China Media Archives | What's on Weibo

It is time for the CCTV New Year’s Gala, Chunwan; the special annual evening variety show that captures millions of viewers on the night of Chinese New Year. What’s on Weibo provides you with the ins & outs of the 2016 Gala and its social media frenzy, with updates before, during and after the show. We will add the latest updates directly below, so you don’t need to scroll down. Watch a live stream of the show here, and refresh page for updates.

Updates Chinese Time Zone UTC+8

17:00 Three hours before the show starts! What can we expect tonight? According to the directors, we can mostly expect song and dance tonight; about 80% of the show will be about music and dance. One of the Gala’s directors, Zou Wei, tells CCTV: “We’ve come up with some innovative approaches for the song and dance numbers. We’ll also be moving and changing the stage a lot. The audience will get a very refreshing take. Ninety percent of the song and dance programs are newly created; the remaining 10 percent are a salute to the gala’s past classics.”

About the Gala

The CCTV New Year’s Gala (中国中央电视台春节联欢晚会 or Chunwan 春晚) is an annual live television event that is broadcasted by state enterprise CCTV on the evening of Chinese New Year. It has been broadcasted since 1983, and is watched by over 700 million people. It is the most-watched variety shows in the world and is much anticipated every year – somewhat comparable to the Oscars or the Super Bowl. The Gala features different acts, including singing, dancing and comedy, in a time frame of around 4 hours.

It is a tradition for families to gather around the TV to watch the Gala before the New Year comes at midnight. It is also somewhat of a tradition to comment on the show and complain about it; criticism on the Gala is actually so commonplace that the sentence “there’ll never be a ‘worst’, just ‘worse than last year‘ (央视春晚，没有最烂，只有更烂) has become a popular saying over the years (Wang 2015, 192).

The 2016 Edition

This is the 34th edition of Chunwan (February 7th, 2016). This year the show lasts a total of 4 hours and 18 minutes, starting on 20.00 and ending 00.18.

This year’s show, like last year’s, has its own mascot. As this will be the Year of the Monkey, it is a colorful monkey named Kang Kang. The mascot was revealed on CCTV’s Weibo account on the evening of January 21st. The mascot was ridiculed by netizens, who thought it was ugly. The 3D design (image below, on the right) was different from the original sketch (left). According to the majority of Weibo’s netizens, the designers of the 3D version had mistaken Kang Kang’s paws for balls, resulting in a Kangkang with ‘tumors on his ears’.

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The current version of Kang Kang as pictured below has been adjusted; he no longer has ‘tumors’ growing from his head.

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This year, the Chunwan is promoted with an animated clip and a rap song. Check out the promotion song below. (Warning: once you’ve listened to this tune, it will play on and on in your head...)

Social Media

Chunwan is a hot topic on Sina Weibo and WeChat, as millions of people are watching and share their comments on the show through social media. The Gala’s official Weibo account has over 7,5 million followers. Sina Entertainment (17+ million followers) also writes about the show through their official Weibo account.

One important new feature of the show that links it to social media platforms is the exchange of hongbao, red envelopes with money, which is a Chinese New Year’s tradition (also read our article about Lucky Money). During the show, viewers are able to receive virtual hongbao by shaking their smartphones. This new cooperation between the CCTV Gala and the WeChat app first started in 2015. Last year, when the game was announced during the live broadcast, WeChat users shook their phones 11 billion times. The value of these monetary gifts was around 500 million RMB (76 million US dollar).

The hongbao game attracts more people to watch the show, which is often considered boring or old-fashioned by younger generations. This year the game will start again, increasing the Gala’s viewer ratings. One Weibo netizen comments: “Actually, there are many people who want to watch the Gala now. The reason is simple: it’s not for the show but for the red envelopes.”

The Live Show

Although the Gala is a live broadcast from CCTV’s No.1 Studio, every year’s show has a taped version of the full dress rehearsal. As described by Scocca (2011), the tape runs together with the live broadcast, so that in the event of a problem or disruption, the producers can seamlessly switch to the taped version without TV audiences noticing anything.

According to the CCTV, the committee members of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China already attended the full dress rehearsal on Friday night.

Please check out this blog on Sunday, February 7th, from 19.00 China Standard Time (CST) +0800 UTC (12.00 CET) for more information about the show and its programme.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

References

Wang Ge. 2015. “Popular Spring Festival Gala language: Sociocultural Observations.” In Linda Tsung and Wei Wang, Contemporary Chinese Discourse and Social Practice in China, 185-200. Amsterdam/Philadelpia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Scocca, Tom. 2011. Beijing Welcomes You: Unveiling the Capital City of the Future. New York: Riverhead Books.

Featured image from ZZM3.com: http://www.zzm3.com/gear/rs/457.html

About the Author: Manya Koetse is the founder & editor of What’s on Weibo. She is a freelance writer and Sinologist who splits her time between the Netherlands and China. Website / Twitter

The post CCTV’s New Year’s Gala 2016 Liveblog appeared first on What's on Weibo.

It is the first day of the Year of the Monkey. One day after the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Weibo netizens have one burning question: whatever happened to the show’s official mascot Kang Kang the Monkey? The mascot, that became a trending topic because people deemed it ugly, was nowhere to be seen on the night of the Gala.

Just two weeks ago the CCTV announced this year’s Spring Festival mascot on its official Weibo account. It was the second year that China’s state broadcaster had a mascot for its annual CCTV Gala; last year, it was Yang Yang the Goat.

But Kang Kang the Monkey turned out to be less popular than its predecessor Yang Yang. The mascot was ridiculed by netizens, who thought it was ugly. The 3D design (image below, on the right) was different from the original sketch (left). According to the majority of Weibo’s netizens, the designers of the 3D version had mistaken Kang Kang’s paws for balls, resulting in a monkey with ‘tumors’ growing from his head.

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Kang Kang appeared in the promo video that was broadcasted before the CCTV Spring Gala, where the ‘tumors’ had seemed to have disappeared:

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But on the night of the CCTV Gala, Kang Kang did not make its appearance at all. The next day, the question “Where did Kang Kang go?” (#康康去哪儿了#) has become a trending topic on Weibo.

Weibo netizens discuss the various reasons why Kang Kang did not come on the show, with some wondering if he left when he saw the show’s rehearsal, and others suggesting they should file a missing’s person report. There are multiple netizens who think Kang Kang might have carried ‘dangerous goods’ and did not pass the CCTV’s strict security checks.

“We first all thought he was ugly, but we cannot speak ill of the dead,…let’s take a moment of silent,” one netizen says.

“He was just so ugly that he did not dare go on stage,” another Weibo user writes.

Several drawings of a sad Kang Kang are circulating online.

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Meanwhile, CCTV has monkeys on its Weibo account that bear no resemblance to Kang Kang. The question whatever happened to Kang Kang remains unanswered.

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For an overview of the CCTV Gala, the video’s of the performances (without Kang Kang) and all the ins & outs, check out our CCTV Gala 2016 liveblog.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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The Weibo post of popular Chinese actress Ma Yili about China’s useless baby care facilities in public places has received the support from thousands of netizens who all agree that something needs to change about China’s facilities for parents and their infants.

Popular Chinese celebrity couple Ma Yili (马伊琍) and Wen Zhang (文章同學) recently shared their experiences at a baby changing room at Shanghai Airport. When Ma needed to change her daughter’s diaper, they found the infant room was useless, leaving the two embarrassed and angry.

Ma Yili published a long post on her Weibo account recently, in which she criticized the inadequate nursing facilities at the airport, calling them a “disaster”.

In her post, Ma Yili explains that her daughter was suffering from a stomach ache when they were at Shanghai Airport, and that she needed a clean diaper quickly. In the room, Ma Yili discovered there was no place to wash her hands, forcing her to use the tap in the ladies’ room. There was also no baby-changing station; her daughter needed to stand while changing the diapers. As a result, her pants were stained with poop. Even worse, according to Ma Yili, there was no hand sanitizer in the dispenser. At that time, the boarding time for her flight was approaching and she had no other choice but to throw away the dirty pants and cover her daughter with her jacket. Ma Yili shared her anger about the inadequate facilities with all of her 42 million followers.

Her post had accumulated around 240,000 likes by February 15, within just five days time, becoming a trending topic (hashtag “Ma Yili deems infant rooms useless” #马伊琍称母婴室形同虚设#). Many followers said that they were happy with Ma sharing her story, as it reflects their own experiences with baby changing rooms in China.

Ma continued to complain on Weibo that most of the nursing rooms in China fail to understand the mother’s needs and do not provide the proper equipment. Most of China’s high-end shopping malls provide proper facilities to change baby’s diapers, but this is not the case for domestic airports and railway stations.

Ma also shares her experiences as a breastfeeding mother: she visited many nursing rooms during her trips all over China but disappointedly she was unable to find one with proper wash basins and socket outlets – usually there was just a table and a chair. But except for a chair, according to Ma, breastfeeding mums also need sockets to connect breast pumps. Ma says that there have been times when she had to manually pump breast milk inside the toilet while the people waiting outside started to knock on the door telling her to hurry up.

Ma finished her post by urging train stations and airports to provide proper baby-changing stations, sinks, chairs, electrical outlets and garbage bins in all nursing rooms in the near future.
Most of the Weibo netizens agreed with Ma Yili and shared their own embarrassing situations in China’s baby changing rooms.

Weibo netizen Shanshan said: “I hope this post will get make the public more aware about mothers’ needs so that we can go out with our children in a more convenient way.”

