Lunar New Year: inspiring and heartwarming stories from China for the holidays
- A socially awkward maths academic in China has caught the attention of millions after a viral media interview
- A man who tried and failed to enter China’s top university 13 times has renewed debate about China’s obsession with academic performance
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with this collection of the most inspiring stories from the last year.
‘Ugliest maths teacher’, once thought an ‘idiot’, now a celebrity
A socially awkward maths academic in China who many people thought was an ‘idiot’, has caught the attention of millions after the media found he is actually considered a genius by his peers.
Wei Dongyi, an assistant professor in mathematics at Peking University, has grabbed the attention of tens of millions in mainland China after his extraordinary talent as a mathematician became a viral sensation online.
Wei’s shy and unsophisticated style was shown in the interview when he was asked to say something to encourage high school graduates preparing for an upcoming university entrance test, and he just said, “Cheer up. Welcome to Peking University. I don’t know what else to say.”
Chow Yun-fat’s generous will inspires family to donate assets to the public
A Shanghai mother and daughter with no living relatives are leaving their home and belongings to the Chinese people after being inspired by the example of the famous Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat.
The mother surnamed Lv and the daughter surnamed Ye went to the Second Service Centre of the China Will Registration Centre in Shanghai to make their wills in August last year, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.