https://www.scmp.com/rss/326905/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Fran Lu Fran Lu A seven-year-old boy has become China’s youngest professional rally car driver after being certified at the age of five. Shao Ziyan, from Wenzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, has amazed mainland social media with his professionalism and passion for the sport despite his young age. According to his father, the boy became obsessed with car racing when he was a toddler. He began using a racing simulator at home when he was one. Noticing that his son had a “particularly great sense” for... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3347811/boy-7-youngest-professional-rally-car-driver-china-starting-race-journey-age-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3347811/boy-7-youngest-professional-rally-car-driver-china-starting-race-journey-age-1?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:00:08 +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 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A 12-year-old girl from central China showed her business acumen by using her savings to buy a stationery shop and hiring her mother for 3,000 yuan (US$440) a month. Li Yue, who lived in Jiangxi province and received over 44,000 yuan (US$6,400) in lai see during the Spring Festival, decided to invest the money in a business. She believed that depositing the money in the bank would offer an interest rate too low to keep up with inflation. While on her way to the bank, Li spotted a stationery... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346377/china-girl-12-uses-lai-see-money-buy-shop-paying-mum-us440-salary-run-it-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346377/china-girl-12-uses-lai-see-money-buy-shop-paying-mum-us440-salary-run-it-her?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A young girl from central China earned widespread praise online after fearlessly confronting riding instructors over why they assigned her friends vicious horses. Nine-year-old Langlang from Huangshi in Hubei province has been travelling the world with her parents since she was a baby. While travelling in Egypt with her parents on March 4, she was taking a riding lesson with two friends at a local equestrian club. Although the pair were beginners, the coaches assigned them two ill-tempered... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346097/china-girl-goes-viral-after-confronting-riding-instructors-assigning-vicious-horses-friends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346097/china-girl-goes-viral-after-confronting-riding-instructors-assigning-vicious-horses-friends?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A little girl from central China has touched millions of hearts online with a handwritten farewell message and money for her parents as they left for work. Xinyu, a 10-year-old from Shangqiu, Henan province, is raised by her grandmother with her younger brother while her parents work in Suzhou, eastern China. According to mainland reports, her parents only return home once a year during the Spring Festival, which this year ran from February 15 to 23, the longest holiday in recent years. Before... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345388/china-girl-writes-farewell-note-offers-us120-pamper-parents-highlights-left-behind-kids-lives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345388/china-girl-writes-farewell-note-offers-us120-pamper-parents-highlights-left-behind-kids-lives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:00:11 +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 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese father who, after divorcing, confiscated more than 80,000 yuan (US$11,500) of his son’s Chinese New Year “red envelope” money to cover the expense of a new marriage ceremony, has lost a lawsuit that demanded he return the full amount. The boy, 10, who is known as Xiaohui, comes from Zhengzhou in Henan province, northern China, and has been living with his father since his parents divorced two years ago. Over the years, Xiaohui had accumulated more than 80,000 yuan in Chinese New Year... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3344450/china-boy-sues-dad-taking-his-us11500-red-packet-money-cover-remarriage-expenses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3344450/china-boy-sues-dad-taking-his-us11500-red-packet-money-cover-remarriage-expenses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 01:00:08 +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 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Lunar New Year wasn’t always on LuLu Grant’s radar. Adopted at two from Fuzhou, China and raised in the US state of Washington, Grant decided to cut her birth country out of her life at a young age. Decades later, she would celebrate Spring Festival alongside her birth family with a complex array of feelings about her two worlds. “People think that finding your birth family is so joyous, and part of it is, but it’s also very sad and very difficult,” she said, adding that “it’s not how I wish it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344038/born-china-raised-us-adoptees-explore-meaning-identity-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344038/born-china-raised-us-adoptees-explore-meaning-identity-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:03:35 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A 10-year-old girl from northern China began buying gold with her Lunar New Year lucky money three years ago, fearing her parents would spend it. She has since been hailed as a “genius” due to the skyrocketing prices of gold. The girl, hailing from Langfang in Hebei province, has been using the red packets – known as lai see in Cantonese or hong bao in Mandarin – that she receives during Lunar New Year to buy gold for three consecutive years. It is traditional in China for adults to gift... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343388/china-genius-girl-10-began-buying-gold-3-years-ago-avoid-parents-spending-her-lucky-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3343388/china-genius-girl-10-began-buying-gold-3-years-ago-avoid-parents-spending-her-lucky-money?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:01:10 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s marriage registrations edged up in 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for the birth outlook this year, but analysts caution that deeper demographic headwinds remain entrenched and difficult to reverse without broader policy support. China recorded 6.76 million marriage registrations nationwide in 2025, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, marking a 10.8 per cent increase from a year earlier, or 657,000 more couples. The number of marriage registrations is closely watched in China,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343330/chinas-marriage-rebound-will-more-2025-knots-bring-more-baby-bumps-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343330/chinas-marriage-rebound-will-more-2025-knots-bring-more-baby-bumps-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A secondary school pupil in southern China has trended on social media for carrying a large amount of luggage neatly packed on his back. The youngster’s bag-carrying exploits have received praise from internet users who have lauded his independence. A photograph of the back of the teenage boy, who was pushing a suitcase and carrying various belongings on his back while waiting for a train at an underground station in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, went viral on mainland social media, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3342200/small-built-china-pupil-praised-carrying-large-bulk-luggage-his-way-home-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3342200/small-built-china-pupil-praised-carrying-large-bulk-luggage-his-way-home-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:00:18 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A seven-year-old girl in northeastern China who single-handedly took care of her sick father in hospital has melted the hearts of millions of internet users. San Mengru attracted considerable attention online after a man, surnamed Pei, who was caring for his own father in the bed next to the girl’s father, released a video about her on January 18, the local news outlet Kanqi News reported. The girl’s father, who is in his 40s, was admitted to the Qiqihaer No 1 People’s Hospital in Heilongjiang... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340665/china-girl-7-cares-dad-alone-he-fights-heart-disease-inspires-online-donations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340665/china-girl-7-cares-dad-alone-he-fights-heart-disease-inspires-online-donations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan More than 300,000 internet users have donated about 20 million yuan (US$2.3 million) to a struggling Beijing-based charity hospital which treats children with cleft lips. The Beijing Smile Angel Children’s Hospital, in the Chinese capital’s Chaoyang District, is a comprehensive paediatric centre. It focuses on providing treatment for children born with a cleft lip or palate. Since it opened in May 2012, it has carried out 16,000 free operations on children with these congenital defects. Many of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340524/china-public-donate-us23-million-within-days-hospital-cleft-lip-kids-after-urgent-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340524/china-public-donate-us23-million-within-days-hospital-cleft-lip-kids-after-urgent-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A miniseries production team in China has come under fire for allowing a baby to be exposed to heavy rain during filming. On January 17, Chinese actress Xing Yun criticised the crew she worked with last year for mistreating the infant. In a video clip, Xing’s character, a businesswoman, sees a mother and her baby caught in the rain and offers them both an umbrella and money. Xing recalled that the night was particularly cold and torrential rain was created by a water truck. The baby, carried by... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340533/china-miniseries-production-team-slammed-exposing-infant-heavy-rain-during-filming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340533/china-miniseries-production-team-slammed-exposing-infant-heavy-rain-during-filming?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese primary school boy saved his pocket money for half a year, accumulating one yuan at a time (14 US cents), to buy his mother a pair of shoes as a birthday gift, touching both the shop owner and millions of netizens. The 11-year-old boy from Hebei province in northern China entered a shoe shop with a stack of one-yuan notes in his hands, asking to purchase a pair of shoes for his mother. He indicated that it was a birthday gift for her to use during her daily commute, as he had noticed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3341145/chinese-boy-saves-us28-6-months-buy-mum-birthday-gift-touches-shop-owner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3341145/chinese-boy-saves-us28-6-months-buy-mum-birthday-gift-touches-shop-owner?