Another mother commented that she found that nursing rooms in Japan were well-equipped with a sofa and a table, a tap for parents to wash hands, a baby changing station and a separate section for breastfeeding: “That’s why I like Japan more than China”, she says.

– By Jen Tang
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post Chinese Famous Actress Calls China’s Infant Rooms “Disastrous” appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Getting married is a costly affair in China. Especially in China’s rural areas, families on the men’s side are expected to pay staggering prices to the bride’s family before marriage.

Earlier this week, news of a pregnant woman forced into abortion by her father after her husband-to-be could not afford her bride price became trending on Sina Weibo. The father of the bride wanted him to pay 200,000 RMB (30,680 US$) to get married to his daughter.

Bride prices are a long-standing tradition in China. A ‘bride price’ is an amount of money or goods paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s family upon marriage. Since China’s gender imbalance has made it more difficult for men to find a bride, the ‘bridewealth’ prices have gone up drastically. This holds especially true for the poorer, rural areas in China.

CCTV’s TV programme News 1+1 explores the bride price phenomenon in their programme about the ‘price of love’.

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According to CCTV, the bride price phenomenon has changed significantly over the past fifty years. During the 1950s, the ‘bridewealth’ would mostly consist of some material items such as a thermos bottle or bedding. In later decades, this changed to more costly things such as furniture, radio’s, watches, or a sewing machine.

But in the rural areas of contemporary China, the bride price is now all about hard cash. In some places, like in Shandong province, it is common for the bride’s family to ask for more than 100,000 RMB (15,340 US$) before their daughter marries – a staggering figure for average rural households in Shandong province.

According to sociologist Zhang Yi (张翼), who was interviewed by CCTV, rising bride prices have three major reasons. The first is China’s gender imbalance, that has caused a surplus in men, making it statistically more difficult for them to find a wife. The second reason has to do with the population division in China – the majority of China’s single, young men live in the rural areas, whereas the majority of China’s single young women live in the bigger cities. It has caused a highly competitive marriage market, where the bride’s families can ask for a high price. The third reason is the growing trend of the so-called “bride price culture”, where many families now feel a low bride price means losing face – if one’s daughter or future wife is ‘too cheap’ it is generally seen as a bad thing, both by the bride’s side as the groom’s.

According to Zhang Yi, is is highly unlikely that bride prices will go down in the decade to come.

On Weibo, not all netizens seem convinced that CCTV’s conclusion about the sky-high bride prices is realistic: “I’m from the countryside, but I’ve never heard about sky-high bride prices,” one netizen comments.

Another Weibo user says: “Where I’m from, the bride price is used to take back home and is considered the “start-up capital” (启动资金) for the new family.”

Some netizens see the sky-high bride prices as a serious problem: “Authorities should standardise bride prices, based on the average income of the locals. Whoever exceeds the standardised price should be punished by law as a human trafficker,” one netizen writes.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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Chinese opinion leader Ren Zhiqiang is no longer on Weibo as of February 28. After critiquing the Party for the second time within six months, his accounts across China’s social media were closed by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Ren Zhiqiang (任志强) has become the talk of the week – both in China’s domestic media, as in the international headlines. The Chinese opinion leader (38 million Weibo followers) and retired real estate entrepreneur, who is known for his critical stance on political and social issues, commented on President’s Xi’s February 19 tour of Chinese media through his Weibo account earlier this week.

According to Ren, China’s media should serve the people – not the government. “When all media have surnames and do not represent the people’s interests, the people will be cast aside into a forgotten corner!” he wrote on his Weibo (The Economist).

Just five months ago, Ren Zhiqiang was also hot news on Sina Weibo. Ren Zhiqiang then responded to a Weibo post of the Communist Youth League (the youth movement of the Communist Party of China) that reiterated their strong belief in communism. Ren replied with a post titled “Are we the successors of Communism?”

In his blog, Ren critiqued the Communist Youth League, saying: “We’ve been deceived by these communist slogans for years!” He wrote about his experience with communism in the past, and shared his views for it in the future.

“We’ve been deceived for years. The Cultural Revolution only let me know the class struggle under a proletarian dictatorship. And that there is no next generation of communism,” Ren wrote: “The invincible Mao Zedong Thought has let thousands of people starve to death, and we don’t even know who many people died through persecution during the Cultural Revolution. Maybe even more people died because of wrong political policies than because of the war.”

The post instantly became a trending topic and received thousands of messages of sympathy from Weibo users. Although the discussion about communism was moderated by Weibo censors, commenters did write some strong uncensored statements (“what the f*ck is communism?!“)

But with his critique of the past week, Ren seemed to have taken it too far. His Weibo account has now been closed. Dagongbao writes on Weibo: “On February 28, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) ordered Sina, Tencent and other blogs to comply with the law and close Ren Zhiqiang’s accounts. As stated by CAC spokesperson Jiang Jun, netizens have reported Ren Zhiqiang to have a negative influence and persistently publish illegal news.”

The news of Ren’s Weibo account being shut down (“任志强微博被关”) was shared amongst Weibo netizens, with some finding it hard to believe. “Was Ren Zhiqiang’s account really closed?” Shenzhen Interview wonders: “It seems to be real..”.

Chinese television pundit and writer Sima Nan (司马南) responded to the issue on Weibo with a somewhat cryptic comment, saying that “Ren Zhiqiang has broken the rules, but the issue is definitely not as simple as just breaking Party discipline,” and that “this issue of critiquing Party discipline should be handled within the Party.” He also insinuated that there was no freedom of speech on the internet and wrote that “the only solution is to learn from America’s CIA”. Although his post initially attracted over 4855 comments, a few minutes later only 11 comments remained uncensored (see screenshots).

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Although Ren Zhiqiang no longer has a Weibo account, his name is not blocked from China’s (social) media. How and what is discussed, however, remains moderated by Weibo’s censors. In that regards, it is business as usual. Ren’s statements of last September, that remained online for nearly six months, now seem to have been the exception to the rule.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post How Ren Zhiqiang Disappeared From China’s Social Media appeared first on What's on Weibo.

An awkward media moment has got Weibo talking. When CCTV reported that actor and director Zhang Guoli advocated for stronger monitoring of web dramas at China’s plenary sessions, the actor posted that he had not spoken at all yet.

Actor and director Zhang Guoli (张国立) was attacked by Weibo netizens after CCTV reported he pleaded for stronger monitoring of Chinese online dramas at the ‘lianghui'(两会), China’s plenary sessions. The actor then went online to defend himself, saying: “Dear friends at CCTV, I haven’t even made a statement yet!”

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Although Zhang Guoli’s comment was soon deleted or removed by Weibo’s censors, the moment was reported by other Weibo accounts, attracting the attention of Weibo’s netizens.

Global Times also reported the incident. “The media is always like this,” one netizen responds: “they report about a speech before someone has actually spoken!” Many netizens seem to think the situation is hilarious, expressing their amusement with laughing emoji’s.

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Zhang has over 570000 fans on his official Weibo account. The actor is especially known for his roles playing the Emperor in various costume dramas about imperial China.

According to Global Times, the actor exclusively stated to one of their reporters at the Lianghui that he did not make the reported statements about monitoring online dramas (see featured image).

Zhang+Guoli+Back+1942+Portrait+Session+7th+RTleCuEwhkXl Zhang Guoli, picture via Zimbio.

Although many Chinese media outlets have now published about Zhang’s denying the stricter monitoring issue, the former report that is titled “Zhang Guoli: online dramas need stricter monitoring – you cannot just put everything on the internet” is still online and republished by different Chinese media sources. The article states that Zhang “made a strong appeal to strengthen the supervision over the entire process of online soap operas.”

Update 21.30 (China Time Zone):

On Twitter, CCTV America digital producer Du Yubin tweeted to Voice of America SE Asia bureau chief Steven L Herman and What’s on Weibo, suggesting that Zhang is not speaking the truth in denying he has made the statement.

@W7VOA @manyapan @cctvnews @WhatsOnWeibo CCTV published the video showing what exactly he said. And he deleted the weibo

— DU Yubin (@du_yubin) March 5, 2016

What Zhang Guoli said is here: 30 sec for the twitter video limit. pic.twitter.com/dHYIJ95Igg

— DU Yubin (@du_yubin) March 5, 2016

Translation: “(…) Because now all web dramas are done independently, and when they are finished they go online. It’s self-examination. But you haven’t talked about the scale – everything just goes online. And many dramas come out, it strongly reflects modern times. Now again, this has already been dealt with. I also wanted to raise this proposal, but it was already decided before. Afterwards it must be like this, which is first examine and report for approval, and then make it (..).”

As the video does not show the time or context of this speech, the situation remains unclear.

On Weibo, netizens are also discussing the video, that was posted by Sina Weibo. One Weibo netizen says: “The problem is that there is a video where he backs this proposal.” Other Weibo users respond: “This clearly is about a proposal by the SARFT [State Administration of Radio, Film and Television] and not about his own proposal,” and: “It was not his proposal, and the first part of the video is audio only.” Another netizen says: “He did not delete his own post, it was deleted.”

The issue now seems to have become one of CCTV versus Global Times, where both Chinese media outlets are reporting a different story – a true media circus.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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Top TV drama ‘The Imperial Doctress’ (明代女医师) brings the most famous female doctor of the Ming Dynasty to the TV screen. Tan Yunxian (谈允贤), who lived from 1461-1554, has become a recurring topic on Chinese social media.

