At first reminding people of early 2009 internet celebrity Xidan Girl, is 2011′s latest Chinese internet celebrity really just 2011′s first internet publicity stunt?
From People.com.cn:
“Beggar Loli” selling her first love for 100,000 to repay debts, coal boss willing to pay
Recently, a netizen called “行走的江湖” published on the internet a post with photos and captions to tell of encountering a young and innocent looking “Beggar Loli” who sings for a living in a certain Beijing pedestrian tunnel. When the post was published, it was immediately reposted on many internet discussion forums.
Many netizens were deeply moved by “Beggar Loli’s” tragic story and young and innocent appearance, but there were also netizens who suspected that this was 2011′s first meticulously planned internet publicity stunt.
Real-life version of “Jingqiu“
Yesterday, this reporter saw that the post titled “The day I met the most young and innocent beggar loli” on the Mop discussion forum had already passed 1.7 million hits, and that there were nearly 40 pages of comments. [At time of translation, there are over 3.1 million hits and 42 pages of comments.]
The poster described in the post: “A simple guitar, amateurish and lonesomely singing. The girl looks very young, very pretty, entirely capable of being Jingqiu in “The Love of the Hawthorne Tree“, her eyes filled with a certain loss but also a certain strength/perseverance…”
This reporter learned from the post’s descriptions that “Beggar Loli” comes from Pindingshan of Henan province, that her father died from a terminal illness, left behind a large amount of debt, her mother is bedridden with illness to this day, and she has a younger brother who lives with another family. As the only member of the family who has the ability to work but not yet 18-years-old, she had no choice but to come to Beijing by herself to eke out a living.
Selling her first love to repay debts
However, alone in a strange place and without any skills, she could only be a waitress in a restaurant. Helpless, her wages too low, unable to support her lifestyle, she became a street musician by chance. In order to make money to repay her debts, as well as pay for her mother’s medical expenses, she persisted in the bitter cold singing songs for money.
What shocked netizens even more was when “行走的江湖” updated the post revealing that: “Beggar Loli” is asking for 100,000 to sell her “first love”, hoping to repay all of her family’s debts, and help pay for her mother’s medical expenses.
Not longer after “Beggar Loli’s” offer to sell her first love was publicized, a rich second-generation [a child of wealthy parents] of a coal boss offered 100,000, willing to purchase her first love.
[...]
A beggar wearing pupil-enlarging contacts and brand name clothing?
A young an innocent look, bright red cheeks from the cold, large eyes brimming with tears, a tragic life story…
After “Beggar Loli” was publicized on the internet, it immediately incited discussion amongst innumerable netizens. Some netizens pitied the poor girl’s life story/experiences, saying: “Such a pure girl still having to beg, while also wearing such thin and flimsy clothes, is truly heartbreaking”; There are also some netizens who praised the little girl for her perseverance and independence: “Sacrificing herself for her family, she deserves everyone’s respect”; There are netizens who further made dedicated posts appealing to everyone to donate to this poor girl, hoping that the original poster could publicize her detailed address/location.
However, there have also been a portion of netizens who expressed that they do not understand the girl’s actions: No matter how difficult things are at home, one cannot betray and sell one’s body and dignity. One’s first love is a girl’s most precious thing, how can one put a price on it? It is truly too foolish!
There have also been sharp-eyed netizens who have found “problems” in the photos, questioning the girl’s identity: that she is wearing pupil enlarging contacts, that her jacket is Adidas, traces of her hair having been dyed: “This couldn’t be 2011′s latest publicity stunt, could it?” “This is too fake. There are so many beggars, why does she become famous? Hard not to suspect this is a publicity stunt.”
Beggar Loli’s real name is 韩碧瑶 (Han Biyao).
From Tianya:
Most young and innocent Beggar Loli
Originally, I didn’t want to say anything, because in this day and age, using any kind of method to become famous is no longer a big deal! But why is it that when I see that face, I get so disgusted?
