Beijing Pops: Chloé Zhao Wins the Oscar for Best Director for "Nomadland"

Chloé Zhao wins the Oscar for Best Director

After months of guessing and waiting, we finally have the answers to one of life's great mysteries: who will win an Oscar this year!? Of particular note this year is the triumph of Beijing-born director Chloé Zhao, who won the award for Best Director at the 93rd Academy Awards, making her the first Asian woman, and the second Chinese person, to win in the category. Zhao’s Nomadland received two other Oscar awards: Best Picture and Best Actress for Frances McDormand. In securing her directing win, Zhao beat out four other very worthy directors – David Fincher, Lee Isaac Chung, Thomas Vinterberg, and Emerald Fennell.

During her acceptance speech, Zhao expressed her gratefulness to the crew of Nomadland, and remembered the people who have supported her in difficult times. Quoting an old saying from the Three Character Classics 三字经 Sān zì jīng, a classic ABC book that many Chinese people learn to recite as children, Zhao said that she has always been particularly inspired by the phrase “人之初，性本善” (rén zhī chū, xìng běnshàn), which is the very first line of the book, and which translates to: “People, at birth, are inherently good.”

“Those six characters had such a great impact on me when I was a kid,” Zhao continued. “And I still truly believe them today, even though sometimes it may seem like the opposite is true. But I have always found goodness in the people I met – everywhere I went in the world.”

Zhao concluded her speech by saluting “anyone who has the faith and the courage to hold onto the goodness in themselves and to hold onto the goodness in each other, no matter how difficult it is to do that. This is for you, you inspire me to keep going.”

Thirty-nine-year-old Zhao has been breaking records throughout the awards season. She was also the first Asian woman to win Best Director Motion Picture at the 78th Golden Globe Awards in February, and the second woman to win Best Director at Britain's BAFTA Film Awards earlier this year. Nomadland is the third film Zhao has directed. Her debut film was Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015), and her second film, The Rider (2017), was critically acclaimed and received several accolades including nominations for Independent Spirit Awards for Best Film and Best Director. 

Tibetan social media sensation Ding Zhen delivers a speech at a UNDP activity in Beijing

Last November, a 20-year-old Tibetan man named Ding Zhen took Chinese social media by storm with his handsome looks and innocent smile. Hailing from Litang county, a Tibetan area of Sichuan Province in Southwest China, Ding rose to fame overnight because of a short video on Douyin, in which he wears a folk costume, walks towards the lens, and smiles brightly. After the clip went viral online, and with more and more people demanding to know the identity of this handsome new star, the photographer who shot the video asked Ding to do a livestream together. The live stream received millions of views and created an online sensation. In the stream, Ding speaks in non-fluent Mandarin, and is clearly making an effort to communicate with his audience. His unpolished look, shy smile, and air of authenticity have given netizens a new crush to latch onto, with many labeling him a “sweet and wild boy” and “Tibetan white horse prince." Ding's home of Litang county also became a hot tourist spot, with searches on Ctrip increasing by 620% in only 10 days.

Great fame has brought Ding many opportunities. Last week, Ding was invited to attend the “Time For Nature” activity held by the United Nations Development Program in Beijing. At the event, Ding delivered a speech entitled, “A drop of water contains millions of lives,” and he appealed to people to protect the earth's animals. He also attended the China Culture & Tourism Brand Impact Conference held by People’s Daily - Travel Channel on April 22, and was given the award of China’s New Prominent Influencer in Culture & Tourism for 2020.

Actress Li Qin vlogs her visit to Yuyuantan Park

Nobody can resist the beauty of the cherry blossoms at Yuyuantan Park, and celebrities are no exception. Wearing a pink blouse and blue jeans, and looking like a veritable spring fairy, actress Li Qin showed up at the park earlier this month to shoot a vlog. In the video, Li is accompanied by staff as she walks around the park with a mask on. Despite the large number of people, she seems relaxed, and poses for photos with cherry blossoms every now and then. However, she is soon recognized by fans, and has to “escape” to a duckling boat to avoid the crowd. Li Qin's vlog has since accumulated millions of views on Weibo, with some wry fans commenting, “it’s a free advertisement for the park."

Born in 1990, Li Qin began her acting career with a role in the 2008 adaptation of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber 红楼梦 Hóng lóu mèng. She has become a household name in recent years, thanks to the success of the TV series Joy of Life 庆余年 Qìng yú nián, in which she plays the lead female role. Her role as a flight attendant in the air disaster film Chinese Captain 中国机长 Zhōng guó jī zhǎng earned her the Gold Crane Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival. 

Chinese celebrity couple announces their divorce on World Book Day

April 23, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, is supposed to be a day of good fortune for bookstores and e-commerce platforms, and this year would have been no different ... had actor Feng Shaofeng not announced his divorce with actress Zhao Liying on Weibo that morning! The breaking news was soon the top-trending item on Weibo, supplanting any other hashtags about more pertinent topics, such as books or reading ...

The two stars began their romance in 2017, during the shooting of the film The Monkey King 3 西游记女儿国 Xī yóu jì nǚ ér guó, and announced their marriage in October 2018. In March 2019, Feng and Zhao welcomed a baby boy. Few details have been revealed regarding the divorce. Many are speculating it may have something to do with Feng's possible neglect of Zhao for a long period of time after the birth of their son.

Born in Langfang, a neighboring city to Beijing, Zhao Liying is a popular Chinese TV and film actress, who has the particular distinction of being one of the most paid Chinese TV actresses. Her debut was in the family drama Golden Marriage 金婚 Jīn hūn, and after performing several big and small roles in films and TV, she got her big break in the historical drama The Legend of Lu Zhen 陆贞传奇 Lù zhēn chuán qí. After that, she continued to appear in successful TV series, and gradually became one of China's best TV actresses.

Nine years older then Zhao, Feng Shaofeng is a Shanghai-born actor who made his debut in 1998. He rose to fame in the costume drama Palace: The Lock Heart Jade 宫锁心玉 Gōng suǒ xīn yù, in which he played the eighth son of Emperor Kang Xi.

READ: Beijing Pops: What’s the Worst Chinese Film of 2020? Ask the Golden Broom!

Images: Weibo, Douban