Digital Incense and Cyber Chants: Religion Goes Online in China

Elon Musk might be understandably impressed with China’s ubiquitous super-app WeChat, but the truth is there are many corners of the Chinese internet that even the popular app hasn’t explored.


Take, for instance, the landscape of online religious worship, which has flourished over the past few years. In 2021, China’s internet users surpassed 1 billion, and the Covid-19 pandemic pushed many offline activities into the online realm.


Chinese practitioners of multiple religions, such as Buddhism, Daoism, and Islam, are taking their faith to domestic instant messaging apps, blogs, microblogs, ecommerce sites, and social media platforms, and the results are otherworldly, to say the least.


china tiktok

Examples of Buddhism-inspired content on Douyin


For instance, chanting Buddhist sutras in the middle of your day just got a lot more convenient. Instead of trekking to your nearest temple, download the app ‘Digital Wooden Fish’ (电子木鱼) — named after muyu (木鱼) or fish-shaped wooden gongs — to start a prayer session on your mobile phone.


The interactive app, which will broadcast sutras for you to chant along to, even lets you play the gong by tapping on the screen.


Screenshots from Digital Wooden Fish and Mobile Incense apps

Screenshots from the Mobile Incense app and Digital Wooden Fish app


Each tap increases the user’s ‘good virtue score’ (功德值, gongde zhi), which can be accumulated and shared with friends on popular Chinese social media platforms, such as WeChat, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu.


Meanwhile, another prayer app called ‘Mobile Incense’ allows users to burn digital incense.


Religious netizens searching for more interactive experiences should head to the Chinese video platform Bilibili. The website is flooded with an endless stream of sacred (and sometimes profane) content, including monks engaging in mukbang or carrying out live looping sets and hours-long sutras in multiple languages like Mandarin, Tibetan, and Sanskrit.


Bilibili is also where RADII has discovered one of the most exciting yet bizarre forms of cyber worship: bullet chat prayers.


online religion china


Bullet comments (弹幕, danmu), which allow viewers to send live comments flying across the screen during a video, are prevalent on China’s numerous streaming platforms.


The content of the comments is entirely user-generated and varies greatly depending on the context. Some in China use this function to banter about content and control avatars while online clubbing, while others use it to pray or request blessings from deities on sutra-chanting videos.


On-screen during one video, a concerned grandparent pleaded, “Buddha, please bless my granddaughter and allow her to pass both subjects of her art examinations,” while a more cynical netizen typed, “Buddha, please make my school explode.” (Yikes!)


Whether or not online worship is effective remains hard to prove. Still, it seems likely that the phenomenon will continue to evolve (metaverse churches are already a thing) and influence religious practices.


Cover image via Bilibili

Get a Load of These Spooky Halloween Snacks in Greater China

As Halloween becomes more widely celebrated in China, especially by young urbanites, brands are hopping on the trend by launching seasonal specials to cater to the growing market. From Western chains like KFC and Starbucks to domestic ones such as CoCo and Holiland, it seems food and beverage companies are keen to offer terrifyingly terrific treats for the spookiest day of the year!


Here, we introduce you to some of the unique snacks currently available to consumers in Greater China.

1. KFC

KFC China has never lacked creative (and often cringe) campaigns.


For Halloween 2022, in collaboration with the American brand Heinz, KFC China has launched sweet and spicy chicken wings, spicy cheese fries, and tomato soda, all of which come with Heinz ketchup branded as ‘blood bags.’ The campaign is running from October 20 to November 15.


halloween KFC

A promo poster for KFC X Heinz


On October 24, the fast-food chain also introduced egg tarts adorned with Halloween-themed chocolates.