And [you guys think that face is] young and innocent, even comparing her to Jingqiu… Do you guys know what she does? If not, let me tell you guys, oh kind hearted people, how you guys have all been so hilariously been made fools of. That girl you guys keep talking about as being so young and innocent and cute, has had face-thinning injections, has had plastic surgery to raise the bridge of her nose, has had plastic surgery on her chin, and has shaved down both of her cheeks! She isn’t a university student at all, she’s just a KTV hostess who has been fooling around in Beijing for two years!! She came to Zhengzhou in Henan province when she was just 14, and as someone born in 1991, how old is she now? You guys can calculate for yourselves! Those in Beijing who have been to the “Kaifu” [KTV] that was shut down should probably have seen her before.
I was wondering why she had dyed her hair black. Turns out it was to put on a show!
Speechless, I’m speechless. Has she gone crazy wanting to become famous? Even learning to find someone to post on the internet to drum up publicity?
You want to become famous so you exploit people’s kindness and sympathy? Such a base and shameless tactic you’re willing to use…
So I don’t understand. Is becoming famous really that important? To become famous, you’re really willing to give up your integrity?
Is your family really facing difficulties? All these years of selling your body, you should’ve earned enough money long ago…I can’t imagine what behind the scenes promoter is doing this, inventing such a ridiculous lie. Even if you guys are trying to promote yet another internet celebrity, you guys should at least first do your homework, at least figure out where certain people come from, right? Don’t tell me you guys are that naive!
Beijing is a city that isn’t exactly large nor exactly small, but with such a characteristic face, I think there would still be many people would recognize it, and many people would remember it! If today, you publish a post saying she was a KTV hostess but she wants to start anew/change her life and has come out to be a street musician, then I trust that many people would be very lenient and forgiving towards her. But, you guys are promoting [her] as such a young an innocent beggar loli!!!! What a joke!! A prostitute of 6 years, who has slept with countless men, packaged by promoters to all of a sudden be someone who has had a tragic history, as a beggar who deserves sympathy!!! Do you think us netizens are all stupid?
No news is nothing to be afraid of, what is to be feared is manufactured news, for the purpose of making profit!!!
Miss Han, you wanting to become famous is nothing wrong, you flipping black and white, being a whore and still trying to appear virtuous, isn’t that going a bit too far?
And you’re working and studying at the same time? How many Chinese four-character idioms do you know? A face that was completely manufactured with plastic surgery, double-eyelids that were taped…can you at least be a bit more professional if you’re going to put on a show? Tianya friends [addressing members of the popular Tianya discussion forum], take a good look!!
Driving a car?
Dressed so nicely?
A beggar can showoff going to Hong Kong?
A beggar also goes out to nightclubs?
Stays in hotels?
There are many articles and posts on the Chinese internet that have combined information from the above article and post. For example, on Mop (1 & 2), Tiexue, Sohu, etc. Here are some reactions to the “revelation” that Beggar Loli is an ex-prostitute perpetuating a publicity stunt…
Comments from Mop:
vegood:
Only stupid cunts would donate money to a normal person.
沉默也主流:
With clothes on, one kuai per song. With clothes off, one hundred [kuai] per session.
伊穆拉撒:
To this day the Heavenly Kingdom laughs at poverty but not prostitution, let this topic “sink” [get buried, instead of responding to it and bringing it back to the top of the discussion forum].
蛋蛋德幽觞:
With regards to reality, brother [referring to self] can only say, everything is just passing clouds.
匿名人士839163:
See, from Henan!! Again out to cheat people…only the method of cheating is different.
[The stereotype of Henan people are that they are liars and cheats.]
重庆涪陵汪洋:
The power of netizens is great!!!
季冻丶小人物:
The beggars on the streets these days I all ignore. Especially those with dexterous hands/arms and feet/legs. [I] despise [them].
紫娴纷菲:
I knew it was a publicity stunt the first time I saw [her]. [And] not even a clever [publicity stunt] at that.
狼心未灭:
There are too many of these kind of liars/cheats in real life…gei li…expose them.
捡个MM回家:
Yeah, onlookers who don’t know the truth.
Either way, MM is the type I like, hahahaha.
However, Beggar Loli’s entry in Baidu Baike (similar to Wikipedia) does not mention these allegations but do mention other allegations that she may be a rich second generation or was until her family met misfortune, therefore explaining the photos above. Other people have come out to say they recognize her as their old schoolmate in university. Elsewhere on the internet are news report photographs showing her “currently” living in poor conditions.
But, is that really the truth?
Young and innocent. Personals @ chinaSMACK.
