https://www.scmp.com/rss/500403/feed 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 Tencent Holdings founder, chairman and chief executive Pony Ma Huateng has sparked fresh online discussion about economic difficulties under Beijing’s dynamic zero-Covid-19 policy, following his endorsement on Saturday of a viral article that touched on the Chinese technology industry’s current struggles. The 50-year-old billionaire, who has kept a low profile in recent years, shared the online article entitled “Nobody cares about the economy except for Hu Xijin” to his contacts on WeChat,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3178848/tencent-ceo-pony-ma-sparks-fresh-online-discussion-about-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3178848/tencent-ceo-pony-ma-sparks-fresh-online-discussion-about-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 May 2022 12:45:50 +0000 Chinese social media users are speculating the US could be the source of monkeypox infections now reported in at least a dozen countries, including the UK, Spain and Australia. The viral infection has been highlighted as a trending topic on popular social media platform Weibo for the past three days with a hashtag on the US reporting two suspected monkeypox cases attracting more than 51 million views as of Monday. While Chinese state media has refrained from accusing the US of intentionally... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3178814/us-let-monkeypox-loose-conspiracy-theories-swirl-chinas-weibo-platform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3178814/us-let-monkeypox-loose-conspiracy-theories-swirl-chinas-weibo-platform?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 May 2022 10:02:44 +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 The start of another week in Shanghai – the seventh straight one under lockdown – and breakfast this morning was shumai, a traditional dim sum snack. These haven’t been available until recently, so it was a nice change from my usual meal of bread and porridge. As I enjoyed the dim sum, I watched a live television broadcast where local officials, for the first time, provided a timeline for a gradual return to normal life in this city of 25 million. But my joy was short-lived. A new “quiet period”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3178398/reporters-diary-seventh-straight-week-shanghais-lockdown-it-feels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3178398/reporters-diary-seventh-straight-week-shanghais-lockdown-it-feels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 May 2022 00:30:10 +0000 On China’s internet, “involution” became the word of the year in 2020, followed by “laying flat” in 2021 and “run” this year. Although a tongue-in-cheek take of life in the country, each word captures the sentiment of the affluent urban middle class at the time. Involution refers to excessive competition in Chinese society, while laying flat is a direct response to that contentious environment. Run – as in, flee the country – gained momentum this year after Shanghai was put under a draconian... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3177916/chinas-lockdowns-other-rigid-covid-19-control-measures-heighten?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3177916/chinas-lockdowns-other-rigid-covid-19-control-measures-heighten?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 May 2022 23:00:11 +0000 A villager near the southwestern Chinese metropolis of Chongqing has saved a three-year-old girl from being “kidnapped” by a wild monkey outside her home. The girl, wearing a red coat, was attacked by the monkey, fell to the ground and was dragged away by the animal. Thankfully, her neighbour noticed the attack and rushed to scare the monkey away, according to surveillance footage reported on by Henan TV. The girl’s mother, who was cooking inside her house, ran outside to check on the girl when... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3175198/quirky-china-monkey-steals-toddler-us10800?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3175198/quirky-china-monkey-steals-toddler-us10800?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Apr 2022 01:00:26 +0000 Zhihu, a Quora-like Chinese online content platform, is seeking a Hong Kong listing through a HK$1.3 billion (US$171.7 million) stock offering by some of its early investors, more than a year after its New York debut. Some of its existing shareholders will offer 26 million shares, or about 8.2 per cent of the share capital, for as much as HK$51.80 each, according to filings. That works out to a 29 per cent premium to its American depositary shares, which closed at US$2.56 on Friday. Each Hong... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3173811/tencent-backed-zhihu-quora-chinese-platform-seeks-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3173811/tencent-backed-zhihu-quora-chinese-platform-seeks-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Apr 2022 04:29:29 +0000 Chinese authorities have called for caution over online comments about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid concerns that public internet sentiment stoked anger towards citizens abroad. The conflict is hotly debated on Chinese social media, with some internet users sympathetic towards the plight of Ukrainians and others mocking the conflict and cheering on Russia’s aggression. A number of users appeared to endorse sexual violence against fleeing Ukrainian women, saying they would “gladly take care... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3168587/backlash-china-over-vulgar-social-media-mocking-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3168587/backlash-china-over-vulgar-social-media-mocking-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Feb 2022 22:00:23 +0000 Weddings can be a day to celebrate love, but they can also turn into nightmares that create stress for everyone involved. However, some stories stand apart from the rest. In Henan province in central China, the family of the bride refused to get out of the car unless they were paid a 66,000 yuan (US$10,400) “alighting fee”, which is a wedding custom, according to mainland media Miaodong Video. The video shows the frustrated groom’s parents waiting at the door for the bride with resigned... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3167521/quirky-china-us10400-alighting-fee-indignation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3167521/quirky-china-us10400-alighting-fee-indignation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Feb 2022 05:59:45 +0000 Tencent Holdings has agreed to pay 1.8 billion yuan (US$284 million) to secure streaming rights for over 6,000 films and television series, as the Chinese social media and video gaming giant escalates efforts to retain the attention of online audiences, who are increasingly drawn to short video apps. Among the 6,332 films and TV shows that will become available on Tencent’s platforms in the next six years are Hong Kong director Ann Hui’s biopic The Golden Era, according to a filing by Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3167296/tencent-signs-us280-million-deal-streaming-rights-6000-films-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3167296/tencent-signs-us280-million-deal-streaming-rights-6000-films-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:00:10 +0000 A well-known Chinese investor is facing an angry backlash after saying that he wants his teenage son to become a “low life” and sleep with as many women as possible. Ding Peng, a quantitative investment veteran and prominent financial adviser, said in a WeChat group chat last week that he plans to teach his son – who is a young teenager – to watch porn, date many women, and start having children when in college. The boy is currently a Form Two student. Ding said he did not want his son to become... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3167143/i-want-him-be-low-life-chinese-investor-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3167143/i-want-him-be-low-life-chinese-investor-under?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Feb 2022 01:00:09 +0000 Trip.com Group, China’s largest online travel services provider, will roll out a hybrid work policy across its global operations from March 1, enabling about 33,400 employees worldwide to perform their jobs remotely up to two days each week. The Shanghai-based firm – operator of online travel agencies Trip.com, Ctrip and Qunar, as well as travel metasearch engine Skyscanner – said this move would make it the “first internet company in mainland China to implement a comprehensive proactive hybrid... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3167150/chinas-largest-online-travel-company-tripcom-roll-out-hybrid-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3167150/chinas-largest-online-travel-company-tripcom-roll-out-hybrid-work?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Feb 2022 11:51:06 +0000 Major video streaming companies including iQiyi, Tencent Video, Youku and Bilibili will officially broadcast American television sitcom Friends in China, as the platforms compete for eyeballs with short video services. The hit 10-season show, which first aired on NBC between 1994 and 2004, will be released in China this Friday and be rolled out at one season per week, the companies all announced on their official Weibo accounts. They did not disclose any pricing at this stage. The move comes as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3166137/can-hit-1990s-us-sitcom-friends-rescue-chinas-struggling-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3166137/can-hit-1990s-us-sitcom-friends-rescue-chinas-struggling-video?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Feb 2022 13:00:20 +0000 China’s most popular short-video app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok that is also owned by ByteDance, announced a new initiative on Tuesday to support domestic live-streamers who promote traditional culture, a move announced a day after the country’s cyberspace administration announced a campaign to clean up online content during the Lunar New Year holiday. The live-streaming unit of Douyin plans to invest “tens of millions of yuan in cash to help outstanding live-streamers to develop... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3164799/chinese-version-tiktok-promotes-traditional-dance-and-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3164799/chinese-version-tiktok-promotes-traditional-dance-and-music?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jan 2022 11:30:17 +0000 China’s state-backed Blockchain Services Network (BSN) on Tuesday announced a soft launch of a nationwide infrastructure to support Chinese non-fungible tokens (NFTs), marking a key step towards creating a domestic industry that is separated from the global market and not associated with any cryptocurrencies. BSN said the infrastructure, known as BSN-Distributed Digital Certificates (BSN-DDC), would offer “a diverse, transparent, credible and reliable” one-stop-shop for businesses to mint and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3164681/china-introduces-state-backed-nft-platform-unlinked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3164681/china-introduces-state-backed-nft-platform-unlinked?