The Hottest Trending Topics on the Beijinger Blog, Sep-Oct 2017

Every issue we tally the hits from theBeijinger.com and bring you the most-viewed blogs from our website. Read on to see which blogs were the most popular.

1. Demolitions Hit Gulou Xidajie as Long-Term Expats Consider Bailing on Beijing
The summer break came to a sudden halt when construction crews and a bulldozer set to work demolishing swaths of Gulou Xidajie. The renewed vigor of the authorities on the northwest side of town brought an end to the short respite in razing which had become the norm during the first half of 2017, leaving onlookers to wonder once again just how far the revamps will reach. The new spate of destruction has also left long-term expats, especially those who have lost businesses to the Brickening, disillusioned, the effects of which may see some foreigners leaving Beijing sooner than planned.

2. Rapper Xie Di Wants to Shoot Foreigners in His New Song, “Wack Laowai”
China’s expat community again became the target of anger for China’s rap artists, as illustrated by Sichuan’s Xie Di desire to shoot foreigners with a gun in his new single “Wack Laowai” (瓜老外 gua laowai). In the video for the track, Xie unleashes his anger toward the foreign community and features a number of lyrics that show Xie’s frustration toward expats, who are repeatedly called “laowai.” Xie uses the song to impose his dominance by saying he wants to “fire a gun at you” and goes so far as to blame expats for the sins committed by their ancestors, explaining that “Every man passes on his genes.”

3. Ten Words and Phrases That Have a Different Meaning in Beijing
Our city is one of a kind. You know how we know that? Because when we go home and try to explain things to people, they just don’t quite get it. That’s because the phrases or words we use often mean completely different things elsewhere in the world, creating a rift in the space-time continuum that doesn’t quite allow for Beijing life to be pinned down. Check out these 10 words and phrases that mean something entirely different back home.

4. TRB Copper to Host Benefit for Cancer-Stricken China Daily Reporter Mike Peters
Beijing’s expat community lost one of the city’s most talented lifestyle reporters and a fixture in the local food and beverage scene, China Daily’s Mike Peters, after he was diagnosed with, and later succumbed to, terminal cancer. To help raise funds for his hospice care and repatriation, a number of Beijing’s scenesters and business owners came together at TRB Copper to celebrate his life and share anecdotes about one of the Beijing’s most beloved expats, a man with a “huge heart, filled with generosity and empathy.”

5. Kokomo’s Rooftop Demolished
The second big demolition loss of late was news that Kokomo’s rooftop terrace was first closed and then knocked down with a massive crane. The bar, renowned as the epicenter for sloppy nights on Sanlitun’s “Dirty Bar Street,” has been able to live on by taking over the space below, what was formerly Rec Room, and revamping it as an extension of Kokomo, complete with a surf-style beach bar, cheap drinks, and tunes that’ll appeal to the usual masses that turn up already half-conscious any day of the week.

6. “Beijing Subway Cosplay Slut Shaming” Revealed as Online Marketing Campaign
Sigh. We’re not even entitled to our own outrage. A video showing a middle-aged woman calling a young woman “lascivious” for wearing cosplay on the Beijing Metro attracted millions of views, sparking online debate about public civility. But as it turns out, the dama in the video wasn’t the only one quick to judge; the video was revealed to have all been part of an elaborate online marketing campaign.

7. Fatal Knife Attack at Papa John’s Restaurant Franchise in Beijing
A Papa John’s franchise restaurant was the site of a fatal knife attack that appeared to be a case of workplace violence. It is alleged that a dispute between a Papa John’s worker and a manager escalated into a knife attack with eyewitnesses stating that the manager suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. Police say the victim showed no signs of life by the time the ambulance arrived on the scene.

8. Beijing Commuters Rescue Trapped Man by Pushing Subway Train Off Him
In a shining display of solidarity, over a hundred Beijingers were able to rescue a man caught in the gap between a subway and the platform at Dongzhimen Station by physically pushing a carriage off him. Dozens of people coordinated their efforts to widen the gap between the train and the platform before successfully freeing the victim. Sadly, those efforts were in vain as the man later succumbed to his injuries.

Of course, if you're looking for more, you can read many similar stories to these here.

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Ellis, YouTube, Sarah Lawrence, Mike Peters' GoFundMe, Sina Tech, BJ JJJ, Weibo