https://www.scmp.com/rss/327052/feed All about the names and faces in China that are influencing the trends of the times. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Gao Song was just an ordinary bank worker…until he managed to charm social media users in China with his finger dances on Douyin, China’s TikTok. But what makes his videos so special? Let’s find out. https://www.scmp.com/identity/hidden-side-tough-guy-youd-never-have-guessed/article/3202283?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/identity/hidden-side-tough-guy-youd-never-have-guessed/article/3202283?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Dec 2022 10:52:20 +0000 In many movies about China, you’ve probably heard a high-pitched, “deadly” sound at some point. These squawk-like sounds are made by the suona, a traditional Chinese instrument used at funerals and weddings in China. Most young folks think it's a representation of the old. But this musician shows that the once unhip instrument is actually pretty cool. https://www.scmp.com/culture/guy-charmed-3-million-ancient-chinese-horn/article/3200720?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/guy-charmed-3-million-ancient-chinese-horn/article/3200720?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:37:19 +0000 Luxury carmaker Audi and London-based advertising agency M&C Saatchi on Sunday apologised for running a video campaign featuring Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah, following accusations of plagiarism that triggered an online backlash against the German firm in Chinese social media. A subsidiary of Volkswagen Group, Audi said it has removed the video ad from all online channels and apologised for the “copywriting [copyright] infringement”, which it blamed on a “lack of supervision and lax... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3178713/german-carmaker-audi-ad-agency-mc-saatchi-apologise-copyright-infringement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3178713/german-carmaker-audi-ad-agency-mc-saatchi-apologise-copyright-infringement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 May 2022 14:00:21 +0000 Tax authorities in southern Guangdong province have slapped live-streaming star Ping Rong with a 62 million yuan (US$10 million) fine for tax evasion, making her the latest Chinese online influencer to be charged with the offence over the past several months. A popular live-streamer on Kuaishou Technology’s short video-sharing platform, Ping was held liable for tax irregularities in 2019 and 2020, according to a statement on Tuesday by the Guangdong Provincial Tax Service, which is under the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3167996/china-tech-crackdown-authorities-slap-us10-million-fine-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3167996/china-tech-crackdown-authorities-slap-us10-million-fine-live?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:00:26 +0000 Open China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo, and most of the pop-up ads have one thing in common: Eileen Gu. Even before the US-born athlete won a gold medal for China in the women’s freeski big air competition on February 8, she’d already become the face of multiple brands across sport, fashion and banking. Some of her partnerships include global luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, as well as Chinese milk company Mengniu and coffee chain Luckin... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3166937/how-eileen-gu-made-over-us30-million-luxury-endorsements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3166937/how-eileen-gu-made-over-us30-million-luxury-endorsements?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Feb 2022 05:13:24 +0000 Ceylon tea, biscuits, wine and other Sri Lankan products adorned a booth at the Chinese International Import Expo in November, as Palitha Kohona did his best to sell his country’s exports to more than 300,000 viewers on his live-streaming debut. The Sri Lankan ambassador to China faced a language barrier and was visibly uneasy at first, having forgotten that he had agreed to host the broadcast. But the audience flooded the comment section with welcomes, especially after Chinese live-streamer... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161299/chinese-live-streamers-show-diplomats-new-channel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161299/chinese-live-streamers-show-diplomats-new-channel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Dec 2021 03:00:15 +0000 It has been a spectacular fall from grace for Chinese online influencer Viya, who went from being the country’s most bankable live-streaming e-commerce star to a virtual pariah overnight after authorities in the eastern city of Hangzhou slapped her with a record 1.34 billion yuan (US$210 million) fine for tax evasion. One of China’s rare one-name celebrities, Viya – whose real name is Huang Wei –saw her widely followed social media account on microblogging platform Weibo and her online presence... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160598/who-live-streaming-e-commerce-star-viya-and-how-did-she-become-famous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160598/who-live-streaming-e-commerce-star-viya-and-how-did-she-become-famous?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:23:31 +0000 The online presence of two of China’s top e-commerce influencers vanished after they were fined millions of yuan for tax evasion last month, with their social media accounts, Taobao stores and official company website becoming inaccessible over the past several days. The disappearance of Zhu Chenhui and Lin Shanshan, who built booming live-streaming businesses online with tens of millions of followers, serves as the latest reminder of the risks content producers face in China when amassing huge... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3159540/live-streaming-e-commerce-stars-disappear-chinas-internet-following?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3159540/live-streaming-e-commerce-stars-disappear-chinas-internet-following?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Dec 2021 11:00:44 +0000 The recent move by authorities in Hangzhou, China’s eastern e-commerce hub, to name and shame two popular online influencers for tax evasion and then slap both with hefty fines sent shock waves across the country’s live-streaming sector. Zhu Chenhui, known online as Xueli Cherie, and Lin Shanshan have now become the unofficial poster girls of this new campaign, which targets the booming live-streaming segment of China’s vast e-commerce market, where there is a spotty track record of compliance... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157243/chinas-tech-crackdown-live-streaming-e-commerce-stars-get-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157243/chinas-tech-crackdown-live-streaming-e-commerce-stars-get-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2021 11:10:27 +0000 Sporting neon hair and flawless skin, Bangkok Naughty Boo is one of a new generation of influencers in Asia promising to stay forever young, on-trend, and scandal-free – because they are computer generated. Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, these stars are hugely popular with teenagers in the region and will yield increasing power as interest grows in the ‘metaverse’, industry experts say. “I’m 17 forever, non-binary, with a dream of becoming a pop star,” Bangkok Naughty Boo – who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/3156422/bangkok-naughty-boo-forever-young-and-scandal-free-asias-virtual?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/3156422/bangkok-naughty-boo-forever-young-and-scandal-free-asias-virtual?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:06:46 +0000 Police in Beijing have busted a data analysis company, which ranks Chinese online influencers in sales performance, for illegally using crawler software to steal data from live-streaming apps, ahead of the roll-out on Monday of the country’s new Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL). The office of data analysis firm Pangqiu, which means “Fat Ball” in Mandarin, was raided by the police on September 15 and some 23 employees were arrested for “illegal acquisition of computer information system... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3154482/beijing-police-bust-firm-stealing-data-live-streaming-e-commerce-apps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3154482/beijing-police-bust-firm-stealing-data-live-streaming-e-commerce-apps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:00:17 +0000 Videos of her idyllic life in rural China have helped Li Ziqi gain more than 100 million followers across various social media platforms. So why did one of the world’s biggest celebrities stop putting up videos in July? Here’s what’s happened since, and what Li and her team has said in response to going quiet. https://www.scmp.com/culture/why-has-chinese-internet-star-li-ziqi-stopped-uploading-videos/article/3153964?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/why-has-chinese-internet-star-li-ziqi-stopped-uploading-videos/article/3153964?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Oct 2021 03:09:50 +0000 Wang Sicong, the son of Dalian Wanda Group’s billionaire founder and an outspoken social media personality with 40 million followers, has opened fire on Meituan’s data policies just as the country’s dominant food delivery service is grappling with a fine for breaching antitrust rules. Wang said he was locked out of his account on Dazhong Dianping, the restaurants and review service operated by Meituan, when it was linked to another user’s mobile phone number, according to two of his posts on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3151942/chinese-tycoons-socially-influential-son-adds-meituans-antitrust-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3151942/chinese-tycoons-socially-influential-son-adds-meituans-antitrust-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Oct 2021 15:00:15 +0000 China is set to conduct regular tax investigations into top entertainers including online influencers, promising serious punishment for offenders amid a deepening crackdown on the entertainment industry and lucrative culture of fandom. High-income celebrities who self-report offences by the end of the year, however, may receive reduced penalties or exemptions, the country’s taxation authorities said in announcing the plans for greater scrutiny. The planned inspections will be “double-random” –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3149321/china-plans-tax-crackdown-richest-entertainers-including-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3149321/china-plans-tax-crackdown-richest-entertainers-including-online?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Sep 2021 09:36:48 +0000 If it seems too good to be true, it possibly is: more than 700,000 products, including electric toothbrushes and pillows, going for one Chinese cent each at a fan festival by Chinese influencer Xueli Cherie. But some consumers who snagged more than one of the almost-free items received a nasty shock when they were charged a 999 yuan shipping fee (US$155). On Chinese social media platform Weibo, many called the set-up a “scam” and criticised live-streaming shopping events, calling for consumers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3147629/shipping-shock-chinese-influencer-cherie-apologises-after-live-stream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3147629/shipping-shock-chinese-influencer-cherie-apologises-after-live-stream?