Year in Review: Top China News Stories of 2020
18 Minutes Read
• Amid the sorrow, distress and challenges in 2020, there have also been stories that have warmed the heart and made us laugh.
• Here are fifteen from China.
Woman Masturbating in Chinese IKEA Goes Viral
Image: WeChat
An amateur pornographic video featuring a young woman masturbating in a Chinese IKEA went viral in early May, forcing the Swedish home decor company to issue a statement following the embarrassing incident. The graphic footage showed a half-naked Chinese woman masturbating on furniture throughout the warehouse’s showroom as seemingly oblivious customers – including children – wandering around in the background.
Kids Wear ‘One-Meter Hats’ to Practice Social Distancing
Image: Zhejiang Daily/ Weibo
In late April, teachers in Zhejiang province had the clever idea of practicing social distancing in the classroom with colorful ‘one-meter hats’ on the first day of the new semester. The school’s headmaster, surnamed Hong, told the press that the DIY quarantine hats were a fun way to help classmates keep a safe distance between one another. “We encourage our students to wear the hats to stay at least one meter away from each other,” said Hong. Students used balloons, cardboard and other colorful decorating materials to design their cute creations. Maybe countries in Europe and the Americas can take a hint!
Walrus Paraded Around Guangzhou Mall Outrages Netizens
A Guangzhou aquarium had the ‘brilliant’ idea of letting walruses roam inside pedestrian-heavy Grandview Mall to celebrate Children’s Day on June 1. A netizen posted a photo of the shocking scene on Weibo, which shows one walrus surrounded by spectators on the second floor of the mall in the city’s Tianhe district. Perhaps it comes as no surprise since the mall and the Grandview Aquarium have long had a bad reputation among shoppers. A top commenter on Weibo wrote, “Grandview Aquarium is really disgusting, there have been reports of abuse of polar bears before.” Another netizen added, “A place famous for animal cruelty.”
Chinese Internet Reacts to Trump Testing Positive for COVID-19
Image: Wikimedia
At the beginning of October, US President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell by tweeting that both he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. Trump, 74 years old, has been rarely seen wearing a mask during the pandemic, and at the first presidential debate openly mocked Joe Biden for often wearing masks. On Chinese social media, the news was heavily trending, with some Chinese netizens calling Trump’s positive result “a universal celebration” (普天同庆) while others shared translations from trending topics on Twitter.
Shenzhen Becomes 1st Chinese City to Ban Dog and Cat Consumption
Shenzhen made history in April of this year after the city passed the ‘Wild Ban Order,’ making it the first Chinese mainland city to ban the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat. The regulation went into effect on May 1. The timing followed Beijing’s move to ban the trade and consumption of certain terrestrial wild animals. In the passed bill, the Shenzhen government stated, “Cats and dogs, as pets, have established a closer relationship with humans than other animals. The ban on the consumption of pets such as cats and dogs is also common practice in developed places like Hong Kong, Taiwan and other regions.” Kudos to Shenzhen for doing the right thing!
China Launches 'Clean Plate Campaign' to Reduce Food Waste
China launched a ‘Clean Plate Campaign’ in August to reduce food waste after President Xi Jinping called the amount wasted “shocking and distressing.” Xi highlighted the need to maintain a sense of crisis regarding food security, amid the fallout of the COVID-19 epidemic, which he said had “sounded the alarm.” Regional catering industry associations responded by urging restaurants to limit the number of dishes served to diners and advocating an ‘N-1 policy‘ – implementing a system where groups must order one dish less than the number of diners.
Shanghai Socialite Wannabes WeChat Group Exposed
Image via Unsplash
A Shanghai socialite group was put on blast in October after blogger Li Zhonger (李中二) wrote an article on WeChat exposing the frugal fashionistas. Li Zhonger was first intrigued by a poster on WeChat which advertised the group as a place to talk about luxury goods with wealthy women, influencers and befriend financial elites. The blogger paid the RMB500 membership fee and after a month in the chat, they realized that it, in fact, was a “high-end version of Pinduoduo” (referred to as the Chinese version of Groupon). While we have nothing against a good deal or splitting costs, group members would split the price of a two-person room at the Bulgari Hotel Shanghai with up to 40 people. Each person would then pay around RMB125 to go upstairs, take a picture and geotag the location.