T an Yunxian (谈允贤) was a female physician during the Ming Dynasty in China, a time when Confucian ethics played a crucial role in everyday life and women had a low status in society.

‘The Imperial Doctress’ (明代女医师), also known as ‘Ming Medicine Woman’, is a costume drama produced in mainland China in 2015 and aired daily since February 13th 2016 on Dragon TV (东方卫视) (19:30, 50 episodes total). The drama is directed by Li Guoli, Zheng Weiwen and Lu Zeliang (李国立、郑伟文、卢泽良).

The costume drama tells the story of the Tans, a family that has the doctor profession in its bloodline – even its past ancestors were imperial doctors. But when the family is set up by a grudgeful enemy, the royal court no longer allows them to practice medicine. Young daughter Tan Yunxian, played by Liu Shi Shi (刘诗诗, a.k.a. Cecelia Liu) secretly learns the art of medicine from her grandmother and helps to cure plagues and illnesses among the common people. The drama follows her as she grows up and struggles with her pursuit to become the doctor she wants to be. Emperor Zhu Qi Zhen (actor Wallace Huo) comes to play an important role in fulfilling her destiny (Viki 2016).

The openening song and first episode of The Imperial Doctress

Tan Yunxian lived from 1461-1554. Her great-grandfather was a physician, as was her grandmother and grandfather, who passed their knowledge on to her. Tan Yunxian was a wife and a mother of four children, and combined these roles with learning to be a doctor. She started practicing medicine by treating her own children, and checking her diagnoses with her grandmother. She later on treated others, only women, for different illnesses (Ebrey 2009, 231).

Tan Yunxian became the first known female doctor in China to write about her work. Her writings have recently been translated by Lorraine Wilcox and Yue Lu in Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor (2015 – Amazon link). The book consists of one volume with 31 different cases.

As explained in the book’s synopsis about Tan Yunxian: “Tan Yunxian primarily treated women in her practice, and these records reflect insights into the pathology of female patients that male practitioners might not have been privy to. At this time, a wealthy woman could not see a male doctor without having a male relative such as her father, husband, or son present. Modesty was the utmost female virtue. The male doctor questioned the husband, not the woman herself. He might not be allowed to see her face. He needed to ask for permission to feel her pulse. Therefore, because Tan was a woman, she was allowed by her female patients to do things that a male doctor could not, and this intimacy in turn led to a better diagnosis of the patient’s problems.”

Tan Yunxian lived to be 93 years old.

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The TV series about Tan has already become a great success; it is currently one of most popular TV dramas in China according to Baidu charts. On Sina Weibo, netizens seem mostly very positive about the show. Under the hashtag of ‘Imperial Doctress’ (#女医明妃传#), fans share their love for the series with hearts and smiling emoticons.

In a world were female doctors were extremely rare, and women had a low status and were not expected to go out and be ambitious, Tan Yunxian could definitely, as the World of Chinese says, be described as a “Badass Lady of Chinese History”.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

References
Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. 2009. “East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Volume II: From 1600.” Boston & NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

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The titles of Chinese TV dramas consistently pop up in the daily top trending lists of Sina Weibo. After featuring an overview of the most-watched Chinese TV dramas in 2015, What’s on Weibo has now compiled a list of 10 popular TV dramas in mainland China in 2016. These are the most-watched and most-discussed dramas according to Weibo and Baidu charts of March 2016.

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#1 Descendents of the Sun (太阳的后裔/태양의 후예)

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War & Romance Drama / 2016 South Korea
Aired since February 24 2016 / KBS2 / 16 episodes
Directed by Li Yingfu / Lee Eung-Bok (李应福)

The number one of this list is the only drama out of these ten that was not produced in mainland China; it was made in South Korea, and it is a huge success both in Korea as in the PRC.

‘Descendents of the Sun’ tells the story of the unlikely romance between special forces captain Shi-Jin (Song Joong-Ki) and surgeon Mo-Yeon (Song Hye-Kyo). After their initial love-at-first-sight encounter, Shi-Jin and Mo-Yeon soon discover they have very different outlooks on life.

While out on a military mission, Shi-Jin has to fight and hurt people in order to protect his people, whereas Mo-Yeon does all she can to keep people alive – no matter what ethnicity, religion or culture they have. But despite their strong differences, Shi-Jin and Mo-Yeon cannot let go of each other.

A large part of this drama was filmed in Greece. The series can be viewed on Viki.

#2 The Imperial Doctress (明代女医师)

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Costume Drama / 2016 Mainland China
Aired since February 16 2016 / Online Drama / 50 episodes
Directed by Li Guoli (李国立), Zheng Weiwen (郑伟文) & Lu Zeliang (卢泽良)

‘The Imperial Doctress’, also known as ‘Ming Medicine Woman’, brings the most famous female doctor of the Ming Dynasty to the TV screen. Tan Yunxian (谈允贤) lived in the Ming Dynasty from 1461-1554, and was a female physician in a time when Confucian ethics played a crucial role in everyday life and women had a low status in society.

foxspirit
Costume & Fantasy Drama / 2016 Mainland China
Aired Since February 8, 2016 / Hunan TV / 40 episodes
Directed by Lin Yufen (林玉芬), Gao Linbao (高林豹) and Xu Huikang (徐惠康)

‘The Legend of the Qing Qiu Fox’ aka ‘The Legend of the Nine Tails Fox’ is a drama that consists of different supernatural stories and folktales about fox spirits and ghosts, based on work by Pu Songling.

Pu Songling was a Qing dynasty writer. His most famous work is the classical Chinese Liaozhai Zhiyi (Strange Tales from a Make-do Studio), a collection of stories about ghosts, spirits, and other extraordinary phenomena.

The drama can be watched through Viki.

#4 Far Away Love (远得要命的爱情)

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Urban & Family Drama / 2016 Mainland China
First aired March 1 / 36 episodes
Directed by Niu Le (牛乐) and Zhu Shimao (朱时茂)

‘Far Away Love’ tells the story of the romance between Shen An (沈岸, played by Korean actor Park Haejin) and Meng Chuxia (孟初夏, played by Li Fei’er).

Meng Chuxia is a kind-hearted and optimistic single 28-year-old ‘shengnu’ (‘leftover woman’) who takes care of the son of her long lost sister. Shen An is a businessman who has returned to China from overseas to start a new company. When Shen An and Meng Chuxia meet, they are both not expecting to find love. Shen An is engaged to be married and Meng Chuxia is struggling to raise her teenage nephew. But despite their life situations, different (hidden) pasts and prejudices, you can probably guess what happens..

AsiaStarz writes that this drama was already produced in 2013, but was only aired now due to the strict Chinese TV censorship policies.

This drama is popular in both China and Korea because of the lead played by Park Haejin, who is very popular in South Korea and mainland China. The actor also stars in the Korean television series “Cheese in the Trap,” which is also extremely popular in China. The series were sold to Chinese video platforms Youku and Tudou for $125,000 per episode – the highest price ever paid for a Korean cable drama according to the Korea Herald.

#5 Because of Love (因为爱情有幸福)

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Love & Family Drama / 2016 Mainland China
First aired February 24 / Hunan TV (湖南卫视) / 70 episodes
Directed by Liu Junjie (刘俊杰)

‘Because of Love’, also known as ‘The Love of Happiness’, revolves around Lu Xiaonan (by Tang Yixin aka Tina Tang), an independent and strong woman who has just married to Kevin (William Chan), who has returned to China from America. As the newlyweds form a new family, Kevin gets reconnected to his roots as he finds the family he lost when he was young. But the reconnection with his family does not bring the anticipated happiness as memories from the past resurface, making Xiaonan and Kevin having to face difficulties in their young marriage.

The first episode can be viewed here.

#6 The Three Heroes and Five Gallants (五鼠闹东京)

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Costume Drama / 2016 Mainland China
First aired February 17, 2016 / Anhui TV / 42 episodes
Directed by Wu Jiatai (吴家骀)

Based on the work by the 19th century Chinese writer Shi Yukun, this drama tells the 11th century story of the loyal knights who supported the legendary judge Bao Zheng in his fight against crime and corruption.

The first episode can be viewed here.

#7 The Legend of Mi Yue (芈月传)

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Costume and Historical Drama / 2015 Mainland China
First aired November 30, 2015 / Dongfang & Beijing TV / 81 episodes
Directed by Zheng Xiaolong (郑晓龙)

‘The Legend of Mi Yue’ tells the story of the first influential stateswoman of China, who lived over 2000 years ago. Just like the ‘Imperial Doctress‘, this drama also tells about the trials and tribulations of a strong female figure from China’s history.

Mi Yue, daughter of King Wei of Chu, was the first stateswoman in the history of China. The drama details her turbulent life, as Mi Yue becomes a concubine, gets separated her from first love Huang Xie, is banished, and eventually rises to power as the first Empress Dowager in China’s history (wiki). For more about Mi Yue, also read this article from the Women of China website.

The role of Mi Yue is played by renowned actress Sun Li (孙俪), who has previously won awards for best actress of China.

#8 The Lover’s Lies (爱人的谎言)

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Love & Family Drama / 2016 Mainland China
First aired February 24, 2016 / LETV / 50 episodes
Directed by Yu Zhonghe (余中和) and Lin Hongjie (林宏杰)

When Tong Sijie (童四季) becomes an orphan at an early age, she struggles and has to work different jobs to take care of her siblings. Then she meets the rich Yiyi – a love that seems to written in the stars. Just when Sijie and Yiyi decide they want to stay together forever, Yiyi’s dominant mother interferes in their relationship, spreading lies that drift the two lovers apart.

