The Rise of Social Credit

 

With​ ​a​ ​unique​ ​egg-shaped​ ​head,​ ​Zhang​ ​Aiqin​ ​has​ ​become​ ​the​ ​latest​ ​internet​ ​meme​ ​on​ ​TikTok​ ​internationally. 

In​ ​China,​ ​few​ ​people​ ​have​ ​heard​ ​of​ ​his​ ​name​ ​or​ ​his​ ​exploits.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​English-speaking​ ​world,​ ​most​ ​people​ ​only​ ​know​ ​him​ ​as​ ​the​ ​"​Chinese​ ​Eggman.​"​ ​But​ ​his​ ​claim​ ​to​ ​fame​ ​is​ ​not​ ​just​ ​because​ ​of​ ​his​ ​appearance. 

His​ ​casual​ ​humming​ ​of​ ​"​Xue​ ​Hua​ ​Piao​ ​Piao,​ ​Bei​ ​Feng​ ​Xiao​ ​Xiao,​"​ ​from​ ​an​ ​old​ ​Chinese​ ​classic​ ​"​Yi​ ​Jian​ ​Mei​"​ ​by​ ​Taiwanese​ ​singer​ ​Fei​ ​Yu-Ching​ ​into​ ​his​ ​smartphone​ ​in​ ​heavy​ ​snow​ ​attracted​ millions​ ​of​ ​viewers.​  

Since​ ​this​ ​June,​ ​the​ ​old-school​ ​Chinese​ ​ballad​ ​has​ ​gotten​ ​a​ ​new​ ​breath​ ​of​ ​life​ ​37​ ​years​ ​after​ ​its​ ​original​ ​release,​ ​and​ ​this​ ​time​ ​not​ ​because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Taiwanese​ ​singer. 

The​ ​song​ ​became​ ​particularly​ ​popular​ ​in​ ​Scandinavian​ ​countries​ ​–​ ​where​ ​snowy​ ​days​ ​are​ ​common,​ ​ranking​ ​as​ ​the​ ​most​ ​searched​ ​song​ ​in​ ​Norway​ ​and​ ​the​ ​second​ ​most​ ​searched​ ​song​ ​in​ ​Finland​ ​on​ ​Spotify. 

The​ ​life​ ​of​ ​Zhang​ ​Aiqin​ ​also​ ​came​ ​into​ ​the​ ​spotlight. 

"​It​ ​was​ ​so​ ​random​ ​that​ ​I​ ​filmed​ ​myself​ ​singing​ ​'​Yi​ ​Jian​ ​Mei​'​ ​in​ ​the​ ​snow​ ​in​ ​Beijing​'​s​ ​Changping​ ​District,​"​ ​he​ ​told​ Global​ ​Times.​ ​"​I​ ​like​ ​singing​ ​old​ ​songs​ ​and​ ​had​ ​only​ ​intended​ ​to​ ​share​ ​my​ ​joy​ ​and​ ​happiness​ ​with​ ​others.​" 

He​ ​uploaded​ ​the​ ​12-second​ ​clip​ ​on​ ​Kuaishou,​ ​a​ ​Chinese​ ​short​ ​video​ ​sharing​ ​platform,​ ​in​ ​January​ ​before​ ​someone​ ​else​ ​re-uploaded​ ​it​ ​onto​ ​English​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platforms.

Like​ ​many​ ​other​ ​users​ ​of​ ​Kuaishou,​ ​Zhang​ ​has​ ​a​ ​humble​ ​background.​ ​When​ ​he​ ​was​ ​younger​ ​he​ ​was​ ​bullied​ ​and​ ​discriminated​ ​by​ ​his​ ​peers.​ 

Zhang​ ​started​ ​his​ ​career​ ​doing​ ​some​ ​odd​ ​jobs​ ​in​ ​his​ ​hometown,​ ​from​ ​being​ ​a​ ​porter​ ​to​ ​a​ ​bar​ ​waiter.​ ​He​ ​even​ ​learned​ ​pole​ ​dancing​ ​to​ ​please​ ​customers​ ​in​ ​bars.

He​ ​began​ ​to​ ​work​ ​in​ ​the​ ​entertainment​ ​industry​ ​in​ ​2009​ ​when​ ​he​ ​came​ ​to​ ​Beijing​ ​to​ ​become​ ​an​ ​extra​ ​in​ ​films.​ ​After​ ​his​ ​video​ ​went​ ​viral​ ​abroad,​ ​he​ ​turned​ ​down​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​requests​ ​to​ ​star​ ​in​ ​movies​ ​and​ ​commercials.

In​ ​China,​ ​the​ ​online​ ​short​ ​video​ ​platform​ ​has​ ​become​ ​an​ ​important​ ​channel​ ​for​ ​grassroots​ ​entertainers​ ​like​ ​Zhang​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​themselves.​ ​While​ ​many​ ​are​ ​from​ ​the​ ​countryside​ ​with​ ​low​ ​incomes,​ ​online​ ​fame​ ​has​ ​apparently​ ​brought​ ​them​ ​a​ ​fortune.