halloween treats at KFC

KFC’s Halloween egg tarts


Aside from food specials, KFC dressed SpongeBob SquarePants-inspired toys in classic Halloween costumes. The combination includes figures like SpongeBob dressed in a devil costume, with an unsettling detachable face and ‘trick or treat’ written inside:


kfc halloween


Along with other beloved characters like Patrick Star, the toy line also features grouchy old Squidward in a movable orange coffin:


kfc halloween

2. Lawson

This Japanese convenience store franchise has become one of the most popular chains in China, especially in Shanghai. As of February 2022, there were more than 2,300 Lawson shops in the metropolis.


lawson halloween treats

Images via Xiaohongshu


The shop is particularly well-known for its sweets and desserts, and the franchise frequently updates its offerings. For Halloween this year, Lawson China has added a new collection of desserts to its shelves, with most (appropriately) pumpkin flavored.


lawson halloween products

Images via Xiaohongshu


As shown in the pictures above, Lawson’s Halloween specials include four themed cakes, a pie, a sandwich, and a cookie that resembles a witch’s finger.

3. CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice

Founded in Taiwan in 1997, CoCo is one of the world’s largest bubble tea franchises, with more than 5,000 shops around the globe. Most famous for its taro milk tea, the brand also has other signature drinks, including smoothies, juices, and fruit teas and lattes, among other beverages.


coco milk tea

Some Coco shops in China are decorated with Kuromi imagery


For Halloween 2022, CoCo collaborated with Japanese anime company Sanrio, specifically its character Kuromi. Introduced in 2005, Kuromi is a white rabbit whose birthday is on Halloween. Wearing a pink skull on her forehead and a black devil’s tail, she debuted in the anime series Onegai My Melody and is a major antagonist in the Hello Kitty franchise.


coco halloween drinks

CoCo’s Halloween beverages


The brand has decorated 10 shops across China with Kuromi imagery while promoting two themed drinks: grape soda and the black sesame smoothie.


coco halloween products


As shown above, Kuromi-inspired merch is also available, including straws, cups, hair bands, socks, and stickers.

4. Holiland

Established in Beijing in 1992, Holiland is a classic Chinese bakery that is constantly finding new ways to stay relevant and edgy. One recent example is the brand’s Harry Potter-inspired mooncakes, which it released to celebrate this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival (a traditional celebration in China).


holiland halloween


For Halloween 2022, Holiland introduced a new series called ‘What the Ghost,’ which includes bread, a pastry, a tote bag, and a knife, all ghost-themed.


What the Ghost pastry


As seen above, the ghost-shaped coconut latte-flavored pastry ‘bleeds’ with running chocolate after being cut in half.


holiland What the Ghost promotion


The bread is also coconut latte-flavored and is billed as the ‘What the Ghost Frisbee,’ a nod to frisbee’s growing popularity in China. Ultimate frisbee, in particular, has seen a sudden rise in the country, primarily promoted by celebrities and influencers in first-tier cities. China even launched a national league for the sport in 2019.

5. Lonely God

Lonely God is a potato chip brand owned by Taiwanese food manufacturer Want Want Group. The snack has won the hearts of junk food enthusiasts worldwide with its sad-sounding name and unique twisted shape.


lonely god chips

Lonely God introduced three Halloween-themed chip varieties. Image via Xiaohongshu


The brand has launched Halloween-themed chips this year, but they are only available in Taiwan at the moment. Lonely God’s limited edition snacks come in three flavors: spicy cheddar cheese, truffle, and classic salt.

Honorable Mention: Starbucks

Unlike in other parts of the world, Starbucks China isn’t offering special Halloween beverages this year, but we still can’t resist its spooky set of mugs, bottles, and candy bowls.


starbucks halloween cups


Like last year, Starbucks China has incorporated adorable ghosts into their Halloween merch — those mugs are almost too cute to drink out of!


Additional reporting by Isabel Su. All images via Weibo, unless otherwise stated

‘House of the Dragon’ Outperforms ‘The Rings of Power’ in China

On October 23, the first season of House of the Dragon came to a close. The HBO spinoff of the popular medieval fantasy TV series Game of Thrones has been warmly received by Chinese fans, as evidenced by its 8.8/10 rating on Chinese review aggregator Douban.