Check out the opening tune and the first episode here.

#9 Nirvana in Fire (琅琊榜)

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Costume & Historical Drama / 2015 Mainland China
First aired September 19th, 2015 / Beijing TV / 54 episodes
Directed by Kong Sheng (孔笙) and Li Xue (李雪)

‘Nirvana in Fire‘ takes place in fourth century China, during the war between the feudal Northern Wei and Southern Liang dynasties. The story revolves around Lin Shu, the 19-year-old only child of General Lin Xie who is fighting in this war and does all he can to seek justice for him and his family. The series is based on the work by author Hai Yan.

The drama has won several awards.

#10 Addiction (上瘾)

Gay Love Drama / 2016 Mainland China
First aired January 29th, 2016 / Beijing TV / 15 episodes
Directed by Ding Wei (丁伟)

This popular drama, that is also known under the English name of ‘Addicted’ or ‘Heroin’, is about the special bond that evolves between two young men Bai Luoyin (Xu Wei Zhou) and Gu Hai (Johnny Huang Jingyu). Bai, who lives with his father and grandmother, gets connected to Gu Hai when Bai’s mother remarries to Gu Hai’s father. Gu Hai harbors a deep grudge towards his father since his mother’s death, and the two men, both dealing with their family situations and personal conflicts, start to develop feelings for each other.

The show became big news in late February when media reported that the drama was taken offline by Chinese censors for showing “abnormal sexual relationships and behaviours”.

Although the drama was taken offline, it is still in the best-watched ranks.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post Overview of China’s 2016 Top TV Dramas appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Pictures and a video of Dutch men emptying boxes of milk powder over Chinese tourists in Amsterdam have become trending on Chinese social media networks Weixin and Weibo. Many netizens are angry with the men for insulting Chinese people. A commission has been set up to take legal actions against them.

Chinese media report that two Dutch young men have recently attacked Chinese people with milk powder on the streets in Amsterdam. According to Sina Weibo News, a Chinese netizen wrote on January 25 that two men in Amsterdam were looking out for Chinese people to pass by in the streets of Amsterdam, asking them if they wanted milk powder and then emptying a box of milk powder on them.

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According to Sina Weibo News, the attacks took place because Dutch people are not happy with Chinese people buying up milk powder in Amsterdam.

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The attacks occurred at different locations in Amsterdam, amongst others at the beginning of the Zeedijk, which is also known as Amsterdam’s ‘China Town’, and at the Stadhouderskade near the Heineken Brewery, which are both popular tourist places.

In the video, you can hear young men asking Asian-looking tourists if they want to buy some Nutrilon milk powder for twenty euros. They then proceed to throw milk powder over the tourists. “In the Netherlands, they are open about drugs and prostitution, and there is a free market, what’s the problem with buying milk powder?” one Weibo netizen wonders. “Only losers would take out their own frustration on other people like that,” another user responds. “They are only wasting milk powder like this!” one other Weibo netizen writes.

The two boys, who are named Rome Terbeek en Kenzo Hanter, have apologized for their actions in another video after their ‘prank’ caused controversy on social media in the Netherlands. In the video they say: “Hereby we would like to apologize for the prank we did in Amsterdam. We don’t have anything against Chinese or foreigners, but that is what it is made to look like now. We thought it would be a funny video and never thought it would turn out this way.” Their apology was also covered by Chinese media.

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Although the prank allegedly had no connection with Chinese buying up milk powder, Chinese media do connect this issue to earlier incidents where the ‘panic buying’ of milk powder has led to aggression, such as in last November in Rotterdam, where two Chinese got into a fight over milk powder (screenshot below).

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The boys have apologized, but the video and pictures have already become a much-discussed trending topic on Weibo under different hashtags, one being “Chinese splashed with milk powder” (#华人被泼奶粉#). Most Chinese netizens think the news has a direct connection to China’s milk powder problem, and many people are angry at the young men for insulting and bullying Chinese people this way and scold them on Weibo: “You fuckers really have a problem!” or “These fuckers really deserve a beating”, and “We should spill something over these son-of-a-bitches!” and “I only have a middle finger for you two!”

Chinese state media Xinhua and Tencent News report that the Chinese embassy hopes that legal measures will be taken against the two boys. The Chinese embassy in The Hague has stated on 27 January: “We are shocked that this nasty incident has happened in the Netherlands. We hope that the Dutch side will legally deal with this incident and that they will take the necessary measures to avoid such a thing happening again” (“我们对在荷兰发生这样的恶劣事件感到震惊，希望荷方依法处理并采取必要措施，避免此类事件再次发生”).

According to Xinhua News, Chinese media has been in touch with Dutch criminal lawyers, who think that the conduct of the two Dutch men could be classified as slander, discrimination, and bringing intentional harm to others. The Chinese community in the Netherlands has held a meeting and has decided to set up the “Dutch Overseas Chinese Rights Commission” (“荷兰华侨华人维权委员会”). They have asked the victims of the incident to come forward, as the Commission will help them in taking legal action against the men.

“This might have been just a street prank,” one netizen says: “but the issue of milk powder is a very sensitive one for Chinese people. It is just as insulting as it would be for a Muslim to be confronted with a pig’s head.”

Some examples of Chinese (state) media covering this news:
– Global Times
– Phoenix News
– Epoch Times
– China Youth
– China Bridge
– Sina News
– China News Service
– Sohu News

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Screenshot of China Bridge News, naming the two boys and quoting a social media comment of a netizen who calls himself Geert Wilders (a well-known Dutch politician) and who says: “Guys guys, why would you do this? You know Nutrilon doesn’t care about this, they make loads of money.” He also says: “Why would you bully Chinese people? They are very well integrated in the Netherlands! They are always very calm, why don’t you dare to bully people of other nationalities?”

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post Chinese People Attacked with Milk Powder in Amsterdam appeared first on What's on Weibo.

The 21-year-old American student Otto Warmbier joined a Chinese tour group to Pyongyang in late December, where he was later arrested and given 15 years of hard labour for crimes against the state. The news has got Weibo talking.

Yonhap News reported on March 16 that the North Korean Supreme Court sentenced the 21-year-old Virginian student Otto Warmbier to 15 years of hard labour in a public trial. Warmbier is suspected of stealing a political poster in a Pyongyang Hotel in January of this year. His conviction for ‘crimes against the state’ was reported by several Chinese media and shared on Sina Weibo, where many netizens don’t seem to sympathize much with the US citizen.

“What was he doing there anyway?” many netizens wonder. Other netizens draw a comparison between China and North Korea; “This punishment sounds very familiar..” is a comment made by multiple Weibo users. “North Korea is no joke,” one netizen comments: “If it wasn’t for the reform policies of Deng Xiaoping, we would also be in a similar situation.”

“This boy was too bold, too naive, and did not understand that some countries are really scary. I would never dare to go to North Korea, and if I did, I would never pull something like that,” one netizen writes.

News of Warmbier’s arrest was first released by North Korean state media on January 22 (see screenshot, from the North Korean state news agency website). Young Pioneers Tours, the budget travel group joined by Warmbier, also released a statement about his arrest on the same day.

North Korean Statement whatsonweio

Chinese news portal The Observer and CCTV report that Warmbier committed the crime in return for financial compensation from an American church group, the Friendship United Methodist Church, that promised him a 10,000 US dollar second-hand car for the poster. In case he would be detained, the church group had promised to give his mother 200,000 US dollar. The church allegedly had close connections with the American CIA. The Friendship United Methodist Church released an official statement on its website, saying they prayed for Warmbier’s quick and safe return, and that “any further comment would neither be appropriate or helpful while the student is still being detained.”

Information about the alleged agreement between Warmbier and the church was shared by Warmbier himself, who spoke at a government-arranged news conference in Pyongyang on Monday February 29th – but it is unknown if Warmbier was forced into this confession, that seemed rehearsed and unnatural (see footage of press conference below).

Many of Weibo netizens believe that the American church group ordered Warmbier to commit the crime: “There have always been connections between religious groups and spies,” one Weibo user comments.
“What kind of church is this?! How scary!” others write.

“In China there are also more and more followers of Christianity, maybe this is also a movement that is secretly supported by the Americans,” one netizen says.

“This guy is just a victim,” another Weibo user says: “If the relations between North Korea and the United States don’t improve, he might be stuck there for life.”

Another Weibo netizens expresses a different view: “He’s treated well, gets to learn Korean for free, and can write a book about his experiences and make money with it when he gets home!”

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post American Student Gets 15 Years of Hard Labour in North Korea For Stealing Poster appeared first on What's on Weibo.

International media have reported that the Dutch ‘soccer superstar’ Johan Cruyff (克鲁伊夫) has died at the age of 68 due to cancer. As the news was immediately shared thousands of times on Chinese social media, he became a top trending topic on Sina Weibo.

China’s netizens collectively respond to the news that Dutch soccer legend Cruyff (克鲁伊夫, Kèlǔyīfū) has died. Many people react with disbelief: “How is this possible? He was so young!” Others respond by posting candles and crying emoticons for what some call the “emperor of soccer”.

“The world’s most legendary number 14 has died,” one Chinese student writes. The reactions to Cruyff’s death on Chinese social media come in great numbers. Just an hour after news of his death came out, over 3.1 million Chinese Weibo users read about Cruyff’s passing, and commented on it and shared it.