China Orders Closure of US Consulate in Chengdu
Image: US Embassy & Consulates in China’s official website
In late July, China ordered the US to close its consulate in Sichuan’s capital city, Chengdu. The move followed a surprising order by the Trump administration to close the Chinese consulate in Houston, where some of the most populated states in the US had relied on visa and consular services. Speculation had been brewing on how China would respond to the closure of its consulate in Houston, with State-run newspaper Global Times even creating a poll on Twitter asking users which US consulate in China was most likely to be shut down. As we learned, Chengdu didn’t make the cut. The consulate opened in 1985 and held consular jurisdiction of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region and Chongqing. Well, not anymore…
Visitors Witness Bears Killing Breeder at Shanghai Wild Animal Park
Visitors at Shanghai Wild Animal Park were emotionally scarred after witnessing a park employee attacked by a group of bears in late October, ultimately leading to the worker’s death. The employee was said to be doing his job when the attack happened. The zoo apologized to guests for the “inconvenience.” It said in a statement that they would cooperate with authorities to investigate the attack and improve safety regulations to prevent future incidents. Some netizens voiced their disapproval for zoos, while others noted that there have been too many other incidents where visitors have been harmed and even killed by animals at zoos.
Pet Rescuers in Wuhan
After the Chinese government locked down Wuhan in late January, pet owners who couldn’t return to their homes begged for help to make sure their furry friends didn’t die. Volunteers from a range of animal groups in Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, raced to save starving and neglected pets. Many of the dogs and cats had been left alone in homes with little food and water because their owners did not expect to be away for so long.
Animal-rights volunteers came to the rescue, leaving water and pet food to last more than a month. In some cases, volunteers took pets to homes of their owner’s friends, or to veterinary clinics. The lockdown took place during the Chinese New Year holiday when many people left the city but thought they would be back in a week. The Wuhan lockdown prevented travellers from going in and out of the city and lasted for 76 days . The city reopened on April 8.
Fei Yu-ching
Taiwanese singer Fei Yu-ching rose to the top of the music charts across Europe in June, thanks to the power of the internet and widespread stay-at-home measures. Fei, who was popular during the 1980s, brought comfort to many in lockdown. One of his songs, Yi Jian Mei (one plum blossom) – originally released in 1983 –, topped the Spotify charts in Norway, Sweden, Finland and New Zealand during the pandemic.
Although many English-speaking listeners may not have understood the Chinese lyrics, they found the song’s operatic tone soothing and funny. One of the songs with lyrics translating to “the snow is fluttering and the cold wind is blowing” became popular background music for millions of videos posted on TikTok .
A Homesick Camel
After being sold in July, a homesick camel in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region decided to take it upon herself to trek 100km (62 miles) in search of its original owner, a herdsman named Temur. For seven days, the camel trekked determinedly through the Gobi Desert. By the time she was reunited with her beloved owner, her body was covered in scratches and blood caused by contact with sharp wire fences.
“I will never sell her again,” said Temur, who was deeply touched by the camel’s spirit. “I will not chain her up, ride her or allow anyone to hurt her ever again.”
Fu Bao the Panda
In November, the popular K-pop band Blackpink angered many Chinese internet users by violating the proper protocols for interacting with pandas, a native animal that is highly treasured in China. In a video shown on a South Korean reality TV show, members of the band were seen holding a baby panda named Fu Bao and touching an adult panda with their bare hands while wearing make-up. The footage drew intense criticism as people feared Blackpink had put the pandas at risk of disease.
In China, panda keepers and feeders are prohibited from wearing jewellery and make-up when touching the animals. They are also required to wear gloves and protective suits when interacting with the endangered species. Fu Bao, which translates as “the baby that brings fortune”, was the first baby panda born in South Korea and is the offspring of two Chinese giant pandas given to South Korea.
Zhaxi Dingzhen
Tibetan herdsman Zhaxi Dingzhen became a symbol for China’s war on extreme poverty when a video featuring him went viral. Millions of people were captivated by his smile and good looks. Image: YouTube
In the county of Litang, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, a 20-year-old Tibetan herdsman named Zhaxi Dingzhen became a symbol for China’s war on extreme poverty. Zhaxi became famous in China – by accident. In November, a video of his life went viral on the internet. Millions of people were captivated by his smile amid such hardship. He was catapulted to stardom and the local tourism department hired Zhaxi to promote the region.
The year 2020 was the self-imposed deadline for the Chinese government to eliminate “extreme poverty”, which China defines as living on less than 2,300 yuan a year.
Sources: China Daily, Global Times, Scmp.com
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