familiar face to viewers of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351949/famous-chinese-short-drama-actor-faces-lay-due-ais-impact-returns-farming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351949/famous-chinese-short-drama-actor-faces-lay-due-ais-impact-returns-farming?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 06:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A 107-year-old woman, dubbed the “age-defying granny,” has trended on mainland social media for her sound health and sharpness of mind. Centenarian Ding Guijuan lives in Cixi, a small city in the eastern province of Zhejiang. The local media outlet, Love Cixi, which is operated by the municipal propaganda authority, reported her story. In the coverage in mid-April Ding shared her longevity tips and sent good wishes to her fans. According to Ding’s daughter, Chen Xingchao, 84, physical... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351793/china-vegetarian-woman-107-captivates-internet-robust-health-and-sharp-memory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351793/china-vegetarian-woman-107-captivates-internet-robust-health-and-sharp-memory?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A senior monk in China has attracted widespread social media attention for enthusiastically playing electronic games. Venerable Huayan, from Mingjiao Temple in Hefei in central Anhui province, has been a Buddhist monk for 20 years. He began to play e-games when he was a primary school pupil in the early 2000s, Counter-Strike (CS) is his favourite, according to the news portal Sina.com. Huayan once achieved the Legendary Eagle Master position, a very high ranking in CS. He said the most... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351166/video-game-loving-china-monk-defends-hobby-says-gaming-religion-serve-similar-life-purposes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3351166/video-game-loving-china-monk-defends-hobby-says-gaming-religion-serve-similar-life-purposes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A social media account in China with more than 11 million followers which targets juveniles has been banned for forcing young female live-streamers to stay in a tank with a crocodile. The permanent ban also came after the account was exposed of also having made the women hold their breath under water. The account with the handle @Yebali, which means Night Paris in English, had been in operation on the social media platform for five years before it bowed to pressure to close, Jiupai News... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351667/china-social-media-account-banned-forcing-women-stay-tank-crocodile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351667/china-social-media-account-banned-forcing-women-stay-tank-crocodile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan It is not an exaggeration to say that chilli peppers and spicy food are available on pretty much every street in China. The pungent, heat-infused foodstuff is so ubiquitous people joke that if a person does not indulge, they will starve, or at best lose friends, because eating spicy things fosters social bonding. However, the popular ingredient has only been around in China for a relatively short time. It first entered the country 400 years ago and people have been eating it for about three... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3350999/history-chilli-peppers-china-first-used-ornamental-plants-later-poor-mans-spice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3350999/history-chilli-peppers-china-first-used-ornamental-plants-later-poor-mans-spice?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A long-standing and widely-circulated rumour that the Forbidden City in Beijing uses 600,000 tonnes of pig’s blood each year to dispel evil has been debunked. The liquid is actually used as a form of adhesive which is painted on the famous palace’s signature red walls and pillars, according to a recently published book. The book Sitting under the Roof of the Forbidden City: Answering 50 Questions about the Forbidden City is wrote by Zhou Qian, a researcher at the palace for 20 years who is also... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3350878/rumours-china-forbidden-city-using-600000-tonnes-pig-blood-dispel-evil-debunked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3350878/rumours-china-forbidden-city-using-600000-tonnes-pig-blood-dispel-evil-debunked?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A young girl in southwest China firmly refused to leave the tombs of her grandparents, who had died within six months of each other, and would sometimes sleep there. A touching video that melted millions of hearts on social media shows the girl, whose age was not disclosed in the report, lying in front of a tomb in Liupanshui, Guizhou province, in mid-April, as reported by Dafeng News. In the viral video, she occasionally sat up and casually ate from a box of cake. When her parents urged her to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351254/chinese-girl-insists-remaining-grandparents-tombs-her-nearby-vigil-moves-many?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3351254/chinese-girl-insists-remaining-grandparents-tombs-her-nearby-vigil-moves-many?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:19 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Chinese teenagers dressed in camouflage uniforms express gratitude in front of cameras at a youth correction centre, but the off-camera reality tells a completely different story. According to a Chinese state media report they are beaten or sexually assaulted, leading to calls for better supervision and monitoring of such institutions. Such schools accept teenagers who are rebellious, weary of studying, addicted to playing electronic games, or suffer from depression. The institutions generally... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350826/china-live-streams-expose-minors-undergoing-harsh-training-designed-rebellious-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350826/china-live-streams-expose-minors-undergoing-harsh-training-designed-rebellious-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A nine-year-old boy in rural China who relies on his 73-year-old grandfather and brings him meat from his school canteen because he fears the old man might die without it has touched millions of internet users in the country. The boy, who is nicknamed Zichen, is a primary school pupil who lives in a village in Taikang county, central Henan province. His story has been viewed 46 million times on social media, sparking the local authorities to intervene with help. According to a report by Henan... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350266/plight-parentless-china-boy-cared-grandpa-attracts-46-million-views-prompts-government-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350266/plight-parentless-china-boy-cared-grandpa-attracts-46-million-views-prompts-government-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A secondary teacher has been dubbed “China’s Superdad” for adopting nearly 300 parentless children over the past three decades. Bai Jian, 52, is a physical education (PE) teacher at Anshan No 2 Middle School, Liaoning province, northeastern China. He rents a big property to accommodate 20 to 30 children. Since 1995, at least 276 children have lived on the estate which is called Dream Home by Bai, the news outlet The Paper reported. Among the children have been orphans or others simply discarded... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3350347/china-superdad-uses-salary-loans-build-marathon-dream-home-300-deprived-kids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3350347/china-superdad-uses-salary-loans-build-marathon-dream-home-300-deprived-kids?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Surgeons in southern China have removed an 8cm-long worm from a woman’s brain after she suffered from multiple mystery health problems. The 61-year-old had brain surgery at a hospital in Guangdong province in early April, the Shenzhen Evening News reported. Doctors said the existence of the parasite may have been due to an experience the woman had when she was young. She recalled that when she was a teenager, her mother caught a frog in the wild and inserted the croaker’s leg into her tooth... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350152/quirky-china-doctor-removes-worm-womans-brain-under-fire-gamer-dyes-her-skin-black?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350152/quirky-china-doctor-removes-worm-womans-brain-under-fire-gamer-dyes-her-skin-black?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan China is a land where the unexpected becomes part of daily life, and these quirky excursions often add a touch of excitement to mundane routines. In southern China, during this year’s Tomb Sweeping Festival in early April, a woman surnamed Wu discovered a surprising piece of information while sweeping the tomb of her great-grandfather – a man from another village informed her that her family had been visiting the wrong grave for the past two years. Wu, a resident of Guangdong province, recounted... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350418/china-woman-sweeps-wrong-tomb-boy-does-homework-police-station-courier-feeds-village?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350418/china-woman-sweeps-wrong-tomb-boy-does-homework-police-station-courier-feeds-village?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:01:46 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Several restaurants in eastern China are using artificial intelligence (AI) robots to cook as many as 100 dishes to cut costs, sparking a heated discussion on social media. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, at least three such eateries have been operating for months, Zhejiang TV reported. One of them, 24 Jieqi Robot Restaurant in the Xihu district uses eight robots which handle ordering, serving, cleaning and cooking. They have shared 60 per cent of the total workload of kitchen workers, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350001/china-ai-robot-restaurant-analyses-diners-faces-tongues-recommend-health-focused-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3350001/china-ai-robot-restaurant-analyses-diners-faces-tongues-recommend-health-focused-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Moroccan man studying in eastern China has been hailed as a hero by local residents and received an award for saving a drowning woman from a lake. On the evening of April 6, Ayoub Fadil, 21, a student at Hangzhou Dianzi University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province and several foreign friends were walking around Jinsha Lake when they noticed a woman floating in the water. A lifebuoy thrown by some residents did not help because she was too far away from the bank, Hangzhou Daily reported. Fadil’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3349525/love-and-compassion-china-moroccan-student-saves-drowning-woman-long-ago-pen-pals-reunite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3349525/love-and-compassion-china-moroccan-student-saves-drowning-woman-long-ago-pen-pals-reunite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A woman in central China who took a five-hour-long office nap during working hours and issued a tearful online complaint that her boss threatened to fire her if she did so again has captivated mainland social media. The unidentified woman said she felt badly treated by her boss, adding that she was unhappy with the size of her salary, according to a report by the Haichao News. She works in a company in Shangqiu, Henan province. Neither her employer’s information nor her job description is clear... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3349379/china-woman-unhappy-salary-takes-5-hour-nap-work-show-boss-you-get-what-you-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3349379/china-woman-unhappy-salary-takes-5-hour-nap-work-show-boss-you-get-what-you-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan After a man in China was killed in a road accident last year, his family hired an artificial intelligence (AI) technology team to create a digital version of him to comfort his elderly mother. The AI creation is able to chat with his octogenarian mother online and help her live with the reality of her only child’s death. The incident was exposed by the AI team leader Zhang Zewei, who is based in eastern Jiangsu province, according to the media outlet Litchi News. The family, who live in Shandong... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3349344/china-family-creates-ai-clone-comfort-elderly-mum-after-only-son-dies-car-accident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3349344/china-family-creates-ai-clone-comfort-elderly-mum-after-only-son-dies-car-accident?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Foreign visitors have been flocking to spa centres in China to try a unique cultural experience at an affordable price. Many foreigners have been amazed by the bathhouses in the country because they operate on a 24-hour basis. Not only can people take a bath at hot springs, but they can also enjoy everything from fruit, drinks, ice cream and a buffet, to singing Karaoke, playing with game machines, billiards and mahjong. Some places also provide libraries and mini cinemas, the China News... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3349269/foreigners-flock-china-spas-enjoy-unique-cultural-baths-amid-rise-wellness-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3349269/foreigners-flock-china-spas-enjoy-unique-cultural-baths-amid-rise-wellness-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Taoist priest in China, dressed in a traditional Taoist robe and holding a trifold mobile phone, recently garnered attention on social media, not only for his impressive academic background but also for his life advice resonating with the younger generation. Zhang Gaocheng, 74, serves as the deputy director of the Taoist Association of China, the highest-level semi-government organisation of the religion. He came into the spotlight after attending the Chinese People’s Political Consultative... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3349242/tech-phd-china-taoist-priest-zhang-gaocheng-inspires-new-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3349242/tech-phd-china-taoist-priest-zhang-gaocheng-inspires-new-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An online influencer in China known as Godmother of sexual intelligence, who was banned on social media earlier this year, has reappeared online to sell her controversial courses. Zhou Yuan, who lives in central Hunan province, teaches women to enhance their sexual appeal. She is alleged to have earned 24 million yuan (US$3.5 million) from selling her on and offline courses, Red Star News reported. Zhou’s account, with 200,000 followers, was banned in January for promoting “vulgar... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348820/china-sexual-intelligence-godmum-returns-paper-robots-ancestors-mum-goes-bald-tutoring-son?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348820/china-sexual-intelligence-godmum-returns-paper-robots-ancestors-mum-goes-bald-tutoring-son?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan One of China’s most prestigious universities has apologised and withdrawn a mini-film made to celebrate its 130th anniversary amid accusations of gender bias. On March 31, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) released the film to mark its coming birthday. The institution was founded on April 6, 1896, by Sheng Xuanhuai, an important minister and an entrepreneur in the late Qing dynasty (1636–1912). The video, No 800 of Dongchuan Road, was named after the address of the vast Minhang campus of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3348778/renowned-china-university-apologises-mini-film-depicting-career-man-family-focused-woman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3348778/renowned-china-university-apologises-mini-film-depicting-career-man-family-focused-woman?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A sick woman in China who spat out blood on an underground train then wiped the bloodstain from the floor with her coat has received 400,000 yuan (US$58,000) in donations from internet users moved by her plight. A video of the woman taken by a passenger on a train in Chongqing, southwestern China on March 23 has gone viral on mainland social media, Jiupai News reported. Hu Xinyao, 23, has a rare vascular condition called ANCA-associated vasculitis. She was on her way to a hospital for an... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348658/chinese-woman-spits-blood-train-receives-us58000-donations-after-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348658/chinese-woman-spits-blood-train-receives-us58000-donations-after-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A man in China who followed his parents into the sewage removal business has used nine septic tank trucks to greet his bride on their wedding day. The nuptials, the first of their kind in China, unfolded on March 28 in Suixi county of central Anhui province, the hometown of the groom Pan Haonan. The event trended on social media and a video of the proceedings was viewed 5 million times, receiving nearly 20,000 likes, the news outlet The Cover reported. Pan’s father has been engaged in removing... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348501/chinese-man-uses-septic-tank-trucks-wedding-day-bride-happily-embraces-unique-choice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348501/chinese-man-uses-septic-tank-trucks-wedding-day-bride-happily-embraces-unique-choice?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A woman in China who suspected her husband of infidelity clung to the back of his truck to follow him until being found by the police. A traffic police officer in Bachu county in Xinjiang, northwestern China, stopped a small-sized truck one evening at the end of March after noticing a woman hanging herself outside the trailer of the vehicle without any protective equipment, the Xinjiang Legal Daily reported. The truck driver, surnamed Yu, was surprised to see that the woman, who is his wife, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348623/china-woman-clings-truck-follow-husband-man-threatens-divorce-after-male-doctor-examines-wife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3348623/china-woman-clings-truck-follow-husband-man-threatens-divorce-after-male-doctor-examines-wife?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Miniseries in China starring children have sparked controversy for their content becoming “adultified,” as critics say the trend will harm the psychological health of young actors. One of the controversial dramas depicts a five-year-old girl helping her father with stock investments, resulting in two billion yuan (US$290 million) in profits in a short time, the China Youth Daily reported. “This share’s price will rise to its trading limit in an hour. I would like to invest all my money, plus... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347673/be-careful-or-ill-kill-your-family-china-mini-dramas-featuring-kids-raise-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347673/be-careful-or-ill-kill-your-family-china-mini-dramas-featuring-kids-raise-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan After a gym in central China suddenly closed, leaving its clients unable to receive refunds, one of its fitness coaches completed his 877 classes at his own expense of 200,000 yuan (US$28,000), stating, “Trust is more important than anything else.” The story of the coach, surnamed Zhang, went viral online and garnered half a million likes on social media in China after being reported by Jiupai News in mid-March. The 29-year-old Zhang previously worked at Aishang Gym in Wuhan, Hubei province, as... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347703/china-coach-goes-above-and-beyond-trains-clients-own-cost-us28000-after-gym-shuts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347703/china-coach-goes-above-and-beyond-trains-clients-own-cost-us28000-after-gym-shuts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An online influencer in China with three million followers who projects a filial piety persona has deleted her social media account in the wake of a pricing controversy. The deletion came in the wake of a media report that she sold two bottles of face cream for 69.9 yuan (US$10) when its original price was 3,999 yuan (US$580). As the influencer boasted the cosmetic product was imported from Australia, an investigative report by Lanjing News found that it was actually produced by an OEM factory... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347134/how-china-influencer-achieves-monthly-sales-us14-million-selling-us10-beauty-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347134/how-china-influencer-achieves-monthly-sales-us14-million-selling-us10-beauty-products?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A food factory in China has been exposed for making popular chicken feet snacks using chemicals in unhygienic conditions. The factory soaked the chicken in harmful hydrogen peroxide, sparking public outrage and thrusting the country’s food safety record back under the spotlight. In the annual Consumers’ Right Day Show broadcast by state media CCTV on March 15, the Mingyang Food Company in Chengdu, in southwestern Sichuan province, was revealed to have serious food safety problems. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347051/china-food-scandals-factories-use-smelly-insoles-chemically-bleached-chicken-feet-make-snacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3347051/china-food-scandals-factories-use-smelly-insoles-chemically-bleached-chicken-feet-make-snacks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An American man who donated photographs of the Japanese invasion of China in World War II and received a national gift of porcelain from China has announced that he has settled in the country. On March 15, Evan Kail announced the news on social media, saying that he has chosen to live in Tianjin in the north of the country, according to a report by the Beijing News. Minnesota pawn shop owner Kail, 37, has enjoyed enormous popularity in China after he donated an album containing more than 30... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3347035/us-man-offered-national-gift-settle-china-after-donating-historical-japan-invasion-photos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3347035/us-man-offered-national-gift-settle-china-after-donating-historical-japan-invasion-photos?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A man in China who had a 12cm-long metal chopstick lodged in his throat for eight years recently had surgery to remove the object. The man, surnamed Wang, underwent the surgery at Dalian Municipal Central Hospital in northeastern Liaoning province in early March. His experience has shocked internet users, the Daxiang News reported. Eight years ago, Wang swallowed the chopstick by accident while eating and drinking alcohol. At the time he felt pain but did not have any breathing problems. When... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346988/chinese-man-lives-8-years-chopstick-stuck-throat-resisting-surgery-due-fear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346988/chinese-man-lives-8-years-chopstick-stuck-throat-resisting-surgery-due-fear?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan The authorities in a grass-roots community in eastern China have trended on social media for its “redundant flesh in exchange for beef” weight-loss initiative targeting local residents. Since the Shanbei Community in Liangxi District, Wuxi, Jiangsu province, launched the creative health campaign on social media on March 9, more than 2,400 people applied to take part within three days, according to the news website The Paper. Internet users have shown immense interest in the move, with many... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346847/fat-beef-china-local-drive-rewards-residents-05kg-meat-same-amount-weight-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346847/fat-beef-china-local-drive-rewards-residents-05kg-meat-same-amount-weight-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Chinese man has used public maritime radio to create a “family’s voice station” on which sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz can relay safety messages to their families. Liu Yiwen, a native of Jilin province in northeastern China, is a second officer on a Singaporean commercial ship which is now anchored near the Khor Fakkan harbour administered by the United Arab Emirates, China’s state media CCTV reported. The ship had planned to head to the Persian Gulf to load liquid petroleum gas... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346873/china-sailor-creates-radio-station-connect-families-seamen-stranded-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346873/china-sailor-creates-radio-station-connect-families-seamen-stranded-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Taiwanese singer has sparked controversy for performing a “vacuum belly” workout routine at a concert in northwestern China. Videos of Ella Chen Jiahua showing her contracted belly, with her ribs prominently protruding, at her concert in Xian, Shaanxi province on March 7 have gone viral on social media, China Youth Daily reported. Chen, 44, tells her audiences: “I would like to perform a stunt for you. Please look at me carefully. Cameramen, please zoom in on me.” She begins the movement while... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346329/taiwan-singer-ignites-debate-showing-popular-vacuum-belly-technique-lose-weight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346329/taiwan-singer-ignites-debate-showing-popular-vacuum-belly-technique-lose-weight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An Iraqi journalist, who is also an online celebrity in China and was once praised by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, has become engaged to a woman from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Ameen Muneer Mohammed Al-Obaidi, who is better known by his Chinese name, Fang Haoming, boasts about 5 million followers on social media. He works as a China correspondent for the Dubai-based China-Arab TV. Fang, 26, joined other foreign journalists to perform the popular Subject Three street dance at a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346237/iraqi-reporter-raised-china-famous-viral-dance-gets-engaged-xinjiang-woman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346237/iraqi-reporter-raised-china-famous-viral-dance-gets-engaged-xinjiang-woman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A boxing coach from Iran who worked in China for two years has quit his job and returned to his homeland to be with his family amid US-Israeli air strikes on the country. The trainer’s touching story was revealed by his boss on social media and attracted about one million likes, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported. The 33-year-old Iranian, identified only as Saeed, has worked at a boxing gym in Xiangxi prefecture in Hunan, central China, since 2024. The gym’s owner Huang Zhaoxin met Saeed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346199/iranian-boxing-coach-leaves-secure-china-job-returns-home-be-family-despite-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346199/iranian-boxing-coach-leaves-secure-china-job-returns-home-be-family-despite-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Chinese tourist touched many people online by telling how a young Japanese girl not only helped her find a bus she needed but also initially gave her 1,000 yen (US$6). The woman traveller, from eastern China’s Zhejiang province, posted her story on March 6, using the alias Yuyu, the news outlet 163.com reported. She was travelling to Okinawa at the beginning of March, and as she did not know much about the transport system in the region, she was checking schedules at a bus station. A young... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346191/thank-you-coming-okinawa-japan-girl-offers-money-china-tourist-pay-bus-fare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346191/thank-you-coming-okinawa-japan-girl-offers-money-china-tourist-pay-bus-fare?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A 63-year-old woman from northeastern China, who lost her only child last year and sought another offspring for spiritual support, recently gave birth to a baby girl. The woman delivered the baby on March 4 via caesarean section at a hospital in Songyuan, Jilin province, about two weeks ahead of her due date, as reported by the Sanxiang Metropolis News. Both the mother and her baby, who weighs 2.8kg, are in good health, the report stated. The grey-haired mother, whose name was not disclosed in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346058/china-woman-63-gives-birth-baby-girl-after-conceiving-ivf-following-loss-only-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346058/china-woman-63-gives-birth-baby-girl-after-conceiving-ivf-following-loss-only-child?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A group of triplet brothers in central China has trended on social media for holding a joint wedding event on the same day. The collective nuptials were held in Shangqiu, Henan province, at the beginning of March, Jimu News reported. The three men were born after the year 2000. Their exact age is not clear. One of them, who is ranked second on account of the time of his birth, said he and his brothers have never spent time apart since childhood. “We did everything together. We wore the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345529/inseparable-china-triplet-brothers-hold-weddings-same-day-grow-sharing-everything?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345529/inseparable-china-triplet-brothers-hold-weddings-same-day-grow-sharing-everything?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Over two decades in a little-known, freezing city in northern China, a Swedish man has built a career and witnessed the booming development of the country’s carmaking industry. Gustav Holmgren, 44, whose Chinese name is Ge Siwen, is the legal representative and site manager of ATM (Hulun Buir) Proving Ground Service, which provides cold-weather vehicle testing for carmakers. He is, perhaps, the only foreigner in the city. His company is located in Yakeshi, a small city with a population of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3345570/swedish-man-owns-vehicle-testing-centre-chinas-inner-mongolia-likely-only-foreigner-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3345570/swedish-man-owns-vehicle-testing-centre-chinas-inner-mongolia-likely-only-foreigner-there?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A 14-year-old boy in eastern China has trended on social media after he helped out his under-pressure parents by skillfully cooking in their small noodle restaurant. Liu Yuze, a Grade Two student at a middle school in Taihe county of Anhui province, has been helping his parents in the restaurant since childhood, the Dawan News reported. Videos of the boy cooking like a professional chef and grasping skills like wok spinning have attracted more than 2.5 million likes online. “Cooking is my... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345380/china-boy-14-skilled-wok-spinning-praised-cooking-parents-eatery-help-ease-burden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345380/china-boy-14-skilled-wok-spinning-praised-cooking-parents-eatery-help-ease-burden?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Chinese film director Zhang Yimou may be a household name who is celebrated as the country’s “national master” but his wife Chen Ting is little known and dedicates herself to their family. The woman behind China’s No 1 director recently attracted attention for appearing at the Beijing premiere of Zhang’s latest movie Scare Out in mid-February. Pictures of Chen, 44, dressed casually, went viral on mainland social media as internet users were impressed by her slim physique and relatively young... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3345338/wife-china-director-zhang-yimou-who-31-years-his-junior-remains-largely-unknown-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3345338/wife-china-director-zhang-yimou-who-31-years-his-junior-remains-largely-unknown-public?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 01:22:05 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A Chinese man who got lost at a railway station at the age of four and was adopted by a Canadian couple who abandoned him has been reunited with his biological father. Zhang Yunpeng, 28, hugged his father Zhang Jiucheng and both of them burst into tears at the reunion event in Huinan county, Jilin province, northeastern China, on March 2. “After more than 20 years, I saw you finally,” Zhang senior said, Jimu News reported. The son replied with his rusty Chinese: “Dad, I love you.” Zhang junior... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345265/chinese-man-adopted-canadian-family-reunites-birth-father-after-being-abandoned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345265/chinese-man-adopted-canadian-family-reunites-birth-father-after-being-abandoned?