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jan 2022 14:00:16 +0000 China’s cyberspace watchdog has initiated a new campaign to sweep out unwanted internet content – from doxxing, fake news and fabricated sad personal stories to those that flaunt wealth, fortunetelling and binge-eating – during the Lunar New Year holiday, as the Omicron variant outbreak dampens travel and prompts more people to stay online at home. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which launched the month-long campaign on Saturday, said the action was taken to ensure a “healthy,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3164667/china-steps-drive-against-cyberbullying-fake-news-online-scams-during?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3164667/china-steps-drive-against-cyberbullying-fake-news-online-scams-during?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jan 2022 12:00:18 +0000 Mainland China had about 500 million registered households at the end of 2020, but 125 million of these – or one out of four – consisted of just one individual, according to the latest government data. It is mind-boggling to learn that the world’s second-largest economy has such a vast number of single-person households, the total number of which is as large as Japan’s population. Urbanisation, in which the population shifts from rural to urban areas, is an obvious reason for the proliferation... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164529/chinas-tech-savvy-single-person-households-set-grow-larger-helping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164529/chinas-tech-savvy-single-person-households-set-grow-larger-helping?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jan 2022 14:00:15 +0000 The body of a teenager who was sold by his birth parents as a baby and deserted by them again after a recent reunion was found on a beach in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan early Monday morning. Liu Xuezhou, 17, apparently committed suicide and left a lengthy note on Weibo, alarming people who had become concerned about his personal safety. Police in the city of Sanya launched a search for the boy after they were alerted by the public that he could be in danger. Liu was found by... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3164517/teenage-boy-china-who-was-rejected-twice-birth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3164517/teenage-boy-china-who-was-rejected-twice-birth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jan 2022 09:00:25 +0000 Chinese video platform Bilibili said it will ban live-streaming of more than 60 video games, including the popular Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series and The Witcher 3 to comply with regulatory guidelines, in the latest sign that companies are falling into line with Beijing’s efforts to purge the domestic gaming industry of content it disapproves of. The live-streaming unit of Bilibili said in a statement on Monday that the decision to ban live-streaming of these games and others such as Heart of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162983/china-gaming-crackdown-bilibili-says-violent-titles-such-grand-theft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162983/china-gaming-crackdown-bilibili-says-violent-titles-such-grand-theft?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:00:28 +0000 The Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC), the country’s internet watchdog, has published draft amendments to a 2016 app regulation that will place even more emphasis on data security and user privacy for app developers and publishers. The draft, containing 27 articles and called the “Mobile internet application information service management regulation”, was published on Wednesday and is nearly three times the length of the previous version. It requires that app providers carry out a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3162248/chinas-internet-watchdog-posts-revised-app-rules-tighten-cybersecurity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3162248/chinas-internet-watchdog-posts-revised-app-rules-tighten-cybersecurity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jan 2022 12:30:11 +0000 A woman in central China’s Hunan province spent 100,000 yuan (US$15,700) renting 520 drones to celebrate her pet dog’s birthday. The drones were organised to form Chinese characters to spell: “Happy 10th birthday to Doudou” while flying above the Xiangjiang River in the city of Changsha, reported Thepaper.cn. The drones would then move to form patterns of a birthday cake and a gift box containing a bone. In the video, the dog’s owner and several friends wearing Christmas hats sang “happy... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3161440/quirky-china-520-drones-dogs-birthday-groom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3161440/quirky-china-520-drones-dogs-birthday-groom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Dec 2021 01:00:18 +0000 A Chinese model defended herself on Sunday against a “morbid obsession” after people launched a barrage of criticism towards her for her perceived “slanted eyes”. The controversy surrounded a 2019 advertisement for the Three Squirrels snack brand featuring Cai Niang Niang, the model’s professional pseudonym. Many people in China pushed back against her “overly slanted eyes” in the advertisements because they believe they fell into the trap of following a common stereotype about Asian faces. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3161166/am-i-not-chinese-model-pushes-back-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3161166/am-i-not-chinese-model-pushes-back-against?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Dec 2021 10:00:26 +0000 Malaysian account executive Cecilia Chong has been following every twist and turn in Taiwanese-American entertainer Wang Leehom’s very public falling out with his estranged wife Lee Jinglei. A fan of Leehom’s since the late 1990s, Chong said one of her favourite films he starred in is the 2007 erotic espionage period drama Lust, Caution, directed by award-winning Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee. “He played the role of Kuang Yu Min, a patriotic and righteous Chinese college student,” she said. “His... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3160937/wang-leehom-saga-fallen-idol-crushes-dreams-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3160937/wang-leehom-saga-fallen-idol-crushes-dreams-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Dec 2021 05:46:44 +0000 First, China’s ultra-left opinion leaders battled outspoken media, liberal intellectuals and NGOs, then foreign governments, corporations and moderate liberals. But lately they have found new ideological opponents to take on. Leftist bloggers are targeting private tech firms, entrepreneurs and capital markets, as well as misbehaving celebrities, in combative essays pushing a socialist agenda in the name of patriotism. Ultra-leftist sentiment riding on the rising tide of nationalism is gaining... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3160864/ultra-leftist-voices-are-making-themselves-heard-china-what?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3160864/ultra-leftist-voices-are-making-themselves-heard-china-what?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Dec 2021 04:00:19 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding has registered a new company in Beijing named Yuanjing Shengsheng to test the gaming potential of the metaverse, in the latest sign that China’s Big Tech firms are doubling down on what many see as the future of the internet. The new unit, wholly owned by Alibaba’s investment arm, has listed its major business as software development and services, according to public registry tracking firm Tianyancha. It has 10 million yuan (US$1.6 million) in registered capital. The unit’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3159691/alibaba-test-gaming-potential-metaverse-big-tech-firms-stampede?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3159691/alibaba-test-gaming-potential-metaverse-big-tech-firms-stampede?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:00:23 +0000 Baidu’s first metaverse product, called the Land of Hope, will launch later this month, as the Chinese internet search giant joins its peers in a rush to develop the technology that is already drawing critical attention from Beijing. The new metaverse app, known as Xi Rang in Chinese, will launch on December 27 as a virtual site for the Beijing-based company’s three-day artificial intelligence (AI) developers’ conference this year, Baidu said in a statement on Friday. This will be the first... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3159180/baidu-joins-metaverse-bandwagon-land-hope-app-tech-giants-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3159180/baidu-joins-metaverse-bandwagon-land-hope-app-tech-giants-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:00:19 +0000 China’s internet watchdog is pursuing a two-month campaign to discipline online fan clubs, which often show their support for a celebrity by doxxing and trolling rival groups, in a move to clean up the country’s cyberspace of opinion manipulation. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a statement on Tuesday that it aims to put an end to the “chaos” involving these online fan clubs, which can have millions of passionate followers supporting a popular celebrity such as a film... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3137406/beijing-targets-chaotic-online-fan-clubs-clean-increased-doxxing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3137406/beijing-targets-chaotic-online-fan-clubs-clean-increased-doxxing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jun 2021 00:15:00 +0000 The announcement of a US$15 billion stock sale by Tencent Holdings’ largest shareholder, three years after the last big divestment by a major shareholder, has heightened investor scrutiny of the outlook for China’s biggest social media and video games company at a time when Beijing is tightening regulations for the country’s tech titans. Holland-based Prosus, Tencent’s largest shareholder and majority controlled by Naspers Ltd, sold 191.89 million shares for HK$114.1 billion (US$14.67 billion),... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128821/tencent-fundamentals-still-solid-despite-record-us15bn-share-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128821/tencent-fundamentals-still-solid-despite-record-us15bn-share-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Apr 2021 13:06:40 +0000 A growing conversation about mental health, sparked by the 18th anniversary of the death of a music icon, highlighted an unmet need for accessible and affordable mental health care in China. On April 1, 2003, Leslie Cheung, a Canto-pop superstar, award-winning actor and gay icon, committed suicide after suffering from severe depression.  