In contrast, the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which was released around the same time, has received conflicting reviews from Chinese fantasy fans, who — like the rest of the world — binged both programs concurrently. The J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired TV series has an overall score of 6.8/10 on Douban.


promotional poster for house of the dragon featuring emma d'arcy as rhaenyra and olivia cooke as alicent

A promotional poster for House of the Dragon


House of the Dragon takes place about 200 years before Game of Thrones and depicts the events of the ‘Dance of the Dragons,’ a destructive civil war fought between rival factions of Westeros’ ruling Targaryen clan.


Many viewers loved the show’s first season for its political intrigue and interpersonal drama, elements also characteristic of Game of Thrones.


One Douban reviewer commented, “Political struggles, intrigues, family disputes, the show has everything we want to see.”


Other netizens consider the show well-made but slightly rushed. The first season spans nearly 20 years, with a major 10-year time jump in the middle that required the re-casting of the two female protagonists, Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower.


The chronological jumps led one Douban reviewer to say that the season “unfolded too quickly, but in general, it did a magnificent job.”


Game of Thrones sequel House of the Dragon

Young Rhaenyra, played by Milly Alcock, with her uncle, Daemon Targaryen, portrayed by Matt Smith


In contrast, some believe House of the Dragon moved too slowly. One Weibo user poetically complained that the show “simmered for the whole season, [before] the moment finally came for the fire to be lit.”


The same opinion was echoed by others, who saw the first 10 episodes as a run-up to something bigger (which is true, given there are potentially up to three more seasons in the works).


conflict between older alicent and older rhaenyra in house of the dragon

A scene of conflict between the older versions of Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy)


Overall, viewers loved the show despite their complaints about the pacing of the first season. One fan called House of the Dragon “one of the most magical Western films or television shows in recent years,” adding that they especially loved the couples in the series.


Game of Thrones, which ran from 2011 to 2019, was also a massive hit in China. In early 2019, ahead of the show’s eighth and final season, Daxue Consulting reported that it had already been watched 960 million times on the Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video.


emilia clarke daenarys targaryen game of thrones

Emilia Clarke portrays the ‘Dragon Queen’ Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones


So far, the first seven seasons of Game of Thrones performed better in China than House of the Dragon; all have 9.2/10 or higher on Douban. The final season, on the other hand, has universally been deemed a flop. On Douban, it only scored 6.1/10.


Both shows are based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Martin has published five out of his planned seven volumes. The author recently announced that the sixth installment, The Winds of Winter — which has been in the works since 2010 — is almost complete, provoking excitement from fans.


steve toussaint as corlys velaryon in house of the dragon

Steve Toussaint as the powerful Corlys Velaryon in House of the Dragon


But both fans of the books and the TV series will have to wait for more on-screen dragon action from HBO. The second season of House of the Dragon does not yet have a release date and will not begin filming until early 2023.


Thus, it will be at least a year of anticipation until fans can decide if the vast world-building of season one was worth it.


All images via IMDb

New Korean Dating Show ‘EXchange’ as Popular as ‘Single’s Inferno’

Remember the hype surrounding Single’s Inferno on Netflix? (Perhaps you even contributed to its success.) Those who enjoyed the South Korean reality TV show will be excited to know that a new contender has entered the ring. EXchange or Transit Love is the new dating show that’s got tongues wagging.


The TV series, which made its debut on Korean streaming service Tving in 2021, puts five men and five women under one roof. What makes matters more interesting is the fact that the personalities used to date. By the end of the show, each individual must decide whether to reunite with his or her ex or to find new love.


Season two of EXchange is made up of 20 episodes, and the finale will be released on Friday, October 28.