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Shanghai mother who forced her daughter to walk on her knees on a cold night has been accused of abusive parenting. The unidentified woman meted out the punishment in their residential compound at 9pm on January 6. Passers-by who tried to intervene were berated by the mother. A witness, surnamed Xu, said the girl stood up when she reached the compound’s entrance gate. Xu said the mother complained that her family was heavily in debt after buying a flat to provide a better education for her... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339995/china-mum-makes-daughter-crawl-knees-during-cold-night-berates-passers-when-intervened?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339995/china-mum-makes-daughter-crawl-knees-during-cold-night-berates-passers-when-intervened?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An 11-year-old girl in China who often sends text messages to her dead grandfather has moved millions of internet users in the country. According to a report by media outlet The Cover, the girl’s mother known as Han, who lives in the southwestern Sichuan province, discovered the messages on her daughter’s phone-watch. The little girl has a careless personality and seldom talks about the grandfather’s death. As a result, Han was surprised and touched when she found the messages. She later shared... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339155/china-girl-writes-love-messages-late-grandpa-leads-calls-better-grief-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339155/china-girl-writes-love-messages-late-grandpa-leads-calls-better-grief-education?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A secondary school pupil in China who provides volunteer traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) consultations for his classmates has gone viral online and won admiration from internet users. Zhao Tianyu, a grade three pupil at Kailu No 1 Middle School in Tongliao in the northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region. He attracted attention thanks to a video clip released on December 29 by his teacher, surnamed Liu, which amassed 120,000 likes on a leading social media platform alone, the China Youth... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3338264/self-taught-china-pupil-impresses-peers-tcm-pulse-diagnosis-garners-praise-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3338264/self-taught-china-pupil-impresses-peers-tcm-pulse-diagnosis-garners-praise-online?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 06:00:11 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu An adorable scene of a Chinese police officer mediating a quarrel among seven primary school children captured hearts on social media. The group visited a police station in eastern China’s Zhejiang province on the evening of December 19. They sought assistance from the police after disputing a minor issue while playing nearby. The specifics of their argument were not disclosed in the report. Upon entering the station, one child referred to the officer as “Uncle Police” and requested: “Can you... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3338106/china-police-officer-praised-mediating-dispute-among-7-kids-if-it-were-serious-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3338106/china-police-officer-praised-mediating-dispute-among-7-kids-if-it-were-serious-case?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang In a bizarre example of ancient superstition, Chinese parents dress their children in “dog-head hats” and give them strange names, like pig or worm. They did so in the belief that a cheap name could protect the child and ensure a long, safe life. The “dog-head hat,” which first appeared during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), is so-called because it features fur-lined ear flaps resembling those of a canine. Typically made from brightly coloured silk or woollen fabric, the hats are often adorned... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3337605/why-china-children-wear-canine-head-hats-and-have-humble-names-dogs-or-pigs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3337605/why-china-children-wear-canine-head-hats-and-have-humble-names-dogs-or-pigs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Online artificial intelligence-generated videos of distraught middle-aged single women regretting not getting married and having children are being used to push young people to tie the knot. Several videos made using artificial intelligence (AI) depicting crying single women at hospitals have circulated on a short video platform. In one, a 58-year-old woman regrets not getting married and having children when she was young and complains that she has to go to hospitals alone. In another, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337091/china-parents-buy-ai-clips-regretful-single-women-urge-childless-kids-marry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337091/china-parents-buy-ai-clips-regretful-single-women-urge-childless-kids-marry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A teacher in eastern China has turned her tardy students into an online sensation after transforming their punishment into a viral dance performance. When several 15-year-old boys from Dezhou, Shandong province arrived late for class, their teacher, surnamed Feng, came up with a creative and lighthearted idea. Instead of a typical reprimand, she made the boys stand on a podium and shake their bodies to the 2009 hit Mistake. For many young listeners, the catchy melody and sincere yet somewhat... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337068/china-teacher-turns-tardy-boys-wrongdoers-boy-band-dance-video-garners-million-likes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337068/china-teacher-turns-tardy-boys-wrongdoers-boy-band-dance-video-garners-million-likes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 01:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A group of suspense-novel-loving Chinese school pupils smeared chalk dust on the combination lock of a safe in their classroom to unlock it and retrieve their mobile phones. Despite being disciplined by the school, many netizens were left amused and praised their creativity. A disciplinary notice issued by the secondary school in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, southern China, on December 10, has gone viral online. It said that on November 14, a pupil surnamed Tian from Class 13, Grade 10, had... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337043/china-pupils-inspired-suspense-novels-use-chalk-dust-crack-code-classroom-phone-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3337043/china-pupils-inspired-suspense-novels-use-chalk-dust-crack-code-classroom-phone-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:00:07 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A primary teacher in China has been suspended from her job for cursing at “naughty” pupils and saying that she hoped they would all get the flu. The outburst appeared in a chat group and has gone viral online. The teacher, surnamed Li, is a music tutor at Gaoxin District Experimental School in Tongchuan, Shaanxi province, northwestern China, Jiupai News reported. Her comments in a matchmaking chat group with 100 members caused outrage. “The students are so naughty and so noisy. I feel sorry for... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3336889/china-teacher-suspended-cursing-noisy-pupils-hoping-they-would-catch-flu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3336889/china-teacher-suspended-cursing-noisy-pupils-hoping-they-would-catch-flu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 01:00:08 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A nine-year-old boy from northwestern China who bravely confronted bullies during a class meeting has received praise online and apologies from his tormentors. According to the mainland media outlet, Shanshi News, the boy, Mao Shilin, is from Xian in Shaanxi province and is a primary school class monitor. His mother, surnamed Zhang, described him as a brave, upright and responsible leader despite his shy nature. Recently, during a cruel prank, someone wrote “2B”, meaning “fool”, on the back of... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335724/china-boy-addresses-bullies-class-meeting-earns-admiration-apologies-tormentors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335724/china-boy-addresses-bullies-class-meeting-earns-admiration-apologies-tormentors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A teacher in China who wanted to shield her pupils from the harsh truth about the death of a classmate told them the boy had transferred schools. Unaware of the tragedy, the children wrote farewell letters filled with love and care, touching many people online. The touching story unfolded in a primary school class in Huainan, in China’s central Anhui province, Jimu News reported. On December 11, a teacher said on social media that one of her pupils had died from an illness. His age was not... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3336592/china-teacher-hides-pupils-death-class-asks-group-write-farewell-letters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3336592/china-teacher-hides-pupils-death-class-asks-group-write-farewell-letters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 01:00:12 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun From cash handouts to reimbursed procedures, local governments across China are throwing money at in vitro fertilisation and related fertility treatments in a bid to coax couples into having children. But some experts warn that the hi-tech push ignores the low-tech reality: raising a family is simply too expensive, and fertility subsidies cannot reverse China’s demographic decline. Jingmen, a city in central Hubei province, is the latest to join the fray, announcing subsidies of up to 10,000... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336505/chinas-fertility-push-ivf-grants-grow-high-costs-still-deter-couples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336505/chinas-fertility-push-ivf-grants-grow-high-costs-still-deter-couples?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:30:16 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An eight-year-old boy in eastern China has ignited a heated online discussion after he chopped his mother’s gold necklace into small pieces and gave them to classmates as gifts. The boy’s unusual act, which was only discovered after the month it was carried out, left his mother angry and amused while his father beat him as a punishment because they could not retrieve the gold, the Dianshi News reported. The family live in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, eastern China. “Maybe you think it is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3334918/china-boy-cuts-mums-gold-necklace-small-pieces-gift-classmates-friendship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3334918/china-boy-cuts-mums-gold-necklace-small-pieces-gift-classmates-friendship?