Overall, the Cruyff’s Chinese fans express their grief with his death and their respect for his career: “The soccer world has lost its godfather, but your philosophy remains. Don’t forget to wear your soccer shoes in heaven. I salute you,” one fan says.

“Windmills, tulips and Cruyff”

Cruyff enjoyed great popularity in China. As many Dutch who have been to China will know, the standard reply after telling Chinese taxi drivers where you are from will be: “Holland? I know Holland! Windmills, tulips and Cruyff!”

One Chinese netizen writes in response to his death: “I have never actually seen Cruyff play, but when I was young and into soccer, stories about the legendary Cruyff were everywhere. He is the reason why Chinese people started to love Dutch soccer.”

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Johan Cruyff gained fame as a forward with Ajax and Barcelona. He became European footballer of the year three times, and won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax from 1971. News of Cruyff suffering from lung cancer came out in October last year.

“Your achievements have deeply influenced the soccer community”

The news of Cruyff’s death was reported by different Chinese state media, including CCTV and People’s Daily. Several online soccer pages dedicate multiple posts to the life and career of the soccer star. Under the hashtag of “Cruyff passed away” (#克鲁伊夫逝世#), Cruyff’s Chinese fans share pictures and mainly respond with digital candles and digital tears on China’s social media platform Sina Weibo.

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One football player writes on Weibo: “Cruyff is gone. Farewell, Godfather. I am not of your generation, but your past achievements and contributions have deeply influenced the soccer community and its fans. I am one of those fans who you’ve had a great impact on. I am a loyal Barcelona fan, and for me, you are the initiator of the Barcelona style. I hope you’ll find peace in heaven.”

“You will now join the heaven team”

On online message board Zhihu, Chinese netizens respond on an old thread that evaluates the football talent of Cruyff: “Needless to say, he was great,” one Zhihu users says: “The best way to describe or evaluate him is as a football angel. What Michael Jordan is to basketball, is what Cruyff was to soccer.”

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“Cruyff, founder of the total soccer strategy, Godfather of Barcelona, Flying Dutchman – you were not just king of the ball, you were more than king of the ball. The 68-year old football talent. Oh, my perfection and humour are gone now that you’re no longer here,” one netizen named Robert writes with crying emoticons.

“A flying star like you will be home in heaven,” one netizen says. Another Weibo user also writes a tearful goodbye: “Farewell, emperor of football. You will now join the heaven team.”

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– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post Dutch Soccer Superstar Cruyff (克鲁伊夫) Passes Away, Chinese Fans Respond With Candles and Tears appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Seek McCartney (寻找罗麦) is the first gay movie to be on screen in mainland China. Its long-awaited release is noteworthy, especially since a popular Chinese gay drama was recently pulled offline by censors.

Seek McCartney, also known under the title of Looking for Rohmer (寻找罗麦), tells the story of the secret romance between a French man and a Chinese national. The movie was first presented at the 67th Cannes Festival in 2014.

The film is a China-France co-production directed by Wang Chao, who is also known for his The Orphan of Anyang. Leading actors include the French actor Jeremie Elkaim and Chinese pop singer and actor Han Geng (韩庚).

According to Chinese media platform NetEase, Wang Chao already stated on his Weibo account in August 2015 that Seek McCartney was approved by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT, China’s media watchdog). A day later, Han Geng also wrote about the “reunion with McCartney”, implicating that the movie would be in cinemas in China.

Now, six months later, the movie’s official trailer was finally released, bringing the movie back to the focus of public attention.

Although Seek McCartney officially is China’s first ‘homosexual movie’ to hit the big screen, the film’s trailer shows few signs of the story’s sexual orientation. According to Chinese online magazine QDaily, this may have been the safest option for the producers, as the State Administration recently released new regulations that forbid “homosexuality” in filmography, as it supposedly conveys “unnatural” values of love (Guangming Online).

These new regulations made international headlines when China’s popular gay-themed web series ‘Addiction‘ (上瘾) was recently pulled offline by censors due to the narrative’s sexual orientation. The show’s cancellation caused much commotion online.

Shortly before these regulations were implemented, the State Administration was sued by Chinese film director & gay activist Fan Popo, as his 2012 documentary on homosexuality Mama Rainbow (彩虹伴我心) was removed from all online video platforms by December 2014. The State Administration lost the case – a ‘historical’ verdict, according to Chinese media.

All media products, especially TV programmes, series and movies, are required to undergo censorship of the State Administration. Only when approved can the products be aired or put online.

In the end of 2014, the highly anticipated TV series The Empress of China was recalled by the State Administration shortly after broadcast, only to be released again early in 2015. Viewers noticed that the the empress showed no cleavage in the re-released version, and virtually all scenes were processed in order to be less “obscure”. The official explanation was that the State Administration had received complaints from the audience that the series was “unfit for underages”.

cleavage The Empress of China: scene before and after State Administration processing.

Meanwhile, on Sina Weibo, Seek McCartney is already rated with 4,5 stars, with many netizens anticipating its official release: “I really look forward to this film,” one netizen comments: “not just because of the excellent actor Han Geng and his role in it, but also because of its theme – I hope it can help to promote equal love.”

–By Diandian Guo
©2016 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

The post Mainland China’s ‘First Gay Movie’ in Cinemas Soon appeared first on What's on Weibo.

With now over 8 million followers on Sina Weibo, Papi Chan is the new kid on the block when it comes to China’s online celebrities. Although China’s ‘online celebrity economy’ is often criticized, Papi might bring more than fame and money alone.

‘I am Papi Chan, a woman embodied with beauty and talent’ – this is the tagline of the 2016 newly emerging internet celebrity in China, Papi Chan.

swpage Screenshot of Papi Chan’s Weibo page, that has over 8 million fans.

Apart from attracting hundreds of thousands of fans for her short videos, Papi Chan is the top news on Chinese media recently for the 1,200,000 RMB (±184,000 US$) investment she received.

‘Papi酱’ literally reads as ‘Papi Jiang’. ‘Jiang’ is commonly used as the Chinese translation of ‘chan’, the Japanese diminutive suffix for intimacy, used for close friends or cute girls – an agreed term used among lovers of Japanese pop culture.

China’s online celebrities

Papi Chan is not the first rich internet celebrity in China. A recent ChinaNet article reviewed the top ten internet celebrities in China whose online fame brings in cash, and amongst many of the Forbes 2016 world’s richest list are many young Chinese billionaires. Getting rich as a social media star is a hot way of generating cash (also see by “The Youtube Effect of WeChat & Weibo“).

The ChinaNet list includes Wang Sicong (王思聪), son of Wang Jianlin, owner of China’s biggest real-estate developer group. Rich and open-speaking, the young man attracts millions of fans on Sina Weibo, and is jokingly labeled as China’s “national husband” (国民老公).

Another celebrity on the list is Sister Milk-tea (奶茶妹妹). In 2009, the then high-school girl drew attention with a photo of her in school uniform with a cup of milk tea in hand, standing in the classroom. Sister Milk-Tea implies the labels netizens attach to her: innocent, lovely and lovable. Recently, however, Sister Milk-Tea attracted a new wave of attention with her marriage to JD.com founder Liu Qiangdong. The girl is now reportedly in charge of millions of capital.

Gathering online fame as a new way to increase individual capital value draws the attention even of official media like Xinhuanet. While marveling at how immaterial fame and popularity in the intangible digital world can translate into solid cash and market value, there are also doubts about so-called internet celebrity economy (网红经济). A HuanqiuNet comment says lack of originality and sustainability are the major weak points of such an economy.

How the brand effect of internet celebrities can be materialized in practice is also of concern to the now industrialized production chain.

Papi Chan: a breath of fresh air

The money and attention Papi Chan receives, however, should not divert attention from other changes implied in her popularity. A nice looking girl herself, Papi Chan’s success relies more on her talent than on her beauty. In her videos, Papi Chan appears without make-up, plain clothes, acting various roles in exaggeration – something which she herself jokingly calls “serious schizophrenia”.

The current master student at Central Academy of Drama in Beijing pinpoints the most relevant topics in grassroot Chinese life and offers sharp sarcastic critiques. Her video bantering the social and familial pressure faced by young people during Spring Festival is an immediate success. Papi Chan’s talent in observing and reflecting on social issues draws even the attention of Chinese state media platform People.cn, that writes that talented and capable young people like Papi Chan should be respected.

Papichan talks in one of her many online Weibo videos.

Behind Papi Chan’s online success is the change in Chinese netizen’s demand of online entertainment. A QDaily survey shows that people are tired of certain aesthetics in online entertainment, which often entails identical “beautiful” faces, standardized love stories, and highly photoshopped pictures of food and everyday scenes.

One of Papi’s video’s, where she makes fun of those people that everyone has amongst their WeChat friends that they’ve actually never spoken to, until they need something from you..

Papi Chan’s success lies in the content of her videos. She talks about problems that are common and closely related to everyday life of Chinese, and her somewhat blunt words express the feelings of many Chinese Internet users. In that regard, Papi might just be the breath of fresh air Chinese netizens need.

–By Diandian Guo
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post New Weibo Celebrity Papi Chan: More Than Fame and Money appeared first on What's on Weibo.

Following the recent establishment of the Czech-China strategic partnership during Xi’s visit to Europe, CCTV has presented a new cartoon production of the famous Czech Little Mole with a new Chinese friend. Little Mole’s comeback is a trip down memory lane for many Chinese netizens.

