Social Networks: 15 trends went viral the last year in China
Social networks are very popular in China. Indeed, the number of users is twofold higher compared to the population of the USA, even with the “Great Firewall of China” preventing the use of Western platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or Google.
Weibo, one of the most popular Chinese platforms, hosted quite a lot of stories that became viral among users.
Read: Weibo still breaks records
The examples below illustrate those new ridiculous trends.
Heidi Yei, ashamed to be a model
What a shame for this famous Taïwanese model girl. On Weibo, it was said that she was an unworthy mother because she misrepresented her looks and used her children to look more beautiful.
Actually, the photo which caused this viral social was just taken at a Taïwanese cosmetic surgery center. The model girl said that she was just ashamed and that she should not have accepted this job.
Iconic paintings from history pictured by school students
This idea came from a School in Hangzhou, whose goal was to teach classical art to young students in an attractive way.
The young people had to imitate icons from famous paintings. They have been taken in photos wearing the same clothes and adopting similar attitudes to the masterpieces.
Read more: Hilarious pictures of Chinese students dressing up like famous paintings
Grindr, the gay’s app lands in China
Grindr is a gay dating app. The small Chinese company “Beijing Kunlun Tech” has paid 155 million dollars for this app, which is really surprising because it used to create online games.
How to avoid death riding escalator
Some people thought it useful to prevent Weibo’s users from risks riding the escalator. Indeed, they found a solution to avoid touching the floor. This became the new trend after a woman was killed literally swallowed by an escalator. An episode that had a huge impact on most of the people who were then afraid of using them.
The “Belly Button Challenge”, or how to show you are thin
The belly button was the new part of the body which has fascinated most social network users this year. Some of them found a revolutionary way to prove how flexible and thin they were.
But unfit people got in the fun as well: a plump guy showed that he could win this challenge too and became quite popular on the web. Obviously, he had just been helped by one of his friends standing behind him.
Here: The terrifying horribleness of the Belly Button Challenge
A terrible glass walkway cracks under tourists’ feet
On Weibo, tourists reported a dramatic accident that occurred on China’s Brave Man Bridge.
In fact, the warning was spread by a tourist who heard a big crack under his steps. Then, he was screaming leading to a huge panic on the bridge.
This story was reported by People’s Daily Online which said that a tourist had let a sharp object fall, leading to the cracking. However, Management at Yuntai Mountain Scenic Spot reassured people that the safety of the bridge was not compromised, thanks to several layers of glass.
Sina Weibo, stronger than Twitter ?
Sina Weibo beat the famous US social network while allowing it to write 2000 characters to its users instead of 140.
There was a real effervescence among most of the users while VIP customers complained about not being able to write messages of 2000 characters on their smartphones.
Breastfeeding in the subway, so normal
In Beijing, a mother was criticized for breastfeeding her baby in public. This attitude shocked a Sina Weibo user who thought this was only an exhibition of her sex organ.
This episode brought important discussions about the rights of women, especially concerning breastfeeding in public transport. This debate was illustrated by 70000 comments and 80 million views on the social network.
A Chinese man, a big donation for his artwork
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei wanted to propose his artwork for an Andy Warhol/Ai Weiwei exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. To make his masterpiece, he needed a huge amount of LEGO bricks that were refused by the group in respect of the environment.
After this incident, a lot of donations were offered to the artist. Finally, Ai Weiwei created his artwork and opened his exhibition the following December. He declared on Twitter that he would continue to spread his art with LEGO to express the Freedom of Speech and political art.
He then organized a huge network of collection points for donations to support his point of view.
A new challenge for fans of boobs
Last month, a new trend appeared on Weibo. What a funny game gripping a pen under your boobs!
This game demonstrates a top level of skills, and not just for the girls…
A Chinese girl got liposuction and re-uses her fat
After getting a liposuction, a Chinese girl wanted to show her impressive loss of weight. But, her metamorphosis wasn’t the only point she wanted to raise.
Indeed, with the aim of revenging her ex-boyfriend, the girl used her own fat to create a bar of soap and sent it to him. Disgusting but courageous!
Our favorite celebrity men mix with vintage cheongsams ladies, so why not?
This crazy idea came from a Weibo user who, thanks to photoshop, decided to replace the cheongsam ladies’ faces with one of our famous boys. A very realistic viral trend!
Baby snowmen, the cutest invention of January
Although only a thin layer of snow covered the ground, that was enough for Chinese people to create mini snowmen. The pictures were widely shared on Weibo.
Play with your baby’s face
The Rice Ball Baby Game went viral and spread through China and Japan. So
popular and a very cute activity!
Organize your coins on your collarbone
Without scientific reasons, a new competition appeared the last June among Weibo users. The goal was to put the most coins on their collarbones. Maybe a magical way not to lose your stuff anymore!
Read More:
- How to Promote your Brand on Social Media in China
- Understanding Social Media in China
- 5 Innovative Social Media Strategies in China for 2016