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Sep 2021 06:23:19 +0000 Chinese-Canadian rapper and singer Kris Wu Yifan has been formally arrested and charged with rape, prosecutors in Beijing said. The 30-year-old, one of China’s most influential young celebrities, had been accused of date rape by teenage beauty influencer Du Meizhu and was detained by police on July 31. In a series of posts on the social media platform Weibo, Du, 18, claimed Wu had raped her and other women – claims the singer denied. Chinese law allows a maximum detention period of 37 days for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3145250/singer-kris-wu-charged-rape-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3145250/singer-kris-wu-charged-rape-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:13:42 +0000 An online Chinese celebrity died on Tuesday after a botched liposuction treatment resulted in a massive skin infection and a two-month-long stay in the intensive care unit. The health commission of Hangzhou, the largest city in the eastern province of Zhejiang, said on Thursday that the clinic that performed the procedure must financially compensate the family and suspend its business operations. “Huayan Medical Cosmetics lacked proper understanding of the surgery before carrying it out, had... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3141425/chinese-online-celebrity-dies-after-liposuction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3141425/chinese-online-celebrity-dies-after-liposuction?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jul 2021 06:00:24 +0000 Marine geologist Wang Pinxian has become the latest science influencer to hit it big on China’s social media, reinforcing the recent success of scholars and institutions in creating educational content with a mass appeal on popular online video platforms. The 85-year-old Wang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) since 1991, garnered 280,000 followers in less than a week on online video-sharing service Bilibili after posting only two videos. The two videos – an introduction... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3137242/bilibili-85-year-old-marine-geologist-becomes-chinas-latest-social?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3137242/bilibili-85-year-old-marine-geologist-becomes-chinas-latest-social?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000 Being a celebrity lookalike can come with certain perks, not least that you can profit from it. But for Chen Xinling, who bears an uncanny resemblance to international Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, it became a legal liability. In September 2020, the 32-year-old was sued by Fan for infringing her portrait rights. At the time, Chen was a popular online influencer whose live-streaming sales channel on Chinese e-commerce site Taobao had a million-strong fan base. (Taobao is owned by Alibaba, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3135719/fan-bingbing-lookalike-among-chinese-celebrity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3135719/fan-bingbing-lookalike-among-chinese-celebrity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jun 2021 04:34:13 +0000 Passengers boarding a recent flight from Shanghai to Beijing were treated to the extraordinary sight of a burly, military-trained Briton supervising a group of youngsters as they performed vigorous press-ups in the aircraft aisle. Few Chinese people would have been totally surprised by the scene, unlikely though it sounds. The instructor, Tony Nicholson, is a familiar face in China, thanks to his regular television appearances promoting fitness. A 1.9 metre (six foot, two inches) hunk of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3134857/personal-trainer-chinas-wealthiest-social-media-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3134857/personal-trainer-chinas-wealthiest-social-media-star?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 May 2021 20:15:09 +0000 Rae, based in Singapore, did something at the start of the year that most of the city state’s denizens have not been able to do for some time – she “travelled” to Shanghai. There, the street-style loving digital artist graced the cover of Jstyle magazine with China’s top female rapper, Vava. However, the slim, blue-haired fashion lover is not a real person – she’s a CGI creation that’s powered by artificial intelligence technology. The digital girl, launched last October, has become one of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3127120/will-virtual-social-media-influencers-replace-human-ones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3127120/will-virtual-social-media-influencers-replace-human-ones?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Mar 2021 23:15:07 +0000 Recently news that Chinese wanghong Guo Meimei has been arrested broke across the nation’s social media. It’s the second time the notorious internet influencer has been taken in by Chinese law enforcement, following her gambling offences in 2014. A year later, the then-24-year-old was sentenced to five years in prison for operating a private gambling business in Beijing, and was released in July 2019. On March 11, Shanghai police arrested a group of people who produce and sell weight loss... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3126471/who-guo-meimei-notorious-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3126471/who-guo-meimei-notorious-chinese-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Mar 2021 02:00:19 +0000 When Antoine Bunel first posted about cooking on China’s Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo in 2015, he didn’t think his use of Chinese social media tools would lead to a full-time job as a key opinion leader (KOL). Calling himself the French KOL who is the most familiar with the China market, he has amassed over a million fans through his cooking videos and recipes in Mandarin on Weibo, video platforms Douyin and Bilibili, cooking app Xiachufang, and other channels. The former marketing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3122154/social-media-stars-china-who-arent-chinese-how-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3122154/social-media-stars-china-who-arent-chinese-how-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Feb 2021 23:15:08 +0000 She grew famous for portraying an idyllic rural lifestyle in China, she courted controversy by cooking “kimchi,” and now she has been crowned the undisputed queen of Chinese-language YouTube.  Li Ziqi has set a record for “Most subscribers for a Chinese- language channel on YouTube,” Guinness World Records announced on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like service on Tuesday night. Li had 14.2 million followers on YouTube as of early February. She launched her YouTube channel in 2017, with a video on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/li-ziqi-queen-china-influencers/article/3120483?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/li-ziqi-queen-china-influencers/article/3120483?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Feb 2021 09:52:24 +0000 Chinese internet culinary sensation Li Ziqi has set a record for “Most subscribers for a Chinese-language channel on YouTube”, Guinness World Records announced on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like service on Tuesday night. She was listed in the records in July with 11.4 million subscribers and had gone up to 14.1 million by the end of January, the post said. “The poetic and idyllic lifestyle and the exquisite traditional Chinese culture shown in Li’s videos have attracted fans from all over the world,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3120328/chinese-kimchi-youtuber-li-ziqi-sets-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3120328/chinese-kimchi-youtuber-li-ziqi-sets-new?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Feb 2021 04:45:16 +0000 Before going viral, Zhaxi Dingzhen was your average Tibetan herder living in China’s southwestern Sichuan province. His typical day was spent tending to his flock and helping out at home. But a 10-second video posted online would quickly change that routine, turning Dingzhen into an online sensation overnight. Soon after the video appeared online on November 11, China’s internet users marvelled at Dingzhen’s rugged good looks and herdsman lifestyle in the highland. Millions tuned in to watch a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3116603/cultivating-internet-celebrities-rural-governments-answer-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3116603/cultivating-internet-celebrities-rural-governments-answer-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jan 2021 23:00:14 +0000 Dressed in a black, figure-hugging dress with silver chains and combat boots, 65-year-old Lin Wei does not fit the stereotype of a typical grandmother.  The retiree, who accessorizes her look with red lipstick and black sunglasses, is part of a fast-growing phenomenon in China, dubbed ‘glamorous grannies.’  Aged over 60, older women are turning stereotypes on their head by dressing stylishly in traditional Chinese outfits such as cheongsams – and they are gaining millions of followers on social... https://www.scmp.com/society/how-chinese-grannies-are-becoming-internet-sensations/article/3116496?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/how-chinese-grannies-are-becoming-internet-sensations/article/3116496?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:01:35 +0000 Rather than promoting fashion, food and beauty brands’ products, a new breed of social media influencers in China are using their celebrity status to champion causes such as environmentalism and to share medical and legal knowledge. Here are five of the biggest ethical key opinion leaders, or KOLs, active on Chinese social media platforms. Howey Ou Howey Ou would be an ordinary secondary school student from the southern Guangxi province in China, if not for the fact that she is the only public... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3114905/5-chinese-social-media-stars-using-their-influencer-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3114905/5-chinese-social-media-stars-using-their-influencer-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Dec 2020 12:15:13 +0000 Key opinion leaders, or KOLs, have recently come to dominate the advertising and marketing industry. They are celebrities in themselves, who have managed to gather a massive list of followers to leverage into commercial opportunities for brands and themselves. But a new breed of KOLs in China use their platform to champion worthy causes, ranging from environmentalism to sharing legal and medical knowledge.  Here 5 of the biggest stars.  Liang Yu grew to prominence when she decided to take the... https://www.scmp.com/society/new-breed-chinese-kols-who-champion-worthwhile-causes/article/3114529?