Rapper Simon Dominic and Kpop artist Yura from the girl group Girl’s Day, who were hosts in season one, make return appearances in season two. The second season also sees new faces, like Thai rapper BamBam, who is also a member of the South Korean boy band Got7. To fans’ delight, the 25-year-old also speaks up about his own experiences with love on the show.

Although EXchange is not officially airing on mainstream streaming platforms outside Korea, it is highly discussed in both China and the West. The hashtag for the current season, which is mostly attached to clips from the episodes, has garnered 610 million views on TikTok. On Chinese rating platform Douban, EXchange 2 is one of the 10 most popular reality TV shows of the week, along with The Kardashians Season 2. Moreover, the former currently holds a score of 8.2/10 on the site.


“It’s as brilliant as the first season. My favorite line from Season 2 is ‘I hope I didn’t take her for granted.’ Although it’s too late, it feels genuine,” gushed a fan, who gave season two a five-star rating.


“It’s heartbreaking to watch,” expressed another fan. “I feel empathy for Hae-eun every time she cries.”


@k_show1 ketauan sama jiyeon dan Tae I #koreandatingshow #transitlove2 #exchange2 ♬ Rumah Singgah – Fabio Asher


At the beginning of each series, EXchange’s participants are asked not to reveal their dating histories; this maintains suspense for both the hosts and the viewers, who naturally become invested while making calculated guesses about any romantic developments.


Editor’s Note: Spoilers ahead; you’ve been warned!


Viewers have been particularly interested in Sung Hae-eun and her new love interest Jeong Hyun-gyu. When Sung first joined the show, she still harbored feelings for her ex Jung Kyu-min; the pair had dated for six years. However, Jung kept pushing Sung away while pursuing other participants on the program. Supportive viewers have been relieved to see Sung move on with Jeong, who is said to be childhood friends with Jaehyun, a member of Korean boy group NCT.

Ever since hit Korean dating show Heart Signal aired in 2017, the TV genre has seen huge success in China. In 2018, Tencent Video even created its own take (of the same name) in Mandarin, and has released five seasons since. The local entertainment industry has seen a surge of Chinese dating shows — this year alone, around 20 different ones are available to stream on various streaming sites.


This demand for realism might indicate that Chinese viewers are over cheesy love dramas. After all, real-life love stories can be just as — if not more — juicy. As EXchange has been so well-received by Chinese watchers, it is possible that we will see a Chinese version in the near future.


Cover image via YouTube

Mark Zuckerberg Announces Meta’s AI Translator for Hokkien Language

On Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta, formerly known as Facebook, had successfully developed a real-time translation system for the primarily oral language Hokkien.


In the short clip, Zuckerberg demonstrated how the system works. He started a conversation with one of the program’s researchers in English, and the AI immediately read out the translated sentence in Hokkien. The translator successfully works both ways.

Hokkien, or Minnan, as they call it on the Chinese mainland, originates from the coastal area of Fujian province in southeastern China. The language has around 46 million speakers worldwide, with 28 million on the Chinese mainland and 13.5 million in Taiwan. It is also widely spoken by Chinese diasporas in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.


Instead of being taught in schools, Hokkien is usually passed down from generation to generation via conversation.


Hokkien, facebook, translate

A breakdown of the number of Hokkien speakers in the world. Image via Meta


According to Meta’s press release, building an AI-powered translation system around an unwritten language like Hokkien proved extremely challenging, as the current technique for programming an AI model requires large amounts of written text.


Therefore, Meta developed a new model using innovative approaches, like transforming speech into a sequence of acoustic sounds, generating waveforms from them, and relying on text from related languages, like Mandarin.


The new model is still a work in progress, as it can only translate one complete sentence at a time. Meta is now open-sourcing the model, hoping that others can build on their work and help to break down more barriers for the remaining 3,500 living languages that are also primarily verbal.


“We believe spoken communication can bring people together wherever they are located — even in the metaverse,” reads the press release.


