Chinese Social Media Responds to Documentary about Leyuan Village

In recent days, Chinese social media has been abuzz with discussions surrounding a documentary that featured images of Chinese streets in a Korean-language production. The film in question, reportedly using untruthful materials and showing scenes from Shandong Road Central in Shanghai, sparked outrage among Chinese netizens who felt misrepresented and misinterpreted.

Users on Weibo, China's most popular microblogging platform, expressed their discontent over the Western media's portrayal of Chinese streets, with many expressing frustration at the constant focus on sensationalist content. One user exclaimed, "This is Shanghai, right? I say these Western media documentaries create a lot of chatter and always want to make a scene. Can they please go to hell."

Another user shared a video from Weibo, showing a stampede during the Hallyu Station incident, with the comment, "Before the Hallyu Station stampede accident occurred, a video was shot with people flocking like ants! The Weibo video of Justice Tiny Duck." This implies that the documentary's focus on Chinese streets is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger pattern of Western media sensationalism.

One user expressed concern over the authenticity of the documentary, stating, "I find it quite frightening why there is a shot of our Chinese streets in a Korean-language documentary. I don't believe that a team making a documentary wouldn't have been scrutinized on this point." This suggests that the use of Chinese streets in the documentary may not be accidental, but rather a deliberate attempt to present an unbalanced view of China.

The documentary has also sparked discussions about cultural appropriation, with users sharing instances where Chinese elements are used in Korean content without proper attribution or authorization. One user shared images of commercial products using Chinese content without licenses, stating, "These commercial images? Where are the unauthorized Chinese content licenses?"

In response to these concerns, some users have started celebrating their own country's achievements, with one user sharing a dessert series from Leiyuan Village. The post features a collage of four different pictures, each depicting people in white suits walking down the street. This playful nod to their own country seems to be an attempt by Chinese netizens to reclaim their narrative and emphasize the positive aspects of China.

In conclusion, this recent documentary has sparked a lively discussion on Chinese social media, with users expressing their disappointment at the portrayal of Chinese streets, questioning the authenticity of the documentary, and discussing issues of cultural appropriation. Despite these concerns, however, netizens have also come together to celebrate their own country's achievements and showcase its positive aspects.