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/new-breed-chinese-kols-who-champion-worthwhile-causes/article/3114529?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Dec 2020 10:39:39 +0000 A 56-year-old grandmother’s journey of self-discovery is being hailed as the surprise live-streaming hit of 2020 in China. Her journey, quintessentially a Chinese version of American author Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, has taken centre stage in China’s growing feminist awakening. F or Su Min, though, the trip was simply a result of having had enough of her nitpicking husband of 30 years, of supporting her daughter at university and of raising her grandchildren. It was time to be... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3114299/chinese-eat-pray-love-grannys-road-trip-gives-her-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3114299/chinese-eat-pray-love-grannys-road-trip-gives-her-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 22:45:10 +0000 Jing Daily Jing Daily Fashion producer and founder of the production house Peter Xu Studio, Fengli Peter Xu has shot many high-profile fashion campaigns over the years and deals with models daily. And, having witnessed many of them come and go, his outlook is somewhat bleak in regards to the industry’s cutthroat operations. “I am not exaggerating when I say that over 50 per cent of models will be unemployed in the future,” he said. Indeed, the modelling industry in China has a chequered past. Pierre Cardin’s 1979... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3113251/how-covid-19-and-e-commerce-killed-chinas-golden-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3113251/how-covid-19-and-e-commerce-killed-chinas-golden-age?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Dec 2020 02:00:09 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava A massive metal X marked the spot this summer for one of Beijing’s latest art world openings: a sculptural entryway to the double-storey X Museum in the buzzing Chaoyang district. Like almost every other event in 2020, it was delayed, but despite Covid-19 locking down the Chinese capital for most of the first half of the year, this vernissage opened to much fanfare. China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration counts more than 5,100 museums across the country, and rising, almost double the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3112430/rich-millennials-shaking-chinas-art-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3112430/rich-millennials-shaking-chinas-art-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2020 01:15:14 +0000 The internet boom has turned the world of retail on its head and anointed a new generation of handsomely compensated online influencers – especially in China, where digital KOLs have the power to provoke purchases worth millions of dollars in a matter of minutes. But amid this quickfire, high-stakes, big bucks game, the unprecedented global upheaval of 2020 has prompted several high-profile influencers to fall back, step up, and mobilise their powers for good and make a positive social impact –... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3104400/lipstick-king-austin-li-lieer-baobei-charitable-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3104400/lipstick-king-austin-li-lieer-baobei-charitable-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2020 02:00:24 +0000 The year 2020 – despite, or even because of, the myriad obstacles it has presented – has proven to be a catalyst for innovation. The luxury fashion industry in particular has seen tremendous changes in direction, with an enormous increase in its involvement in online content-based marketing. With the year’s new norm of online consumerism resulting from prolonged homestays, travel restrictions and inaccessible physical stores, digitalised sales have been booming. How China is reshaping luxury... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3100382/why-luxury-brands-louis-vuitton-hermes-dior-versace-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3100382/why-luxury-brands-louis-vuitton-hermes-dior-versace-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2020 05:00:18 +0000 Mixed martial arts star Zhang Weili has been named the top athlete on this year’s Forbes China Celebrity List. Zhang, who is known as “Magnum”, is 27th on a list that is dominated by some of the biggest actors and musicians in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The annual list, which ranks celebrities on influence rather than earnings, was first published in 2004. It expanded to include those born outside the mainland in 2010. This year’s list is topped by the singer Jackson Yee with Jay Chou fourth... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3099395/ufc-star-zhang-weili-top-athlete-forbes-china-celebrity-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3099395/ufc-star-zhang-weili-top-athlete-forbes-china-celebrity-list?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2020 09:59:44 +0000 Zong Fuli is the daughter of Zong Qinghou, founder and CEO of China’s biggest beverage brand, Wahaha. She is the successor and only heiress of Wahaha Group with a total sales of 47 billion yuan (US$6.6 billion) in 2019 and has also broken the stereotype of being fuerdai, or second-generation rich. In 2015, Zong was ranked third in Asia’s top 10 richest with a net worth of US$3 billion. Most recently in May, she was also on the list of the 30 most influential business women in China 2020. Earning... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3091217/meet-zong-fuli-chinas-most-eligible-bachelorette-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3091217/meet-zong-fuli-chinas-most-eligible-bachelorette-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jun 2020 22:00:16 +0000 Hong Kong’s young sportsmen and women are expanding their stardom beyond the arenas. Some of them are using their charisma and gaining strong fan followings online. STYLE takes a look at the city’s top five athletes turned digital influencers. Stephanie Au @stephaniehsau View this post on Instagram How much time I've left? 0.13 sec My decisive second, to be accurate, millisecond. I'm currently 0.13 seconds away from my 100 backstroke Olympic A cut.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3089434/stephanie-au-tony-wu-and-3-other-hong-kong-athletes-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3089434/stephanie-au-tony-wu-and-3-other-hong-kong-athletes-who?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jun 2020 23:00:13 +0000 Beijing resident Maggie Li had never taken part in China’s midyear 618 online shopping festival until her favourite live-streaming anchor Li Jiaqi – the country’s top beauty product influencer – appeared on the shopping extravaganza. The 38-year-old Li admits she is a live-stream shopping maniac, having spent over 13,000 yuan (US$1,833) on products that her idols endorsed during the shopping event, which kicked off on June 1 and runs till Thursday. The shopping gala, named for the date JD.com... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3089268/thanks-live-streaming-craze-chinas-midyear-shopping-festival-has?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3089268/thanks-live-streaming-craze-chinas-midyear-shopping-festival-has?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2020 22:00:13 +0000 From ex-NBA player to revered basketball icon in China, Stephon Marbury's story is undeniably compelling. After flying half way across the world and winning three championships with the Beijing Ducks, it’s clear that the two-time NBA All-Star’s career did not fizzle out when his career in the US came to an end in 2009. Instead, he took a leap of a faith and found an unexpected career rebirth in China. How does NBA All-Star Kevin Durant spend his millions? Here are five things to know about one... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3089053/5-things-about-stephon-marbury-ex-nba-player-and-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3089053/5-things-about-stephon-marbury-ex-nba-player-and-all?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jun 2020 07:00:13 +0000 Of the nine winners of China’s hit reality TV show Youth with You Season 2, Liu Yuxin sticks out like a sore thumb. Picked to be part of new all-girl pop group THE9, the 23-year-old singer doesn’t look like a typical TV talent show contestant. With her short, dyed hair and her androgynous looks, she could easily be mistaken for a member of a K-pop boy band. And that is precisely why there is so much buzz about her. Throughout Youth with You Season 2, which was streamed on popular Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3087976/how-liu-yuxin-the9-proved-you-can-be-c-pop-star-being?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3087976/how-liu-yuxin-the9-proved-you-can-be-c-pop-star-being?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2020 09:30:12 +0000 As shoppers stayed home at the height of China’s coronavirus outbreak, skincare products maker Forest Cabin closed more than half of its 300 stores across the nation. With sales plunging, founder Sun Laichun decided it was time to reach his customers more directly. “We knew it was time for us to focus on an online strategy to survive,” Sun said. The company didn’t launch an online ad blitz or announce big giveaways – instead, it trained hundreds of its salespeople to begin hosting live video... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3084599/stores-shut-lockdown-yet-sales-rise-china-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3084599/stores-shut-lockdown-yet-sales-rise-china-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2020 07:45:16 +0000 Baidu, China's biggest internet search company and artificial intelligence (AI) champion, said it is investing a further 500 million yuan (US$70.5 million) to boost its live-streaming services, aiming to cultivate 1,000 star content creators amid a surge in online users during the coronavirus pandemic. “Baidu will promote the live-streaming business more proactively [this year],” said Baidu executive vice-president Shen Dou at the company’s annual 2020 Wanxiang Conference on Wednesday. Shen said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3084253/chinese-internet-giant-baidu-invests-us705-million-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3084253/chinese-internet-giant-baidu-invests-us705-million-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2020 22:45:11 +0000 Digital influencers tread in different water during the coronavirus epidemic, balancing the art of entertaining many of their followers while remaining conscious of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Some resonate with their homebound followers through stunts like the viral “pillow challenge” – fashioning large pillows into chic at-home ensembles – while others engage with fellow digital influencers in conversations on Instagram Live. Top Chinese digital influencers, however, play things somewhat... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3082159/how-chinas-top-wechat-weibo-taobao-and-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3082159/how-chinas-top-wechat-weibo-taobao-and-tiktok?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2020 23:00:19 +0000 Faced with the threat of closure because of an absence of foreign buyers, traders at one of the main showcases for thousands of goods manufactured in China have turned to ecommerce, with mixed results. Some vendors at Yiwu International Trade Market are even using social media influencers to help them improve their live streaming sales pitches. But new customers have been slow to appear. “Business has been slow since the coronavirus outbreak, but our beautiful sisters remain vibrant every day,”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/vendors-chinas-famed-yiwu-market-pin-hopes-ecommerce/article/3080421?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/vendors-chinas-famed-yiwu-market-pin-hopes-ecommerce/article/3080421?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2020 02:00:20 +0000 The 2010s saw China move assertively to the centre of the world stage, while Chinese consumers overtook Japan as the largest market for luxury goods in 2012. As we enter a new decade, China either leads or is close to leading sectors from outbound travel to beauty, to fashion to luxury cars. Yet this new dawn of national pride, optimism and the Chinese economic juggernaut has been sharply jolted by the social impact of the coronavirus. The business battleground for brands was already a minefield... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3074893/coronavirus-china-luxury-brands-turn-wechat-ai-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3074893/coronavirus-china-luxury-brands-turn-wechat-ai-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2020 01:22:42 +0000 As the coronavirus takes its toll in China, infecting thousands and inundating hospitals short on resources, help is coming from an unexpected source: celebrity fan clubs. In one week in January, the online fan clubs of Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Mariah Carey pooled together more than $19,000 worth of supplies and donated them to hospitals in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak. Since the epidemic began last month, Chinese fan clubs have been at the forefront of grass-roots... https://www.scmp.com/culture/wuhan-coronavirus-china-taylor-swift/article/3051192?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/wuhan-coronavirus-china-taylor-swift/article/3051192?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2020 11:07:37 +0000 In three short years, a young woman in rural China became an internet sensation, with over 11 million followers worldwide. The video that made her famous? An instructional on how to cook hamburgers for her grandparents in the countryside. “My grandparents and relatives have spent their entire lives in the countryside,” says Dianxi Xiaoge, a vlogger whose videos of life in rural China have a devoted following online. “I really wanted to take them to the city to try hamburgers because in their... https://www.scmp.com/culture/dianxi-xiaoge-exclusive-interview/article/3050052?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/dianxi-xiaoge-exclusive-interview/article/3050052?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2020 11:14:43 +0000 As the novel coronavirus outbreak evolves into a large-scale public health crisis, the Chinese government has at all levels changed its previously passive stance and under-reporting. China has mobilised an unprecedented level of resources to battle the epidemic. From central to local governments, civilians to the military, and officials to the people, no stone has been left unturned. Yet, Chinese society’s attitude towards the government’s efforts is startlingly divisive. On one hand, sceptics... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3049530/cope-coronavirus-outbreak-china-needs-less-politics-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3049530/cope-coronavirus-outbreak-china-needs-less-politics-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:45:11 +0000 Influencer and front-row regular Margaret Zhang has been appointed as the editor-in-chief of Vogue China and will succeed founding editor-in-chief Angelica Cheung, who left the glossy last year and recently announced her new role as a partner at investment fund Sequoia Capital China. “Margaret creates content on so many different platforms and brings a new perspective and voice to Vogue China,” said Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast. “When... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3048352/there-anything-influencer-margaret-zhang-cant-do-shes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3048352/there-anything-influencer-margaret-zhang-cant-do-shes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2020 07:00:13 +0000 A self-styled “village supermodel” in rural China has taken the internet by storm with his couture pieces made from everyday household objects. Lu Kaigang, who goes by Luxianren online, has dazzled viewers with his surprisingly fashionable pieces made from old curtains, dead leaves, and even an air-conditioner. He models the clothes himself, turning the dirt roads of his village into his own personal catwalk. On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, he has over three million followers and... https://www.scmp.com/culture/china-village-supermodel-debut-elle/article/3046928?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/china-village-supermodel-debut-elle/article/3046928?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:05:14 +0000