It was always a poignant moment to commemorate the musical legend, but this year, people also openly talked about their own mental health.  “When I was living... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3128007/anniversary-pop-icons-death-sparks-concerns-about-depression?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3128007/anniversary-pop-icons-death-sparks-concerns-about-depression?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Apr 2021 13:00:13 +0000 Yaling Jiang Yaling Jiang When Eric Zhou noticed that many of his female colleagues at his former employer in Beijing were struggling to find love, his solution was not to set them up with his friends, as people usually do. Instead, he started a dating app. “Online dating is the future in China,” said Zhou, founder of Slow and former head of global operations at ByteDance’s viral short video-sharing app TikTok. “The friend circles of young people sharply narrow once they move from college to work. The increase in work... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3126195/why-dating-apps-chinese-characteristics-are-capturing-hearts-gen-z?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3126195/why-dating-apps-chinese-characteristics-are-capturing-hearts-gen-z?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Mar 2021 03:00:19 +0000 “If Google is like a borderless virtual library, and Facebook is like a never-ending school reunion, then Zhihu is like a massive cafe where millions of people pass through and exchange their views and experiences.” That was how Zhihu founder Zhou Yuan explained the Quora-like Chinese platform back in 2014. Fast forward to today and Zhihu – meaning “do you know” in classical Chinese – has become the largest online question-and-answer community in the country. Last week, the Beijing-based company... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3124724/zhihu-ipo-chinas-giant-online-cafe-struggles-find-monetization?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3124724/zhihu-ipo-chinas-giant-online-cafe-struggles-find-monetization?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Mar 2021 21:30:07 +0000 His millions of internet fans call him the ‘Useless Edison’ for his eccentric inventions but this time, he’s gone too far. The Chinese internet star has apologized after a video of his latest invention – a wooden donkey that appeared to be modeled after a torture device that originated in China’s Song dynasty (960-1279) - was attacked online.  The original torture device, called the "wooden horse" is regarded as one of the most cruel torture devices ever invented, and it was mostly used on women... https://www.scmp.com/society/useless-edison-apologizes-making-invention-replicates-ancient-torture-device/article/3119141?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/useless-edison-apologizes-making-invention-replicates-ancient-torture-device/article/3119141?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:31:04 +0000 A South Korean internet star who live-streams herself binge-eating various foods – a phenomenon known as mukbang – is in hot water amid an online dispute over whether kimchi is Korean or Chinese. The YouTuber, who goes by the name Hamzy, found herself caught in the crossfire of this cultural clash when she added a thumbs-up emoji to comments online about China claiming Korean kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish, as its own. Chinese internet users said she had insulted China by showing her approval... https://www.scmp.com/food/kimchi-wars-korean-live-streamer-faces-chinese-web-users-wrath/article/3118322?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/kimchi-wars-korean-live-streamer-faces-chinese-web-users-wrath/article/3118322?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jan 2021 09:35:09 +0000 Nigel Ng’s dumpling drama shows no signs of going cold with the Malaysian-born ‘Uncle Roger’ star telling his online detractors that he made “zero dollars from Chinese social media” and “just wanted to make people laugh.” The British-based comedian made the comments after receiving major backlash from followers for taking down a video from his YouTube channel that featured another internet star, Mike Chen, from the Strictly Dumpling channel. Chen has been vocal in his repeated criticism of the... https://www.scmp.com/society/uncle-roger-tells-critics-unfollow-him-if-theyre-not-happy/article/3118315?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/uncle-roger-tells-critics-unfollow-him-if-theyre-not-happy/article/3118315?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jan 2021 09:35:08 +0000 Local provinces in China are trying to cash in on attractive online influencers as a new way to boost local tourism. They hope to replicate the experience of Zhaxi Dingzhen, a 20-year-old Tibetan herdsman from Sichuan who became an internet sensation over a viral video showcasing what fans described as his “pure smile” and rugged appearance.  Regional governments are now scouring their populations for local ambassadors to help promote more remote areas of China to the rest of the country.  It is... https://www.scmp.com/society/hot-tibetan-herdsman-and-xinjiang-horseback-riding-beauty-are-leading-regional-tourism-push/article/3112267?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/hot-tibetan-herdsman-and-xinjiang-horseback-riding-beauty-are-leading-regional-tourism-push/article/3112267?