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Zoey Zhang

Top Chinese education influencer Zhang Xuefeng, who had over 30 million online followers, died on March 24 at the age of 41 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
His studio announced the news in an obituary, while CCTV News reported that Zhang felt unwell after a run and was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors were unable to revive him and ruled cardiac arrest was the cause of his death.
Possible triggers include strenuous exercise after staying up late or sharp emotional swings.

For years, Zhang maintained a punishing work schedule.
At the height of his career, he slept as little as two to four hours a night and had previously been sent to hospital with symptoms linked to overwork.
Just hours before his death, he appeared in what became his final live-stream, speaking with students and their parents as he often did.
Zhang built a lucrative business advising families on university applications for the gaokao, China’s fiercely competitive college entrance examination.
His consultation services cost between 11,999 yuan and 17,999 yuan (US$1,700 and US$2,600).

In a speech, he once said he owned three companies: one could generate several hundred million yuan after a future stock market listing, while another was valued between 500 million and 800 million yuan (US$72 million and US$116 million).
Born into a poor rural family in Heilongjiang province, China’s northernmost province, Zhang grew up in a shabby rented home. At the family’s lowest point, their monthly income was just 600 yuan (US$87).
He later gained admission to Zhengzhou University and started out as a tutor after graduating.

Zhang rose to fame in 2016 with a video explaining how to choose majors for top universities, which drew more than one billion views.
Blending humour with sharp practical advice, Zhang broke down universities by location, the strengths and weaknesses of their programmes and graduate job prospects.
His style resonated with students and parents navigating the anxiety and complexity of China’s education system.
His services were promoted with the slogan, “A strong application strategy matters more than a high gaokao score.”
That message resonated in a system where students, after sitting the gaokao, must choose from more than 800 majors and over 3,000 institutions, creating over two million possible combinations.

Zhang also courted controversy with his outspoken criticism of liberal arts majors.
“If a child insists on studying journalism, I would rather knock them out and randomly pick any other major. Anything is better than journalism,” he once said.
He also argued that students from families without a business to inherit should avoid economics and management.
Even so, many parents embraced his hard-edged pragmatism, saying his views reflected a harsh reality where many degrees are losing value amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
Beyond his business empire, Zhang also made sizeable charitable donations, supporting thousands of underprivileged students across the country.
He is survived by his wife and 11-year-old daughter.
Zhang had repeatedly said he set aside ample wealth for his child, holding more than 100 million yuan (US$14.5 million) in long-term deposits through two companies under his name.
His death triggered an outpouring of grief online. His studio said a memorial service would be held in Suzhou, a city west of Shanghai, on March 28.

In one live-stream, Zhang once revealed the epitaph he wanted on his tombstone: “Life is a fascinating game. I would gladly come back and do it all again in the next life.”
One education professional wrote in a post: “Zhang was a kind and selfless teacher. He treated life like a game, helping many ordinary and even poor ‘players’ overcome the information gap that blocks social mobility. But because he became too immersed in that ‘game’, he left suddenly. He ‘drowned’ in the world he was trying to change.”
One of his students said: “No one can become a second Zhang Xuefeng. I only hope society can offer the younger generation more paths forward and ease the pressure to survive, so that teachers like Zhang no longer have to carry such a burden with their lives.”
China’s vast tutoring industry has produced several celebrity instructors, including Liu Xiaoyan, dubbed the “demon teacher” for her abrasive style.


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Once a poor village boy, famous China educational guru Zhang Xuefeng dies at 41 after a run

Zhang Xuefeng, one of China’s most prominent educational figures, has died at the age of 41 after a run. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/ntit.edu.cn

Zhang Xuefeng, above, was one of China’s most prominent educational figures. Photo: QQ.com

A tired-looking Zhang during one of his live-streams. He was known to sleep just two to four hours a night at the height of his career. Photo: QQ.com

Zhang pictured with his daughter whom he leaves behind, along with his wife. Photo: QQ.com

Crowds outside a university open day venue.  Zhang gave advice on value of educational institutions and what to study. Photo: Xinhua

Zhang, right, pictured with a friend. One education professional described him as a “kind and selfless” teacher. Photo: QQ.com

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Shao holding hands with his father. The boy aims to become China’s first world champion. Photo:  Douyin

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Cardiac arrest kills educator with punishing work schedule who held controversial views on liberal arts study; was praised for pragmatism


Cardiac arrest kills educator with punishing work schedule who held controversial views on liberal arts study; was praised for pragmatism.


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Once a poor village boy, famous China educational guru Zhang Xuefeng dies at 41 after a run

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Cardiac arrest kills educator with punishing work schedule who held controversial views on liberal arts study; was praised for pragmatism

Cardiac arrest kills educator with punishing work schedule who held controversial views on liberal arts study; was praised for pragmatism