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Alice Yan

An online influencer in China known as Godmother of sexual intelligence, who was banned on social media earlier this year, has reappeared online to sell her controversial courses.
Zhou Yuan, who lives in central Hunan province, teaches women to enhance their sexual appeal.
She is alleged to have earned 24 million yuan (US$3.5 million) from selling her on and offline courses, Red Star News reported.
Zhou’s account, with 200,000 followers, was banned in January for promoting “vulgar content”.
However, internet users noticed that she had resurfaced on social media in March using a new account “nihao zhoudabao”, which means “Hello, Big Baby Zhou”.

Zhou live-streamed on March 8 and March 18 and sold her previously viral online courses.
The local market supervisory authority said they punished Zhou in January because her advertisements violated the law.
“She recently did live-streaming as an individual. It is beyond our duty. Other government departments or platforms will look into the case,” an official from the authority told the media.
Robotic offerings
As the traditional Ching Ming Festival looms, some creative paper offerings which use the latest technology have been launched onto the market in China.
On some shopping websites, paper-crafted models bearing the big names in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry appeared as tomb sweeping event items that “keep pace with the times”, Jimu News reported.
Some shops also offer paper-made smartphones with screens showing a slew of AI tools.
The AI models cost between 30 and 50 yuan (US$4 and US$7).

“You do not need to fold it. I have done that for you. What you receive is a finished product,” one online shop owner said in his advert.
Three dimensional paper-made robots are also on offer for about 20 yuan.
A notice on the chest of the robot reads: “You can ask me to do following things: tell me a story, chat with me, clean the house.”
Hundreds of customers have bought the paper offerings to burn during the Ching Ming Festival.
“Times change fast. I hope my grandfather likes it,” one buyer commented.


Hair-loss shock
A woman in China’s eastern Jiangsu province suffered from serious hair loss because of long-term anxiety from tutoring her son.
The mother, surnamed Xiao, has spent most of her time helping her son study since she lost her job years ago. Her son is a Grade Two pupil at a secondary school, reported the Yangtze Evening News.
She teaches the boy a range of subjects after he finishes school every day.
Despite often tutoring him until midnight, the boy does not achieve high scores, leading his mother to suffer stress.

Xiao, who admits she is exhausted both physically and mentally, discovered she had lost a lot of hair in recent months.
“There are three bald patches on my head. The biggest one is of the size of a palm,” she was quoted as saying.
Dai Jie, a dermatologist from Nanjing No 1 Hospital, told the media that alopecia areata is usually caused by mental factors, such as agony, sorrow and anxiety.


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Trending in China

China ‘sexual intelligence godmum’ returns, paper robots for ancestors, mum goes bald tutoring son

In quirky news from China, the “Godmother of Sexual Intelligence” has made a comeback, a new trend of paper robot offerings for ancestors and a mother suffers severe hair loss after years spent tutoring her son. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Taobao

So-called sexual godmum, Zhou Yan, above, had her social media account banned earlier this year. Photo: Weibo

This image illustrates an elderly care robot. Now paper versions are on sale to burn for ancestors. Photo: Shutterstock 

The stress of tutoring her son caused the hair of the woman above to fall out. Photo: Baidu

From Wagyu to joss paper: rise of pet spirit money, luxury farewell ceremonies take China by storm

The rising popularity of pet funeral services in China signifies a growing trend where owners seek elaborate send-offs for their pets, including unique paper offerings like gourmet foods and cremation services. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

The pet industry in China has seen remarkable growth, evolving from a niche market into a vibrant, technologically advanced, and rapidly advancing sector. Photo: EPA/Alex Plavevski

The practice of burning paper offerings for pets has ignited controversy, with some online users arguing that it is primarily a marketing ploy fuelled by commercial interests. Photo: mbd.baidu.com

Many of the products designed for pet funerals boast incredibly lifelike designs, offering items like paper replicas of salmon, tuna, steak, Wagyu beef and dried chicken. Photo: mbd.baidu.com

Manufacturers create pet spirit money in denominations of US dollars, British pounds and euros for the deceased pets to use in the afterlife. Photo: Handout

Pets are more than just companions; they are frequently regarded as children or siblings, offering unconditional love and vital emotional support to everyone in the household. Photo: Shutterstock

China woman clings to truck to follow husband; man threatens divorce after male doctor examines wife

In China, a wife suspected her husband of cheating and clung to his truck to follow him; a woman needed a dentist’s help to remove a stuck ring and a man threatened divorce after a male doctor examined his pregnant wife. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Jimu

The above image shows the suspicious wife clinging onto her husband’s vehicle. Photo: sina.com.cn

Firefighters failed to remove the stuck ring, above, but a dentist with specialist equipment stepped in to save the day. Photo: ettoday.net

The unstable man, dressed in black, slams his head against the hospital wall. Photo: news.ifeng.com

China ‘immersive’ fun buses see rise of mobile venues for karaoke, films, dim sum, and more

”City buses” in southern Chinese cities are transforming into mobile entertainment venues, appealing to young consumers who crave immersive experiences during their travels. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

The pet-friendly bus, above, allows passengers to travel with their furry friends. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

Dim Sum-thing special: Travellers can even tuck into food on some buses. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

The above karaoke bus allows passengers to have a singalong en route. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

A woman passenger on a karaoke bus tests a microphone. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

Some buses, like the one above, have been turned into wedding vehicles. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

How emperors and nobles kept warm without down quilts during winter in ancient China

In ancient China where winters were harsh without electricity or down quilts, emperors had foot-warming maids and nobles kept domestic cats and dogs for warmth. Photo: Zhihu 

The above image depicts what life was like for ordinary folk in ancient China. Photo:www.bilibili.com

For the better off centuries ago special warming feather beds were available. Photo:www.bilibili.com

In some cases, the special feather beds came with a cover to retain more heat. Photo:www.bilibili.com

The above image shows an ancient emperor being attended to by “warming maids”. Photo:www.bilibili.com

The above modern-day photograph of a dog warming someone’s feet mimics what some people did to stave off the cold in ancient times. Photo:www.bilibili.com

Japan solo dining chain surges in popularity in China; hours-long wait times lead to scalpers

Sushiro, Japan’s solo dining sushi chain, has surged in popularity in mainland China, causing waiting times to exceed five hours and people to pay scalpers for queue spots to cut waiting time. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

The solo-dining restaurant, above, comes complete with a blind to screen off strangers. Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com/

Also on offer are foldaway digital menus for ease of ordering. Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com/

The solo-dining eatery above is less sophisticated with partial screens offering a modicum of privacy.   Photo: mp.weixin.qq.com/

Some such restaurants now offer single-person versions, above, of what used to be communal meals like hotpot. Photo: RedNote

Some single person restaurants have become so popular that queues of customers form outside. Photo: Courtesy Ichiran Taiwan

News

People & Culture

Stressed-out tutoring mum goes bald; tech-age offerings for dead relatives; online sex guru is back online after ban


Stressed-out tutoring mum goes bald; tech-age offerings for dead relatives; online sex guru is back online after ban.


Sex and relationships

Parenting: teens

Robotics

Jimu News

China ‘sexual intelligence godmum’ returns, paper robots for ancestors, mum goes bald tutoring son

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Stressed-out tutoring mum goes bald; tech-age offerings for dead relatives; online sex guru is back online after ban

Stressed-out tutoring mum goes bald; tech-age offerings for dead relatives; online sex guru is back online after ban