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Dec 2020 10:41:22 +0000 During a marathon live-stream on popular Chinese video platform Bilibili last month, Hiseki Erio performed for nine hours straight to 90,000 online viewers, of whom more than 3,000 were premium subscribers to her channel.  What makes the Japanese-speaking Erio stand out from other stars is that she is also a virtual idol. Unlike Vocaloids (digital avatars manipulated and run by computer programs), virtual idols are something of a digital-analog hybrid: avatars in the form of an animation or... https://www.scmp.com/tech/virtual-idols-are-next-internet-trend-china/article/3112100?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/virtual-idols-are-next-internet-trend-china/article/3112100?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:12:32 +0000 A young Tibetan man has become a national heartthrob in China after millions of people became fans of his “clean eyes and pure smile.”   In a video released November 11, Zhaxi Dingzhen, a 20-year-old native of Litang, a remote county in Sichuan province, smiles as he walks toward the camera with his swarthy skin, big eyes, long eyelashes and thick but messy hair. He was walking in front of his home on the Tibetan plateau and smiling toward the camera a bit shyly. The video quickly went viral,... https://www.scmp.com/society/tibetan-heartthrob-charms-millions-pure-smile/article/3111313?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/tibetan-heartthrob-charms-millions-pure-smile/article/3111313?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:55:19 +0000 Growing up in a small town in China, Sun Shiqian’s family couldn’t afford toys. So when he was bored, he would fashion toy robots out of cardboard, inspired by the machines he saw in TV shows like Gundam and Transformers. When he went to college, he worked part-time to save up for a $130 Optimus Prime toy model. Years later, he would build his own. “It’s what I dreamed of as a kid,” says Sun, now a robot engineer. “Over 20 years later, I got to make a real life-size one. That was surreal.” In... https://www.scmp.com/culture/obsessed-chinese-engineer-who-built-his-own-optimus-prime/article/3093953?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/obsessed-chinese-engineer-who-built-his-own-optimus-prime/article/3093953?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2020 10:55:15 +0000 Every Tuesday and Thursday, Inkstone Index features a single, illuminating number that helps you make sense of China. 710 million: the number of online shoppers in China.  The number of people in China who shop online reached 710 million in March 2020, according to the state-run China Internet Network Information Center.  The number has grown by 100 million from the end of 2018. Currently, more than half of China’s 1.4 billion population are buying things online. E-commerce has become a massive... https://www.scmp.com/business/inkstone-index-chinas-massive-online-shopping-population/article/3086603?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/inkstone-index-chinas-massive-online-shopping-population/article/3086603?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2020 02:11:18 +0000 Every Tuesday and Thursday, Inkstone Index features a single, illuminating number that helps you make sense of China. 3.6 percentage points: the gap between the ability for rural and urban Chinese youth to access the internet. Young people in rural China are catching up with their city counterparts when it comes to going online. About 94% of urban Chinese youth have access to the internet, compared to 90.3% of rural youth, according to the China Internet Network Information Center, a government... https://www.scmp.com/society/inkstone-index-chinas-digital-divide-between-rural-and-urban-areas/article/3086262?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/inkstone-index-chinas-digital-divide-between-rural-and-urban-areas/article/3086262?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2020 10:18:42 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Video streaming site Bilibili has largely grown its popularity by appealing to younger users, especially anime fans. But a new campaign on the site meant to compliment its young users is backfiring. For China’s Youth Day on May 4th, Bilibili released a motivational video featuring 52-year-old actor He Bing talking about all the opportunities and rights young people have in China now. Titled “The Rear Waves: Bilibili’s speech for the new generation”. the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3082845/young-bilibili-users-balk-video-celebrating-their-rights-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3082845/young-bilibili-users-balk-video-celebrating-their-rights-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 21:00:11 +0000 Video streaming site Bilibili has largely grown its popularity by appealing to younger users, especially anime fans. But a new campaign on the site meant to compliment its young users is backfiring.   For China’s Youth Day on May 4th, Bilibili released a motivational video featuring 52-year-old actor He Bing talking about all the opportunities and rights young people have in China now. Titled “The Rear Waves: Bilibili’s speech for the new generation,” the video alludes to a Chinese idiom: “The... https://www.scmp.com/culture/young-bilibili-users-balk-video-celebrating-their-rights-and-opportunities-china/article/3082778?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/young-bilibili-users-balk-video-celebrating-their-rights-and-opportunities-china/article/3082778?