Little Mole, also known as Krtek, is a familiar figure to many around the world who grew up with stories of the shy and innocent little creature. Recently, at the opportunity of Chinese President’s state visit to Czech Republic, Little Mole starts his latest adventure with Panda, a new Chinese friend.

On March 28, president Xi Jinping arrived in Prague for a state visit to the Czech Republic. Being China’s second largest trade partner (behind EU) in Europe, Czech Republic is the first stop of Xi’s European visits in 2016. According to Chinanews, this state visit is integral to China’s One Belt, One Road/New Silk Road strategy, and is the beginning of a new promotion of the China-Europe relationship.

As the economic, political and strategic purposes of this visit may appear somewhat unpersonal, a cultural project that was presented during the trip gives the state visit a more friendly touch. A joint 3D cartoon production by CCTV and Little Mole a.s. was released on CCTV Youth on March 28, and is said to be on Czech TV channels soon (China Daily). In this new cartoon, the little Czech mole will go on a new adventure with his Chinese panda friend. The topic was discussed on Weibo under the hashtag #Panda and Little Mole.

Little Mole came to China in the 1980s. At a time when TV was still a luxury, this foreign cartoon became the childhood memory to many born in the 80s and early 90s. Krtek was rated 9.1 on Douban. Under the entry, people write in the short commentary section how they loved the cartoon and how it reminds them of their childhood many years later. Many fans purchase DVDs of Little Mole to preserve their memories from childhood.

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(“Classic Czech cartoon. It is soundless but better than sounds. Looking forward to this cute mole everyday when little.”) (“I liked it since I was a kid. Later I found it for my daughter to watch. That cute mole! How many hearts it has moved.”) (“Watched when little. Hoped that I was a mole, digging with a shovel, digging a home for myself, making trouble for the farmers, helping others sometimes, and becoming friends with rabbits and birds. More than a decade later, I bought the DVD so I can revisit the memory from time to time. Still think the story of little mole is irreplaceable.”)

The intiator of the topic hashtag #Panda and Little Mole on Sina Weibo is apparently a mole fan herself. She described how Little Mole was the TV programme in her kindergarten when kids had to kill time while waiting for their parents to pick them up. She was happy that her parents usually came late, so she could watch Little More longer.

ChinaDaily and CCTV News also posted on Sina Weibo about the cartoon’s screening. While some expressed eagerness to see their childhood favourite on TV again, others are doubtful about the 3D format, saying that the new production will lose the attractiveness of the original 2D version. Some even fear that the new cartoon will ruin their childhood memory. For them, the 2D little mole appears ‘dumb but cute’ (‘蠢萌’ chǔnméng, a positive expression in Chinese).

Panda and Little Mole officially is a cultural production that both conveys Czech-China friendship, and internationally promotes Chinese cartoons. But for the fans of Little Mole- many of whom are raising their own kids now-, Panda and Little Mole provides an opportunity to revisit a collectively-held childhood memory, and to share it with the next generation. Even the fear that the new 3D version will ruin the original charms demonstrates how the memory of Little Mole is still dear to those who grew up with it.

– By Diandian Guo
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

Image from http://littlemole.com/company/
Image from: www.chinaculture.org

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Following David Cameron, Tim Cook and many other prominent international figures, scientist genius Stephen Hawking has now made his entrance on China’s social media platform Sina Weibo.

On April 12, Beijing time 10:12, world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking published his first post on China’s biggest social media platform Sina Weibo in both English and Chinese. In his debut post, Hawking announces his appearance on Weibo, recalls his two previous travels to China, and expresses his wish to continue communication with his “friends in China”.

Hawking’s first Weibo post soon attracted hundreds of thousands of re-posts and comments. Hawking’s official account, @史蒂芬·霍金_StephenHawking, is jointly run by Hawking’s own team and social media company Stradella Road. It has attracted almost 1 million followers so far. All messages with the inscription SH are authentic from Hawking himself.

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Weibo users give the scientist a warm welcome, with many people expressing their exhilaration to have one of the world’s most prominent scientists on Chinese social media, saying that he “will bring up the average IQ of Weibo users”.

Some people show that they are familiar with Hawking’s works, and express their appreciation for his contribution to science. But also for those who are not that familiar with Hawking’s theories, he is still a model figure. Many refer to him as a “God-like figure”, and address him with the Chinese pronoun Nin (您, similar to French vous) instead of Ni (你, similar to French tu) to show their respect. One netizen remarks that Hawking is the most cited figure in his school essays.

Hawking is not the first world celebrity to appear on Sina Weibo. Many famous political figures from the international community preceded him. The first foreign politician to open a Weibo account was the Chinese-American major Huang Jinbo (@黄锦波), who set up his Weibo account on March 31, 2009. Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Michael Rudd (@陆克文先生) is amongst the most active foreign Weibo politicians. Fluent in Chinese and with one daughter settling in Beijing, Kevin gives regular updates in Chinese. Most of his posts are about his connection to China. As for UK prime minister David Cameron (@英国首相); his Weibo account was opened on occasion of his state visit to China in 2013, and has somehow become a platform for Sherlock fans to nudge for new episodes. Former President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy (@欧盟欧洲理事会主席) posts about EU-China relations and other work-related information on Weibo.

yingguo David Cameron wishing his followers a Happy Chinese New Year on Sina Weibo.

Besides more and more famous international politicians getting online through Sina Weibo, a growing number of other world celebrities are now also engaging with China’s social media. Amongst them are big business names like Bill Gates (@billgates) and Tim Cook (@ TimCook), prominent sports figures including Maria Sharapova (@ MariaSharapova) and Andy Murray (@ AndyMurray安迪穆雷), as well as famous showbiz figures such as Hugh Jackman (@ HughJackman) and Tom Cruise (@ officialtomcruise). Not to mention many Asian actors, actresses and singers who also have a Chinese fanbase (for example Japanese AV actress @ 苍井空 and Thai young actor and singer @ Psy_小P).

For foreign politicians and international celebrities, China and the Chinese public is becoming increasingly relevant. Politicians engage with Chinese social media as a type of public diplomacy, striving for a better public image of the countries they represent. For businessmen, sportsmen and movie figures, Weibo is a new platform for public relations to promote themselves and their businesses to a huge Chinese market. Whether it is for the sake of diplomacy, marketing purposes, or for boosting personal careers – international famous people have found their way to Weibo.

Hawking’s Weibo debut, however, seems to differ from that of his predecessors. The scientist has no specific country to represent, no apparent diplomatic purposes to fulfil, nor any explicit business intentions. As he said in his first post, he would like to share his life and his work with his audience, and learn from them through replies. To what extent Hawking’s Weibo account will actually stimulate intellectual exchanges remains to be seen, but his first steps on Weibo seem promising: China’s netizens have welcomed Hawking with open arms.

– By Diandian Guo
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

Read more about foreign politicians on Sina Weibo: http://news.sina.com.cn/w/2013-12-08/144828917509.shtml

The post Welcome to Sina Weibo, Stephen Hawking! appeared first on What's on Weibo.

After Chinese online celebrity ‘Papi Jiang’ (aka ‘Papi Chan’) recently became the target of state censorship, she has now publicly stated that “as a media personality”, she will have to pay more attention to her “words and image.” She promises to adjust her popular videos to meet the guidelines of the state. A Sina survey points out that most of China’s netizens are against Papi’s reprimand.

Papi Jiang (papi酱) is China’s new favorite online celebrity. With her sharp and sarcastic videos that humorously address relevant topics in Chinese society, she has become a top trending Weibo celebrity. But with now over 11 million fans on her official Weibo page, the vlogger has learnt that fame can be a double-edged sword.

“Vulgar language and content”

Papi recently was targeted by censors, who took down her popular videos from all major online video platforms for containing “vulgar content”.

one of papi’s videos, in which she addresses women’s constant struggle to lose weight.

On April 18, state newspaper People’s Daily published a post on its Weibo account (@民日报), announcing that Papi Jiang’s videos have been taken offline by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT). The supposed reason for the removal was that the videos contained “vulgar language and content”. Her videos will be available again once their content is adjusted. This decision was said to be based on public reports and expert evaluation.

National swear word

As of April 18, Papi Jiangs videos are no longer available on Chinese online video platforms. On one of China’s biggest video platforms Youku.com, the search term “Papi酱” gives no relevant results. Search results are still displayed on Aiqiyi.com, but viewing of videos is impossible.

Papi Jiang is known for her creative use of language in her videos, that also contain swear words. They include the Chinese equivalent of f*ck or sh*t, although Papi often uses them with an alternative pronunciation; most of the time, these words are silenced and only the subtitle remains. Some words Papi Jiang uses more freely. One example is the word ‘TaMaDe’ (他妈的, comparable to ‘Damn it!’), wich is considered a “national swear word” (国骂).

“I will watch my words and image”

After the reprimand, Papi made an immediate announcement on Weibo, saying that she is willing to accept the criticism and make adjustments. She also conveyed she supported SAPRFT’s requirement for correction, and that she will attempt to convey “positive power” (正能量) in the future. “As a media personality,” she said: “I will watch my words and my image.” Yang Ming, Papi’s CEO, also expresses the company’s willingness to produce “healthier contents”.

papi

Most netizens, however, do not accept the censors’ decision that easily. According to a Sina survey, more than 70% people are against the decision, believing that internet content should develop its own norms. As for the “healthiness” of online videos in general, around 60% of the surveyees think that the content is overall positive, and that producers are quite ‘disciplined’. For 22% of netizens, “healthiness” of content is not a big concern.

