The Power of Ugly: Why Niu Lai Became China’s Unlikeliest Box-Office Hit
How the two-person animated film Niu Lai turned its “ugly” visuals, dreamcore nostalgia, and remarkable cinema journey into a nationwide participatory meme. The post The Power of Ugly: Why Niu Lai...
View ArticleAI Actress Ad Pulled, Baihaitun Disrupts Shanghai and Cicada Meme Bugs Huawei
Welcome to China Trend Watch (Week 32–33 | 2026), where I bring you the latest trends, memes, and debates driving conversation across Chinese social media. I’m Manya Koetse, a sinologist […] The post...
View ArticleThe Reunification with Taiwan is Hitting Chinese Cinemas This Summer
A new state-backed epic about the Qing conquest of Taiwan is stirring debate. Plus: the Shanxi mine disaster, a controversial prison film, hukou reform, and China’s top 5 rising books. The post The...
View ArticleSu Chao Fever, Mo Yan’s “Scrollable” Book, and Why Li Xiaoran is China’s New...
This week in China: Grassroots football fever, a Nobel laureate writes for the TikTok era, France's cultural relic bill, and a 19-year-old’s blind box obsession bankrupts her father's company. The post...
View Article“Auntie Mei” Captured After 20 Years, China’s Train-Stain Scandal, and Zhang...
The major talking points on Chinese social media this week: from the capture of a notorious child trafficker and unexpected death of Zhang Xuefeng, to one of the most expensive Chinese music video ever...
View ArticleWhen an Entertainment Scandal Gets Political: How Wong Kar-wai Survived a...
The 2025 scandal surrounding Wong Kar-wai shows that public outrage only produces consequences when it aligns with official interests. The post When an Entertainment Scandal Gets Political: How Wong...
View ArticleQuiet Nationalism, Loud Statements, and Nanjing Memorial Day
From war memory to viral eggs, salty cakes, an unfortunate dinner party and farewell to an iconic actress. The post Quiet Nationalism, Loud Statements, and Nanjing Memorial Day appeared first on Eye on...
View ArticleHe Qing, China’s “No. 1 Classical Beauty”, Passes Away at 61
He Qing is remembered as a veteran actress, a symbol of classical Chinese beauty and literary culture. The post He Qing, China’s “No. 1 Classical Beauty”, Passes Away at 61 appeared first on Eye on...
View ArticleThe Wong Kar-wai Scandal Explained: The Dark Side of ‘Blossoms Shanghai’
Whenever reports surfaced about the harsh conditions on Wong Kar-wai’s sets, mainstream media and fans often brushed off his tyrannical habits as the quirks of a genius. This time, it feels different....
View ArticleEvil Unbound (731): How a Chinese Anti-Japanese War Film Backfired
731 was China’s most anticipated war movie of the year — how could it fail so miserably to live up to public expectations? The post Evil Unbound (731): How a Chinese Anti-Japanese War Film Backfired...
View ArticleChina Trend Watch: From Lhasa to Labubu
What's on Weibo's Top 3: From Xi in Tibet to the next project after Black Myth: Wukong. The post China Trend Watch: From Lhasa to Labubu appeared first on What's on Weibo.
View ArticleDialogues Across Time: Remembering War in a New China
“We are not friends, and have never been,” is a line that went viral recently in light of the heightened focus on war in Chinese media and popular culture. The post Dialogues Across Time: Remembering...
View ArticlePassing the Torch from ‘Ne Zha’ to ‘Nobody’: China’s Box Office Poster Relay...
With China’s box office relay tradition, every movie’s success becomes a win for Chinese cinema. The post Passing the Torch from ‘Ne Zha’ to ‘Nobody’: China’s Box Office Poster Relay Tradition appeared...
View ArticleA Very Short Guide to China’s Most Popular Designer Toys
Note: In this What’s on Weibo chapter on the story behind China’s designer toys, also read Inside the Labubu Craze and the Globalization of Chinese Designer Toys and The Next […] The post A Very Short...
View ArticleThe Next Labubu: What the Rise of Wakuku Tells Us About China’s Collectible...
From ugly-cute rebellion to a new kind of 'C-pop,' the breakout success of Wakuku sheds light on Chinese consumer culture and the forces driving China’s trend toy industry. The post The Next Labubu:...
View ArticleYearnings, Dreamcore, and the Rise of AI Nostalgia in China
From China’s first soap opera Yearnings to the rise of AI-fueled nostalgia. The post Yearnings, Dreamcore, and the Rise of AI Nostalgia in China appeared first on What's on Weibo.
View ArticleBeauty Influencer Du Meizhu Accused of Scamming Fan Out of $27K
🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to...
View ArticleInside the Labubu Craze and the Globalization of Chinese Designer Toys
Labubu is not ‘Chinese’ at all—and at the same time, it is very much a product of present-day China. The post Inside the Labubu Craze and the Globalization of Chinese Designer Toys appeared first on...
View Article10 Viral Chinese Phrases You Didn’t Know Came From Video Games
Gaming lingo isn’t just for players — it’s become part of modern-day Chinese language. The post 10 Viral Chinese Phrases You Didn’t Know Came From Video Games appeared first on What's on Weibo.
View ArticleEarring Gate: Huang Yangdiantian and the 2.3 Million RMB Emerald Earrings
Online sleuths connect emerald earrings to post-earthquake business ties—sparking official investigations. The post Earring Gate: Huang Yangdiantian and the 2.3 Million RMB Emerald Earrings appeared...
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