China has had similar success in using AI technology to break down language barriers and preserve local dialects, but those programs have mainly been text-based. For instance, Flytech developed an AI transcription program that carries out translations and transcriptions to and from Mandarin for Cantonese, Uyghur, and Tibetan, as well as more than 10 dialects spoken in Taiyuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.


Cover image via Wikimedia

Controversial to Some, Web Novels Remain Popular in China

The speedy, serialized, and escapist nature of web novels has made them into a multi-billion-dollar industry in China, where 46.5% of internet users read web fiction, according to a 2020 report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Recently, however, their addictive nature has sparked debate among netizens.


The industry is growing: The same report also indicates that Gen Z makes up almost 60% of web fiction readers in China. Meanwhile, the number of authors writing for the renowned web fiction company China Literature increased by 129% in the first quarter of 2020.


Middle-aged readers and those from older generations also consume web novels. According to the 18th National Reading Survey, 23.2% of adults over 50 years old read web literature, a statistic that led to the debate about addiction. The tag ‘What to do if your parents are addicted to reading web literature’ (#父母沉迷看网络小说怎么办#) is currently trending on the microblogging platform Weibo, with more than 189 million views today alone.


Web novels in China are usually published chapter by chapter on online platforms such as Qidian, Zongheng, China Literature, Zhihu, and Douban Read. Even tech giants like ByteDance have created web novel apps. Often, readers must pay a fee to continue following the stories.


Like other largely unregulated writing genres, such as fanfiction, web novels are often considered low-quality and corruptive. Many rely on tropes, such as romances involving a ‘bossy president’ (霸道总裁) or a boyfriend who is second-generation rich, otherwise known as fuerdai (富二代).

Objections to web novels mainly seem to arise from the vacuous nature of their content. One Weibo user claimed that “web fiction is not good for your morality,” while another called it “brainless.”


Despite — or perhaps because of — these predictable, satisfying themes, many people can’t stop reading. The same person who called web novels brainless also confessed her love for the literary format, especially “when she is tired.”


Another commented, “My husband has been addicted to web novels for several years. He does not communicate or interact with our children at home. He hides in his room and reads novels alone.”


The addictive nature of web novels is encapsulated by the term shuangwen (爽文), which refers to smooth-sailing plots where the protagonist encounters few obstacles or easily overcomes all the challenges.


The word shuang literally translates to ‘feel-good.’ As journalist Zeyi Yang writes, reading these carefree stories imparts “a brief dopamine high.”


Su Min posing in front of a truck

Minor online celebrity Su Min read web novels about time traveling before embarking on her now-famous 80,000-kilometer journey across China. Image via Weibo


Even China’s famous and beloved road-tripping auntie Su Min has admitted an addiction to web literature. “I used to like reading web novels about time traveling — I was obsessed with them. They made me feel like I was escaping from reality, and it became a beam of light in my depressing life.”


Su was stuck in an abusive marriage for decades, and reading web fiction contributed to her eventual pursuit of “a better way of life.” In 2020, she left her husband to travel across the country alone — gaining considerable online fame in the process.


In a similar vein, many netizens believe web literature is harmless and even beneficial. One Weibo user wrote, “What’s wrong with reading novels? Can’t parents have hobbies of their own? People who read web fiction are infinitely better than the elders who were tricked by an MLM scheme into becoming addicted to livestreaming and buying gifts.”


Many of the most popular web novels also inspire TV shows — this year’s The Oath of Love and the sci-fi drama Reset were both adapted from web novels. Two of the five hottest dramas on Chinese streaming giant iQIYI were also adapted from web literature.


an image from the oath of love, a romantic tv show based on a web novel

An image from The Oath of Love, a TV show based on a popular web novel by Bolin Shijiang. Image via IMDb


Whether or not reading web novels is harmless, the industry is likely here to stay. And most netizens seem to agree: It’s better to be addicted to web novels than to “eating, drinking, prostituting, or gambling.”


Cover image via @qianerbai/Twitter