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Trending in China

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Trending in China
The latest news, trends and events people are talking about on China's internet, social media and elsewhere.
Zhang Xue, the founder of ZXMOTO in China, who previously said he did not receive “a single cent” in government subsidies later revised his stance after igniting a controversy. Photo: SCMP composite/Xinhua/Sohu
Icons and Influencers

China ZXMOTO founder revokes ‘not getting a cent’ from government remark after row

Poor boy from rural family who followed his two-wheeled passion to the top says he was just ‘playing cool’ with ‘lack of official backing’ comment.

Environment

Patagonia faces backlash over new ‘earth usage fee’ to curb excessive returns

Chinese history

Ancient China lavish toilet routines: nobles used silk, Empress Cixi had 28 maids

Social media

Profile | From tech PhD to China Taoist priest, Zhang Gaocheng inspires a new generation

While in the US, he organised 45 Taoist events, attracted a following of 25,000 believers, earning the ‘Taoist Silicon Valley CEO’ title.

After returning to China from a tech career in the US, Zhang Gaocheng, now a 74-year-old Taoist priest, merged tech and tradition by introducing modern management and a Taoist doctor app. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote
Health in China

Doctors warn of spinal cord damage as ‘neck-hanging exercise’ trends with China youth

Trend of hanging from parkland trees by the neck to relieve cervical pain shocks social media; practice is already popular with elderly people.

Sex and relationships

China ‘sexual intelligence godmum’ returns, paper robots for ancestors, mum goes bald tutoring son

Stressed-out tutoring mum goes bald; tech-age offerings for dead relatives; online sex guru is back online after ban.

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Gender

Top China university apologises for mini-film about career man, family-focused woman

Gender bias fury as film shows esports excelling male maturing into a programmer while woman star becomes a mother.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has apologised for a mini-film it produced that depicted a male student excelling in video games who became a programmer, while it portrayed a female student known for her dancing who later became a mother. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Wrestling

Women sumo wrestling was popular in ancient China until rise of Confucian ethics

Grappling partially clothed, sometimes naked, women drew large crowds, emperors but complaints from conservative officials led to sport’s demise.

Dying Chinese man, 61, leaves US$43 million to young wife, enrages ex-wife’s family

New partner, who is almost 3 decades younger than terminally ill husband, says relationship is based on ‘love not money’ amid gold-digging jibes.

Chinese man, 90, cycles across country after death of wife, son, daughter-in-law, grandson

Sprightly nonagenarian finds solace in beauty of nature after car crash wipes out his family; ‘this is the life I have chosen’, he says.

After enduring the tragic losses of his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, a 90-year-old man in China spent 30 years cycling across the country on a tricycle. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
US-China relations

Growing Pains meets the ‘kill line’: a new Chinese hot take on the American dream

Internet commenters retrofit the viral metaphor to US movies and TV to highlight financial and social insecurity.

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The US sitcom Growing Pains revolved around the lives of the Seaver family. Photo: Warner Bros. Television

Chinese buy flats for ashes due to high cemetery costs, sparks law against practice

Emerging laying-to-rest trend offers families financial flexibility; critics raise concerns over ‘psychological discomfort’, property values.

Pets

Outrage as China traveller at pet-friendly hotel gets text offering dog meat eateries

‘Deeply offensive’ pre-visit message to tourist with puppy leads to cancellation of booking; turns spotlight on animal protection laws.

Chinese history

Compound Chinese surnames come from historic figures, ancient states; fewer than 100 remain

From celebrities to ordinary folk, millions of Chinese have such family names, which are considered rare and precious.

In China, compound surnames are rare and valued. Once over a thousand existed, but now fewer than a hundred remain. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
Pets

Chinese woman whose dog was poisoned to death by neighbour, sacrifices job for cause

Battling pet lover spends years fighting for justice for her beloved canine, facing down bullies, rumour-mongers.

A Chinese woman studied law to fight for her pet dog which a neighbour poisoned. After her pet died in 2022, she sacrificed her job and social life for the cause. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

Chinese woman spits blood on train, receives US$58,000 in donations after viral video

23-year-old with rare condition moves many online with selfless clean-up actions; pledges to open care home for sick and their relatives.

Chinese history

Why ‘dung collector’ was a highly lucrative profession in ancient China

Faeces from wealthy commanded higher price due to superior diet as door-to-door ‘night soil’ gatherers sold human waste to farmers.

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China pollution

Chinese man blasts ghost stories for 10 hours daily to retaliate against neighbour

Vengeful resident blares ‘ghostly mountain sounds’ through dividing wall, tries to evade penalties by keeping decibel level within legal limits.

A vengeful man in China retaliated against his neighbour by blasting ghost stories over loudspeakers for more than 10 hours a day. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Chinese man uses septic tank trucks on wedding day; bride embraces unique choice

Husband-to-be says while his job might be ‘dirty and smelly’, the money he earns is clean; bride agrees with unusual arrangement.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

China youth flock to TCM bars for ‘prescription cocktails’ amid ‘punk wellness’ trend

Younger generation embrace notion of ‘wrecking yourself while saving yourself’ by drinking concoctions of booze and herbs.

Pets

Furry farewells: pet spirit money, luxury funeral ceremonies take China by storm

Influenced by humanisation of pets and desire for emotional connection, pet services are increasingly mirroring human customs.

The rising popularity of pet funeral services in China signifies a growing trend where owners seek elaborate send-offs for their pets, including unique paper offerings like gourmet foods and cremation services. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

China woman clings to truck to follow husband; man threatens divorce after male doctor examines wife

Dentist to rescue over stuck ring; woman in truck protest over ‘cheating’ husband; jealous man rages at male doctor who saw wife’s genitals.

In China, a wife suspected her husband of cheating and clung to his truck to follow him; a woman needed a dentist’s help to remove a stuck ring and a man threatened divorce after a male doctor examined his pregnant wife. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Jimu
Tourism

China ‘immersive’ fun buses see rise of mobile venues for karaoke, films, dim sum

Innovative public transport twist even sees some buses become hairdressing salons; fans say trend turns exhausting commute into adventure.

Asian Cuisine

Japan solo dining chain gains popularity in China; lengthy wait times lead to scalpers

Mainland diners seek out eating outlets which block the prying eyes of strangers; offer complete isolation to enjoy ‘private moments’.

Beauty

Why Empress Cixi and people in ancient China used animal faeces in beauty routines

Cixi reportedly incorporated human breast milk into beauty routine to maintain youthful look.

In ancient China, using animal excrement in beauty routines was common and Empress Dowager Cixi was known to use bird droppings for skincare. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo/Baidu
Chinese history

How emperors and nobles kept warm without quilts during winter in ancient China

While the rich luxuriated using women, dogs, cats to fight off freezing temperatures, the poor slept in manure heaps and death was common.

In ancient China where winters were harsh without electricity or down quilts, emperors had foot-warming maids and nobles kept domestic cats and dogs for warmth. Photo: Zhihu
Social media

China influencer gets a million followers in 2 weeks by sharing home-renting tips

Highly practical content creator wows people with simple advice about deceptive property ads, avoiding flat-finding pitfalls.

Parenting: newborns to toddlers

Chinese mum leaves son, 6, in hotel for more than 2 weeks; staff act as carers

Abandoned youngster tells returning mother that he is ‘a little man who can take care of himself’; cleaner who cared for him is left in tears.

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