How the rise and fall of an unlikely online influencer triggered a debate about the plight of older Chinese

Mainland media has focused on one online personality, but analysts say the case highlights a wider problem. A man in his thirties attracted a large online following among middle-aged and older women, some of whom sent him large cash sums. — SCMP

Chinese media has been abuzz in recent weeks with the story of the rise and fall of a social media influencer with a difference.

But while many influencers and their audiences are Gen Zers, this case involved a 39-year-old going by the alias Xiu Cai who amassed nearly 12 million followers by dressing and acting like a man in his 50s and lip-synching old songs on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.