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:11 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A three-year-old toddler in eastern China has captivated the nation with her striking Caucasian features, despite her parents being Chinese. The story has garnered 120 million views on mainland social media. Living in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, her parents were initially puzzled by their daughter’s unusual appearance. They even wondered if the hospital had mistakenly given them the wrong baby when she was born in May 2022. However, multiple DNA tests confirmed that the girl, nicknamed Guojiang... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3335325/daughter-chinese-parents-born-blonde-hair-blue-eyes-due-russian-great-grandfather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3335325/daughter-chinese-parents-born-blonde-hair-blue-eyes-due-russian-great-grandfather?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 08:00:10 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A woman from northeastern China, who faced online harassment for wearing a clothing tag while hiking, later clarified that it contained information about a missing child as part of a brand’s charitable initiative. Deng, hailing from Jilin province, recently posted a hiking video in which the tag on her backpack was visible, quickly inciting criticism across mainland social media. One user commented: “She’s probably one of those who buys something, wears it once, and then returns it for a refund.... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335415/china-hiker-wears-clothing-tag-help-find-missing-children-expand-search-raise-awareness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335415/china-hiker-wears-clothing-tag-help-find-missing-children-expand-search-raise-awareness?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 06:00:36 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A 14-year-old Chinese boy who turned his bedroom into a small history museum and spoke like an ancient scholar has attracted an army of followers online. The secondary school student from central China’s Henan province, Xie Zhaoyutong, loves ancient Chinese history and literature and has filled his bedroom with his antique collections. A recent video of Xie passionately introducing his collections went viral online. It attracted 837,000 likes and 40,000 comments. Xie collects pottery, china,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3334068/china-boy-14-acts-ancient-scholar-turns-bedroom-museum-historic-artefacts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3334068/china-boy-14-acts-ancient-scholar-turns-bedroom-museum-historic-artefacts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan An emotional message scribbled on a paper trash bag left on a high-speed train by a mother, expressing her frustration over her teenage child’s addiction to electronic devices, has sparked widespread discussion about parenting on mainland social media. The message resonated with a young passenger days later. This “message in a bottle” was written by a passenger from Ningbo, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, on October 29. The trash bag, containing the handwritten note, went unnoticed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3333160/china-mums-paper-bag-message-help-childs-phone-addiction-prompts-flood-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3333160/china-mums-paper-bag-message-help-childs-phone-addiction-prompts-flood-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 01:00:11 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese teenager who bravely battled a rare disease, even sketching trains to symbolise his university journey for self-encouragement during chemotherapy, died shortly after receiving his admission letter. The student, 18-year-old Zhan from Anqing in eastern China’s Anhui province, succumbed to his illness on November 10 after developing complications following a stem cell transplant. His father shared that during this year’s college entrance examination, or gaokao, Zhan suffered from a fever.... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3333136/sick-china-teen-draws-train-symbolise-university-trip-after-getting-acceptance-letter-dies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3333136/sick-china-teen-draws-train-symbolise-university-trip-after-getting-acceptance-letter-dies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 01:00:18 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A young girl in northwestern China who was filmed scavenging for food wearing slippers without socks in the cold weather has attracted attention on social media and placed the plight of her family under the spotlight. The heart-wrenching video was taken by a woman blogger who met with the girl on a suburban street in the Weiyang District of Xian, Shaanxi province. The clip was released on social media on November 11. It shows the girl, nicknamed Yueyue, dressed in a shabby down jacket and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332603/china-girl-gains-nationwide-sympathy-after-scavenging-food-cold-wearing-slippers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332603/china-girl-gains-nationwide-sympathy-after-scavenging-food-cold-wearing-slippers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 01:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A young boy in eastern China, whose digestive system was nearly entirely removed due to a medical blunder, is now surviving on intravenous (IV) nutrition, attracting significant attention and sympathy from mainland social media. The boy was admitted to Chengwu County People’s Hospital in Shandong province on October 26, 2023, at the age of 10 after experiencing severe pain when a classmate accidentally bumped into his stomach on the school playground. During a routine examination, doctors... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332145/chinese-boy-12-loses-digestive-system-due-surgical-error-meant-remove-tumour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332145/chinese-boy-12-loses-digestive-system-due-surgical-error-meant-remove-tumour?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 10:00:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang In the central Chinese province of Hubei, one small city is going the extra mile to reverse falling birth rates. Grass-roots volunteers in Tianmen are playing matchmaker for its young singles, combing through the details of all unmarried people in the area, putting the information on community posters and offering their services, according to Guangzhou-based Southern Weekend. Video footage posted on social media showed a swearing-in ceremony for the matchmakers in one village. It is one of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332036/state-matchmaking-and-pr-blitz-way-boost-chinas-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332036/state-matchmaking-and-pr-blitz-way-boost-chinas-birth-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang An 11-year-old boy who accidentally swallowed a 10-gram gold bean worth 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) by mistake was told by his mother not to relieve himself outside because it would be “too expensive”. The story has amused many people on mainland social media, where it quickly went viral. The incident unfolded in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, southeastern China, after a woman surnamed Ji bought the 10-gram gold bean on October 17. With gold prices surging more than 50 per cent this year to more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330754/china-boy-swallows-gold-bean-during-tongue-exercise-goes-hospital-relieve-himself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3330754/china-boy-swallows-gold-bean-during-tongue-exercise-goes-hospital-relieve-himself?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 01:00:11 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A major Chinese second-hand platform has sparked online controversy after allegedly requiring a mother to submit an uninterrupted five-minute video of herself slapping her child as a condition for processing a refund. The case drew public attention when Li Yun, the mother of an unidentified 11-year-old girl, tried to get a refund after discovering that her daughter had secretly spent over 500 yuan (US$70) on trading cards on the Qiandao app. Qiandao is widely regarded as China’s leading platform... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329779/china-toy-platform-refund-policy-requires-parents-scold-slap-child-unapproved-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329779/china-toy-platform-refund-policy-requires-parents-scold-slap-child-unapproved-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:00:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese boy was spotted running on all fours naked and behaving like a dog, while his parents dismissed government inquiries, claiming it was a form of “natural parenting.” On October 15, a video was posted online showing a naked boy running on all fours in a highway service area in southwestern China’s Sichuan province. Social media users were shocked to see the boy acting like a dog, picking up food from the ground with his mouth and sniffing it before eating. His parents were nearby,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329751/natural-parenting-naked-china-boy-running-all-fours-raises-concerns-over-child-welfare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3329751/natural-parenting-naked-china-boy-running-all-fours-raises-concerns-over-child-welfare?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:00:12 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A six-year-old girl’s tearful farewell to her broken AI robot moved millions in China when the tiny machine gently taught her one last word – “memory,” moments before shutting down. The girl, nicknamed Thirteen, lives in Hunan province, central China, with her father while her parents are separated. Her father, who enjoys buying her educational toys, gifted her a mini AI robot that she affectionately named “Sister Xiao Zhi.” The palm-sized, ball-shaped robot, sold for around 169 yuan (US$24),... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328737/tearful-chinese-girl-bids-farewell-broken-ai-robot-after-it-teaches-word-memory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328737/tearful-chinese-girl-bids-farewell-broken-ai-robot-after-it-teaches-word-memory?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo How much do financial incentives and other means of support influence the decision to have children, or how many to have? In China, the connection appears weak. Despite being the country’s top contributor of newborns, the southern economic powerhouse of Guangdong offers one of the poorest environments for childbirth, Chinese researchers said in a recent study. The most populous province and a rare bright spot amid a national fertility downturn, Guangdong placed second to last in a composite... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328545/researchers-find-mismatch-between-chinas-fertility-incentives-local-birth-rates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328545/researchers-find-mismatch-between-chinas-fertility-incentives-local-birth-rates?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 05:00:08 +0000 Charmaine Chan Charmaine Chan Catering to the young is anything but child’s play these days, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Take Lezhi Camp, a 2,560 square metre playground in the hills of Kunming, Yunnan province, where visitors are encouraged to commune with nature both outdoors and in. At the heart of this ambitious educational and recreational facility is a siheyuan, or courtyard house, given a spirited 21st century twist by Joey Ho Tzung Hsien, of Pal Design Group. Designed for little humans and grown-ups... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3327359/playful-reimagining-traditional-chinese-siheyuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3327359/playful-reimagining-traditional-chinese-siheyuan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A three-year-old boy in southern China has stunned internet users by calmly displaying his remarkable calligraphy skills. Videos of the toddler, nicknamed Langlang from Guangdong province, holding an ink brush to write on red scroll paper, have gone viral on mainland social media, the Yangcheng Evening News reported. His brush-holding posture is not up to standard; he clutches it like he holds a milk bottle, but that does not affect his performance. Many have described Langlang’s writing... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326147/china-boy-goes-viral-calligraphy-skills-effortlessly-writing-characters-fluidity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326147/china-boy-goes-viral-calligraphy-skills-effortlessly-writing-characters-fluidity?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A two-year-old toddler from southeastern China survived for days on snacks after his 28-year-old mother died in their rental flat, sparking a national discussion and widespread sympathy online. The tragedy unfolded on August 17 when police were alerted by a friend who, unable to reach the mother, Zheng Yu, for several days, went to check on her at her home in Cangnan county, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. Zheng was discovered dead inside her cluttered home, leaving her young son, nicknamed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325736/chinese-mum-28-dies-home-leaving-toddler-son-2-survive-days-junk-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325736/chinese-mum-28-dies-home-leaving-toddler-son-2-survive-days-junk-food?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang An 11-year-old boy in China had to be rushed to hospital for treatment to damage he suffered after spending an entire day frantically completing his summer homework. The boy experienced rapid breathing, numb limbs and “claw-like” fingers and was diagnosed with a respiratory condition. On August 26, the 11-year-old boy, identified as Liangliang from Changsha in Hunan province, southern China, experienced severe symptoms after catching up on homework from 8am to 10pm with no breaks. By 11pm,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3324342/chinese-boy-suffers-claw-hands-numbness-after-rushing-finish-summer-schoolwork-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3324342/chinese-boy-suffers-claw-hands-numbness-after-rushing-finish-summer-schoolwork-day?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 01:00:08 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A young Chinese father has moved countless people online after he donated part of his liver to save his baby daughter. The father, surnamed Shen, then doubled down on his loving and selfless act by staying at home in his rented flat and changing his own bandages post-surgery to cut costs. Shen and his wife, surnamed Tao, who were both born after 2000, married in 2024 in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, in southeastern China. They soon welcomed a daughter, Yiyi, who developed persistent jaundice after... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3324022/china-dad-donates-part-liver-save-baby-daughter-endures-recovery-home-save-money?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3324022/china-dad-donates-part-liver-save-baby-daughter-endures-recovery-home-save-money?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324324/doubts-persist-over-chinas-new-child-subsidy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324324/doubts-persist-over-chinas-new-child-subsidy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 08:17:33 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu An 11-year-old Chinese boy who earned 4,000 yuan (US$550) a month selling milk tea at the night market during the summer holidays has been praised for his “business sense”. Nicknamed Nuomi, the boy is a Primary Five student in central China’s Hunan province. His mother, surnamed Li, said she let him work as a street vendor to reward him for coming first in class during last term’s final exam. He got 100 points in English and mathematics and 98 in the Chinese exam. Li said Nuomi had shown a keen... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322502/chinese-boy-earns-us550-month-selling-milk-tea-fun-mum-praises-business-acumen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3322502/chinese-boy-earns-us550-month-selling-milk-tea-fun-mum-praises-business-acumen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 08:00:08 +0000