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 21:00:09 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Zhou Liqi spent four years in prison for stealing electric bikes. When the 36-year-old was released this month, he found himself faced with a strange situation: He was offered up to 3 million yuan (US$423,519) to become a live streamer. Zhou gained fame in 2016, when comments in an old local media interview went viral. In the 2012 video interview, he was seen detained at a local police station with one hand chained to a window, proudly stating that he... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3081792/live-streaming-agencies-think-their-next-star-thief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3081792/live-streaming-agencies-think-their-next-star-thief?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:06:53 +0000 Zhou Liqi spent four years in prison for stealing electric bikes. When the 36-year-old was released this month, he found himself faced with a strange situation: He was offered up to 3 million yuan (US$423,519) to become a live streamer. Zhou gained fame in 2016, when comments in an old local media interview went viral. In the 2012 video interview, he was seen detained at a local police station with one hand chained to a window, proudly stating that he would never work for anyone in his life --... https://www.scmp.com/culture/live-streaming-agencies-think-their-next-star-thief/article/3081730?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/live-streaming-agencies-think-their-next-star-thief/article/3081730?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:06:51 +0000 Archive of Our Own (AO3), one of the world’s biggest fanfiction sites, appeared to be blocked in China on Saturday as regulators further tightened internet controls. Some users furiously blamed fans of a popular actor for the government’s action. “Unfortunately, the Archive of Our Own is currently inaccessible in China,” the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), a US non-profit group that operates AO3, said on its Twitter account. It added that it could not resolve the problem since the... https://www.scmp.com/society/fans-popular-actor-xiao-zhan-may-have-just-gotten-popular-fan-fiction-site-blocked-china/article/3064747?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/fans-popular-actor-xiao-zhan-may-have-just-gotten-popular-fan-fiction-site-blocked-china/article/3064747?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2020 11:10:02 +0000 Two new “virtual idols” representing the youth wing of China’s Communist Party failed spectacularly, in large part because they were released as China still struggles to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak.  The Communist Youth League posted on the Twitter-like Weibo on Monday that it would release two new animated cartoon characters.  “Let’s meet two new friends, the league’s virtual idols Hongqiman and Jiangshanjiao,” the Communist Youth League said to its 12 million followers.  The two... https://www.scmp.com/politics/chinese-internet-rejects-communist-virtual-idols-named-after-mao-poems/article/3051353?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/chinese-internet-rejects-communist-virtual-idols-named-after-mao-poems/article/3051353?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2020 10:21:06 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS They recite Tang dynasty poetry, practice calligraphy and martial arts, and dress up in traditional Chinese clothes. They also get millions of views on popular video platforms in China and are leading one of the country’s most intriguing youth trends. These are the fans of Guo Feng, which roughly means National Style. It’s a broad online trend among a new generation of influencers that’s meant to be about taking pride in traditional Chinese culture. A... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3046931/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3046931/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:00:13 +0000 They recite Tang dynasty poetry, practice calligraphy and martial arts, and dress up in traditional Chinese clothes. They also get millions of views on popular video platforms in China and are leading one of the country’s most intriguing youth trends. These are the fans of Guo Feng, which roughly means National Style. It’s a broad online trend among a new generation of influencers that’s meant to be about taking pride in traditional Chinese culture. A prominent part of this trend is hanfu, a... https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay/article/3046835?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinas-latest-online-trend-traditional-culture-and-cosplay/article/3046835?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:00:11 +0000 Can virality be taught? The more than 20 people gathered in a room in Shenzhen, in China’s southern Guangdong province, certainly think so.  Some have forked out as much as $1,400 for a weekend crash course on how to create short, funny videos that will get lots of views on Douyin, ByteDance’s Chinese version of its short-video app TikTok. Lots of clicks lead to potential advertising endorsements, or so the equation goes. Zhang Bo, a moon-faced man in his late 30s, is the man who promises to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/douyin-grows-classes-china-try-teach-people-how-go-viral/article/3046003?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/douyin-grows-classes-china-try-teach-people-how-go-viral/article/3046003?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2020 09:33:15 +0000