“A positive and healthy cyber culture will be good for everyone”

One day after Papi’s videos were taken down, a symposium on cyberspace security and informatization was held in Beijing (April 19), where President Xi Jinping called for “enhanced development of the Internet and harnessing it for the benefit of the country and the people,” in which “better cyberspace management and a positive and healthy cyber culture will be good for everyone” (Xinhua News).

Many netizens, however, have expressed they believe SAPPRFT’s content censorship is too strict and often unreasonable. One netizen sarcastically commented under the post of People’s Daily (@人民日报): “Why not go back to the old ways and have only the eight Model Operas?”

Side-effect of popularity

There are also jokes about state newspaper People’s Daily, which is ‘Renmin Ribao‘ in Chinese. One comment reads, “I have to stop reading Renmin Ribao now, because there is a ‘Ri‘ in it” [Ri in Chinese is a euphemism of f*ck]

By now, Papi’s Weibo statement has become a well-discussed topic in itself. By Wednesday afternoon, it had received over 61000 comments and 380000 likes. Fans express their unwavering support for Papi, saying that this drawback is just a side-effect of her popularity.

But there are also others who think the adjustments are necessary. “Once you become a public figure, you will need to comply to certain rules. The more popular, the greater your responsibility”, one netizen writes.

As for Papi’s popularity and fame – the reprimand from censors will not harm on it. On the contrary, it has made Papi, once again, the talk of the day.

– By Diandian Guo

Additional editing by Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

The post Papi Jiang: “I’ll Watch My Words” appeared first on What's on Weibo.

How far would a Chinese company go to connect their brand connected to Papi Jiang, China’s rising Weibo superstar? Today’s auction showed that people are willing to pay millions to get an ad in of the popular videos by Papi, who has become China’s national sweetheart.

On April 21, a video ad auction was held in Beijing, in which bidders went as high as 22 million RMB (3,4 million US$) to get Papi Jiang to promote their brand.

The auction starting price was 217.000 RMB (33.555 US$) and increased with 100.000 RMB (15.463 US$) for every bid, Sohu Business reports. Just moments after the auction had started, bidding prices went straight to 10 million (1,5 million US$).

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Ultimately, Papi’s video ad auction was won by makeup company Lili & Beauty (丽人丽妆) for 22 million yuan (3,4 million US$). Lili & Beauty is an e-commerce company that represents a variety of cosmetic brands like Shu Uemura, Max Factor and Maybelline.

Papi Jiang is famous for her online humorous videos that make fun of everyday societal issues. This year marked her rise to fame, as she gained millions of followers on her Weibo account and a 1,200,000 RMB (±184,000 US$) investment.

One of papi’s videos where she makes fun of girls that act like dramaqueens.

She made headlines earlier this week when her videos were taken offline by censors for containing ‘foul language’. The videos will be allowed back online when Papi takes out the swear words, which she promised she would.

News of the auction soon made its rounds on Weibo under the hashtag of ‘extremely expensive Papi ad’ (#papi酱天价广告#). Many netizens think it is ‘awesome’ that Papi was able to raise such a staggering amount. Some netizens were also critical: “Can I ask what this is all about?” one netizen said: “Aren’t there many poor people in the rural areas that could really use this money?”

Papi Jiang’s business partner stated that the money raised with the auction will be donated to Beijing’s Central Academy of Drama (中央戏剧学院), the academy that Papi graduated from.

According to Yangcheng Evening news, the successful bidder later stated that the final price was “not that expensive.”

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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What are the most popular books amongst Chinese readers? In light of World Book Day, What’s on Weibo gives an overview of the most popular books and readings habits in China.

Starting from the 21st of April, Amazon China has been organizing a campaign titled “Love Reading” to promote nationwide reading. As part of the campaign, that was held in light of World Book Day (April 23rd), the e-commerce giant carried out an extensive survey on the reading habits and preferences of Chinese readers. The survey had more than 11,000 participants from over 500 different Chinese cities.

China’s reading habits

The survey reveals that China has a large reading population; 80% of participants read more than half an hour per day, and half of the surveyed have finished more than 10 books over the past year.

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According to the survey results, digital reading has increased in popularity. 84% of the surveyed have digital reading experiences, and Kindle is now surpassing smartphones as the preferred electronic reading tool. Despite the digital developments within the world of reading, paper books remain the preferred choice for many Chinese readers; 80% like to read both digitally and on paper, while 16% say they choose paper books exclusively.

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Reading habits vary depending on gender, age and education. Between the two sexes, women tend to read more as a hobby, while men often read for career planning or knowledge acquisition.

Preferred topics of reading are different amongst age groups. The post-2000 generation mostly reads original literature and study-related books; the post-80 generation prefers finance and baby-caring. Post-60s turn to social sciences and philosophy.

China’s most popular books

Amazon.cn also published the top popular paper books and Kindle books for the first season of 2016. Literature and novels are the most popular genre, followed by financial management and social sciences. Within the last category, history is the most popular social science topic.

According to Amazon’s list, books that were orignally published in English are generally more popular than books written by Chinese authors.

Top Paper Books of 2016

• The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry [岛上书店] by Gabrielle Zevin, 2015 (Novel, originally English)
• Miracles of the Namiya General Store [ナミヤ雑貨店の奇蹟] by Higashino Keigo 東野圭吾, 2014 (Novel, originally Japanese)
• The Willpower Instinct [自控力] by Kelly McGonigal, 2013 (Self-Help, originally English)
• Everything I Never Told You [无声告白] by Celeste Ng, 2015 (Novel, originally English)
• So Slow, So Beautiful [这么慢，那么美] by Tintin Sverredal, 2015 (Travel, originally Chinese)
• Genius Left Lunatic Right [天才在左疯子在右] by Gao Ming 高铭 (Biography, originally Chinese)
• Spark English: Tests and Practices for CET 4 2016 (Examination, originally English)
• Passing by Your World [从你的世界路过] by Zhang Jiajia 张嘉佳 , 2013 (Novel, originally Chinese)
• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind [人类简史] by Yuval Noah Harari, 2014 (Social Science, originally English)
• The Kite Runner [追风筝的人] by Khaled Hosseini, 2003 (Literature, originally English)

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Top Kindle Books of 2016

• Miracles of the Namiya General Store [ナミヤ雑貨店の奇蹟] by Higashino Keigo 東野圭吾, 2014 (Novel, originally Japanese)
• What Life Could Mean to You [自卑与超越] by Alfred Adler, 2006 (Self-Help, originally English)
• The Shortest History of Europe [极简欧洲史] by John Hirst, 2011 (Social Sciences, originally English)
• The Three-Body Problem [三体全集] by Liu Cixin 刘慈欣, 2012 (Science Fiction Novel, originally Chinese)
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry [一个人的朝圣] by Rachel Joyce, 2012 (Novel, originally English)
• The Complete Sherlock Holmes [夏洛克·福尔摩斯全集] by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Novel, originally English)
• General History of China [中国通史] by Lv Simian 吕思勉 , 2009 (Social Sciences, originally English)
• Everything I Never Told You [无声告白] by Celeste Ng, 2015 (Novel, originally English)
• Never Imagined [万万没想到] by Wan Weigang 万维钢, 2014 (Science, originally English)
• Good, Touch the Head [乖，摸摸头] by Da Bing 大冰 (Biography, originally English)

Reading Nation

Reading books is a habit for many Chinese. According to Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, 58.4% of China’s adult population regularly reads books. Meanwhile, the internet has become a platform for these readers to connect with other book lovers.

Popular Chinese news media like Sina.com, Sohu.com and People.com now all have book sections with recommendations and reviews of new arrivals. In the reading section of online community Douban, users can add entries of books or share their thoughts.

For the World Book Day this year, Sina Weibo launched a special topic titled ‘Page 24, Line 4’ (#23页第四行), where netizens were asked to post a picture of the specific line of the book their reading, and to share their views on the book.

For businesses, World Book Day was a good marketing opportunity. Major online book retailers like Amazon.cn, Tmall.com and Dangdang.com all had sales to promote book purchases, leading to higher sales. For some retailers, like Dang dang, sales were so succesful that their site temporarily crashed due to excessive traffic.

Encouraging reading is also a matter of focus on the state agenda. The publicity department of the PRC previously launched a “nationwide reading” (全民读书) campaign in 2006, as part of promoting the learning society. Chinese Academy of Press and Publication has also been releasing annual reports on reading habits of Chinese citizens. The latest report was released on April 19 in Beijing, which pointed out that China is now reading more than before – truly a book-loving nation.

– By Diandian Guo

Sources:
http://www.199it.com/archives/465029.html
http://news.xinhuanet.com/book/2016-04/22/c_128921238.htm
http://cips.chinapublish.com.cn/yjsdt/201604/t20160419_173544.html

Image: featured image by Whatsonweibo,
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2015-04/22/content_20502019.htm

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A sign asking customers ‘not to knock on watermelons’ in an Italian supermarket has recently caused much upheaval on Chinese social media, where many people think the no “watermelon knocking” policy is specifically directed at Chinese customers.

“Please stop knocking on the watermelons; they will not respond to it!!!” – this is the Italian supermarket sign that has recently caused much amused discussion amongst Chinese netizens. Over the past few days, the Italian notice has become the topic of conversation on Chinese social media as it was shared by netizens thousands of times.

