Mystical powers, A4 waists and ‘Facebook war’ against Taiwan: 10 phenomena that ruled China’s internet in 2016

Reading Time:7 minutes

Olympic swimmer Fu Yuanhui, British scientist Stephen Hawking and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen were among the internet phenomena that took China in 2016. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Published: 10:30am, 30 Dec 2016Updated: 10:51pm, 12 Jun 2017

China’s tightly controlled internet brims with inside jokes and memes as internet users skirt censors while addressing issues deemed potentially sensitive.

Such “private jokes” gain popularity rapidly, with users who catch on sharing them across their social media platforms. Popular shared content sometimes sparks heated debate online as people chip in with their two yuan’s worth. The Chinese internet often also propels people to instant fame or infamy, with users lauding or lambasting these personalities and their deeds.

We look at some of the top internet phenomena that captivated China in 2016.

1. Facebook bombarded with patriotic memes after Tsai Ing-wen wins Taiwanese presidency

It all started with an online campaign issuing a call for mainland internet users to bypass the Great Firewall to bombard Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook page with pro-Beijing posts after she won the election earlier this year.

“Don’t talk back to your mainland father!”; “The motherland has so much food. Are you sure you won’t return?” and “Your mainland father will fix you!”.

One of the pro-Beijing memes posted on Facebook reads: “The motherland has so much food. Are you sure you won’t return?”. Photo: Handout

These are just some of the patriotic memes posted on the Facebook pages of several Taiwanese media outlets and individuals after Tsai led the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party to a crushing victory in Taiwan’s presidential election in January.