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An internet user in China has exposed on social media that he found 62 pet carcasses on a 300-kilometre stretch of expressway after their owners tied them to the outside vehicles during the Chinese New Year travel rush. In his viral video released on February 25, the blogger Wu Jiayou said he encountered the carcasses on the road while he was driving from Leshan in Sichuan province to Chongqing, southwestern China, according to a report by the Yangcheng Evening News. About eight of the animals... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345296/dozens-pet-corpses-found-china-highway-likely-caused-unsafe-transport-owners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345296/dozens-pet-corpses-found-china-highway-likely-caused-unsafe-transport-owners?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An increasing number of young people in China have, in recent years, begun to reject the previous generation’s tendency to flaunt wealth and success. Instead, they are embracing a new trend known as “reverse comparison” concerning income and struggles. Rather than pursuing branded or high-end products, Generation Z, who were born around the year 2000, are opting for affordable items and competing with their peers over who can achieve the highest cost-effectiveness with their purchases. Two years... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345223/china-youth-share-struggles-instead-flaunting-wealth-embrace-comparing-misery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345223/china-youth-share-struggles-instead-flaunting-wealth-embrace-comparing-misery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan While many people in today’s China watch the state media CCTV’s gala show on Chinese New Year’s Eve, about 1,000 years ago children took part in a special and playful routine to celebrate a custom called “selling ignorance”. Known in Chinese as mai meng dong or mai chi dai, the practice began during the North Song dynasty (960-1127), a period of advancing culture and economy. It involved groups of mischievous children running through streets after eating the New Year Eve dinner and shouting... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3344437/why-china-ancient-custom-requires-children-sell-ignorance-lunar-new-years-eve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3344437/why-china-ancient-custom-requires-children-sell-ignorance-lunar-new-years-eve?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A chubby seven-year-old boy in China who agreed to skip rope exactly in line with the number of thumbs-up a video of him doing so got has seen his video clip liked by more than 1.8 million internet users. The clip released by the father, surnamed He, on February 9 was flooded with likes, amused that the boy agreed to his father’s novel weight-loss idea, the Qilu Evening News reported. The boy, nicknamed Tangdou, which means sugar bean, is being raised by his grandparents in his hometown in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343280/china-boy-skips-rope-many-times-he-receives-likes-lose-weight-gets-18-million-thumbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343280/china-boy-skips-rope-many-times-he-receives-likes-lose-weight-gets-18-million-thumbs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Two China-based foreign influencers who hired a taxi driver to take them on a 4,000-kilometre trip from the south to the north of the country gave their cabby what he has described as an “incredible” experience. One, an Israeli internet celebrity called Raz Gal-Or is famous in China where he has 9.5 million followers and where he is known as Gao Yousi; the other is a French key opinion leader (KOL) whose Chinese name is Xiao Weihong. On January 28, they began sharing a four-episode series of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3343354/incredible-china-cabby-drives-foreign-influencers-4000-km-trip-sees-snow-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3343354/incredible-china-cabby-drives-foreign-influencers-4000-km-trip-sees-snow-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A video clip of a woman in her 70s using ritual hell money or toy cards to “buy” snacks at a food street in eastern China without any trouble has touched mainland Chinese internet users. The story unfolded on a food street in Zaozhuang, Shandong province where a poorly dressed grandma often uses her special currency to buy roasted chicken drumsticks, cakes and steamed stuffed buns, the local media outlet Qilu Evening News reported. On February 9, a barbecue booth owner released a video showing... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343168/china-grandma-spends-hell-money-without-complaints-vendors-due-kind-personality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343168/china-grandma-spends-hell-money-without-complaints-vendors-due-kind-personality?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Taiwan singer Kenji Wu has received official praise for his grass roots charitable activities in mainland China. Wu, better known as Wu Kequn in China, shot to fame more than two decades ago for his romantic songs. He has a large fan base across the country. In the past two years, he returned to the spotlight for viral short videos showing him travelling to more than 100 mainland cities and recording the stories of ordinary people, state media CCTV reported. Wu released a video on February 4... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3343050/taiwan-singer-visits-200-china-cities-help-farmers-sell-produce-eateries-supermarkets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3343050/taiwan-singer-visits-200-china-cities-help-farmers-sell-produce-eateries-supermarkets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:08 +0000