The “watermelon knocking” notice can be seen sticking out of a cart of watermelons in what allegedy is an Italian supermarket. The picture has especially created much discussion since multiple Chinese media reported it was a notice specifically aimed at Chinese customers.

Many netizens, however, do not believe it and suggest that “watermelon-knocking” is a global practice.

avviso

The picture has been posted on Chinese social media by many different Chinese news media with the additional tag “Italian supermarket’s note to the Chinese”. Chengdu Commercial Paper (@成都商报) and Sina Tianjin (@新浪天津), for example, both posted the following blog:

“Italian supermarkets set up a sign for Chinese customers: “Dear customer, please do not tap the watermelons again. They really will not respond!!!” If you are there, what do you want to say to the Italian supermarket?”

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The Chengdu Commercial Newspaper post alone already was shared 7700 times within a day, and the watermelon discussion continues on many different Weibo accounts. Many netizens find the picture amusing and stress the importance of “melon-knocking” to pick a good melon.

“We have been communicating with watermelons for thousands of years. We can hear their life story with a simple knock”, joked one netizen.

“I just want to say hello. If it does want to not respond, it’s their own business. At least I can show my passion”, another netizen remarked.

Some netizens believe that “watermelon-knocking” is an exclusive practice of the Chinese, and find the supermarket advice unreasonable: “Knocking before eating is the basic respect we show watermelons. Respect, do you understand? No, you don’t understand. Only we from the land of politeness can understand”, writes one netizen.

While some netizens seem to have much fun by participating in the “melon communication” discussion, many other netizens simply want to know the truth behind the news reports, asking: “Excuse me, but which word actually means ‘Chinese’?”

A few netizens are angry at the media for spreading rumors. One netizen writes under the Chengdu Commercial News post: “This is mainstream media talking negatively about its fellow countrymen. I suppose you don’t even understand what is written on the board? (..) Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, using such tricks to attract attention?”

There are also people who are angered that Chinese abroad are often associated with negative things: “When people see anything negative in foreign countries, they immediately associate them with things at home. So deplorable!”

In the meantime, there has been some clarification about the picture. Chinese media channel iRead (@壹读) stated that the notice targets customers in general, and provided evidence of how knocking is a global practice of melon testing in the form of an American chef explaining that a good melon should “feel heavier than it looks” and should have a “nice hollow sound when you hit it”.

That watermelon-knocking is a serious issue became clear in 2013, when Chinese students developed a special ‘pick a good watermelon app’. The Chinese app, simply titled ‘Listen to the Watermelon’ (听西瓜), determines whether or not a watermelon is ripe based on its tapping sound (SCMP 2013).

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Despite the different online reactions, discussion of the Italian watermelon sign shows that many Chinese are sensitive to how they are perceived abroad. The recent news hoax on Chinese people selling human meat in Africa, or the 2015 news about Switzerland introducing special trains for loud Chinese tourists all became big topics on Chinese social media. Many Chinese netizens have stressed that they are aware of the negative stories surrounding their overseas tourists, and often speak about improving their global image.

In this case, however, Chinese netizens can be rest assured that the watermelon knocking sign is not specifically directed at them. Watermelon knocking is something everybody apparently does – whether or not the melon will respond does not seem to be an issue.

– By Diandian Guo
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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News of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union is fully dominating international headlines and has become the number one trending topic on Sina Weibo. As Brexit is now also making front-page news in China, What’s on Weibo provides an overview of reactions to Brexit in Chinese (social) media.

Britain’s vote to leave the EU is dominating the headlines worldwide. On June 24, ‘Brexit’ also made it to the number one spot of Weibo’s trending topics list under the hashtag of ‘Britain out of EU Referendum’ (#英国脱欧公投#). For many Chinese media outlets and netizens, the outcome of the Brexit referendum shows the risks of democracy and populism.

“We’re eyewitnesses to history.”

“We’ve become eyewitnesses to history,” Chinese netizens said (“我们竟然成为了历史的见证人”), with others already advising younger generations to remember this day: “Dear students, this will be an exam question. In which year, what month and what day did Britain leave the European Union?”

*‘Brexit’ is the number one trending topic on China’s biggest social media platform Sina Weibo.*

British prime minister Cameron announced that he would resign after the referendum outcome and that a new leader would be needed by October. That news was shared on Sina Weibo over 6050 times within twenty minutes after its release. “The UK is surely moving fast today,” one Weibo netizen responded. Another commenter jokingly writes: “Cameron says: ‘You stupid retards, I was just playing around and you fools took it seriously!'”

Other Chinese netizens also make fun of Cameron (卡姆伦), saying that by allowing this referendum over the UK’s EU membership to take place, he has “crushed his foot while trying to move a rock” (“搬起石头砸自己的脚”) – that he has fallen into the pit of his own digging. “You’re not careful for a second, and before you know it you’ve made history,” one netizen comments.

comments — *Chinese reactions to Brexit on Sina Weibo: “We’ve become an eyewitness to history”.*

There are also netizens who seem to understand Britain’s choice for leaving the EU: “It is like a husband and wife,” one commenter says: “If you can go on, you stay together, but if you cannot go on, you get a divorce. Staying together would only intensify the conflict.”

“Britain leaving the EU is a reflection of the ongoing global trend of populism.”

On Tencent’s opinion and commentary In Touch Today platform, Chinese author Xi Yinghong (奚应红) says Britain leaving the EU is a reflection of the ongoing trend of populism (民粹主义) that is currently spreading not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Xi writes that the division between those voting to “remain” and “exit” the EU can be crudely seen as a disagreement between the British (political) elite and the ordinary people, who seem to “speak a different language” on a variety of issues, “making communication difficult”:

“While London’s social elite is still loudly debating the negative implications of Brexit for UK economy, migration, and national sovereignty, the masses are more likely to be infected by these kinds of slogans: ‘We want to control our own borders, formulate our own laws, and get our money back from Brussels.’ Although they are talking about the same issues, the way they are expressed reflect a different psychological and emotional stage – and this difference is especially evident when it comes to the issue of immigration.”

According to a Tencent opinion poll that accompanied the article, a majority of Tencent readers already expected Britain to leave the EU.

On the question: “Do you think populism is a dangerous global trend?”, 35% of netizens indicated they do not perceive populism as a potential threat, whereas nearly 65% of participants do feel it is potentially dangerous.

One much-upvoted comment to the article says: “The issue of Britain leaving the EU is a very complicated one that involves political, economic, as well as diplomatic problems. It is an issue that should’ve been be left to the experts, not to ordinary people who do not have a fundamental understanding of economics and foreign diplomacy. Now the British need to bear the consequences of their choice.”

“The democratic system will drag Britain through the mud.”

Influential economic newspaper The Economic Observer (观察) made Brexit big front page news (featured image) today, with headlines saying: “Britain Leaves EU, Cameron Resigns”. In the leader, journalist Li Lin (李晽) wonders “whether Cameron will be condemned by history in the UK and throughout Europe” for the outcome of the Brexit referendum, that could cause a “butterfly effect” (蝴蝶效应).

One reader comments: “Some people will be happy and some will be sad that UK is separating itself from Europe. Fact is that the democratic system will further drag Britain through the mud. It seems that a major reshuffle in the world is really about to begin now.”

China’s biggest newspaper The People’s Daily (人民日报), the official news outlet of the Chinese Communist Party, did not make Brexit front page news. Instead, their headlines are all focused on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO, 海合作组织) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where Chinese president Xi Jinping met with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

headlinespeopels — *Not Brexit, but the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting was on the frontpage of China’s largest state media outlet.*

The two presidents reportedly spoke about the promotion of the SCO in regional development and security. Apart from Russia and the PRC, the 2001-founded Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently has 6 other members, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. Putin and Xi also spoke about enhancing the Sino-Russian bilateral ties and their strategic partnership. Brexit was not part of their agenda meeting.

“This day will go into the history books as the moment that led to the collapse of the European Union.”

Some media and netizens also discuss to what extent Brexit will influence China. According to the West Strait Morning Post (海西晨报), experts say the referendum’s outcome will be positive for Chinese students studying abroad due to the devaluation of the pound. They also state that Britain’s vote to leave the EU is expected to have a “limited impact” on the trade relations between China and Europe.

Many Chinese netizens follow the news about Europe with much interest. A post by the Chinese Wall Street Journal saying: “After Brexit, Dutch politician Geert Wilders has promised to organize a referendum about the Netherlands leaving the EU” has attracted much attention and was shared over 10,000 times within a couple of hours.

wilderstrending — *Dutch politician Geert Wilders is a much talked-about topic on Chinese social media today.*

“First Britain leaves the EU, and then the Netherlands will follow. The EU is crying,” a Weibo user says.

“I can understand it,” one other commenter says: “Even countries like Turkey will enter the EU, and the Netherlands would not want that.” “Muslim immigration has greatly contributed to countries leaving the EU,” another netizen comments.

Overall, many netizens see Britain’s vote to leave the EU as the beginning of a further disintegration of the EU. Apart from a potential referendum in the Netherlands, there are also many expecting a second independence referendum in Scotland. News and analysis outlet Caixin.com writes: “The UK decision will encourage the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria and other countries to also leave the EU,” reporting about a speech given by U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage earlier today.

“I have an inkling that this day will go into the history books as the moment that led to the collapse of the European Union,” one Weibo user concludes.

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

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