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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.
In ancient China, gossip spread through ambitious students spying on the nobility and teahouse storytellers sharing tales. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu
Chinese history

How gossip spread in ancient China before newspapers reported on scandals

From eavesdroppers in teahouses to ‘inner informants’ in royal palaces, scandal merchants peddled stories of adultery and divorce.

Tourism

Foreigners flock to China spas to enjoy unique baths amid wellness tourism rise

United States

US travellers think China ‘happy funeral’ celebrating longevity is trendy eatery

Dating

Outrage as Chinese man takes part in matchmaking event while wife goes to toilet

Husband who says he is ‘successful’ requests two women at same time at dating event; faces physical wrath of wife who calls police.

A Chinese man has enraged many people online after he joined a matchmaking event while his wife popped to the bathroom. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Quan Hongchan

China probes ‘national-level bullying’ of dive icon Quan Hongchan amid toxic fan culture

Nasty campaign of personal vilification allegedly involves teammates; Quan admits she is ‘terrified’ of scales, mirrors, camera lenses.

Quirky China: haunted home auctioned 3 times, lift to only 1 floor, ‘mouse run’ at eatery

From an unsold ‘ghostly’ flat, to a residential lift with just 1 stop and sushi restaurant with rotating rodent, bizarre stories abound in China.

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China's ageing population

China woman, 89, climbs from 27th to 21st floor to escape locked bedroom goes viral

Fearless grandmother continues descent as firefighters rush to her rescue; is eventually moved inside high-rise block, suffers no injuries.

An 89-year-old Chinese woman has made headlines after climbing from the 27th to the 21st floor of her high-rise building to escape a locked bedroom. Photo: SCMP composite/CCTV/RedNote
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

Return rates in China’s online clothing sector, particularly for women’s apparel, can reach as high as 50 to 60 per cent.

Chinese history

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

During the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), public toilets charged usage fees, and some even featured novels and advertisements to attract patrons.

In ancient China, commoners used scrap paper for toilet hygiene while nobles opted for silk. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu
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.

In ancient China, women’s sumo wrestling was a popular form of entertainment and the country is believed to hold the earliest records of female sumo wrestlers. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu

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.

5

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.

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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.

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.

A man in China celebrated his big day by organising a convoy of septic tank trucks as wedding cars. He was supported by peers from his family’s sewage removal business. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
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.

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