As Wukan’s protest unfolds before the world’s eyes, however, in China, what’s happening there has been blocked from media. Search engines, such as that of Sina’s Weibo, have blocked the terms “Wukan” and “Xue Jinbo” from search results.

But the censorship has not been able to completely block the information from netizens. In the past couple of days, netizens on Weibo have been using the initials of the village “WK” to circumvent censorship and circulate reporting about Wukan’s revolt reported in Taiwan and Hong Kong media. On Weibo, tens of thousands of users showed their solidarity with the Wukan villagers. “Goodnight, people of WK…” a Weibo user writes, “this is another sleepless night for you, but people all over China are sticking together with you…”

Others condemned the government for using militarized forces against villagers’ peaceful protest. “Besieging a village with heavily armed troops, what’s your motive?,” another user writes, criticizing the authorities’ deployment of militarized police force. “Those who are in power can’t pacify people, so they resorted to violence. That is completely incompetent, unintelligent, and shameless, and the end result will be doomed to be condemnable, sad, and despicable. History will remember; the monument of shame is already erected, waiting for your names to be engraved on… Think twice before it’s too late.”

Some netizens are concerned how long the relatively peaceful stand-off can last before a bloody confrontation. “Tonight, they (the authorities) want to copy 1.9.8.9.6.4. in WK,” a Weibo user writes, referring, in coded language, 1989’s Tian’anmen Square protest.

Another Weibo user is hopeful for a peaceful resolution. “In my humble personal opinion,” she/he writes, “what’s happening in WK has to be resolved peacefully no matter how difficult it is. Don’t want to see more blood. Let children walk out of this chaos; children shouldn’t share the cruelty of the adults.” She/he continues to express her/his concern for the villagers’ safety and the dangerous prospect facing them if violence breaks out: “People all over the world are supporting their protest, but who are willing to join them to fight against power? Yes, protest is resistance too. But (as outsiders) hail them for fighting against arms, theirs will be the only blood that will be shed.”

Some netizens have gone further to criticize the lack of social justice and democracy in China.”In this country that has no religious belief or a [functioning] justice system, things like this should get every citizen think carefully,”a Weibo user writes, “violence is not an option; China has had too much violence for thousands of years.”

Relating to Beijing government’s issuance of a regulation for weibo‘s (microblogging) identify verification, a Weibo user writes: “Today when I was having lunch with Haibing, and we talked about weibo‘s identity verification law. I said I don’t complain about these things nowadays any more. Haibing said, complaining about economy is fine—even if you turned the world upside down you’ll be fine—but those other things, forget it. Actually, I would be happy to live my life watching roosters fight or walking my dog rather than worrying about the heaven and the earth. But tonight I read so much about WK, and saw hundreds and thousands of villagers protest with tears in their eyes. I can’t allow myself to feel nothing. They’re all people, like you and me! They’re people who have been robbed!”

“About WK, I don’t even know what’s real and what’s rumor. This happened in a China that [claims] to devote itself to building a harmonious society? Unspeakable horror, iron-handed oppression. Respect goes to those who’re not afraid of dictatorship,” another netizen writes.

Wukan’s revolt is an escalation of the conflicts between peasants and the authorities and real estate developers over land seizure seen across China for years. In October, three young AWOL soldiers were shot dead on their way to help another soldier revenge his family whose land had been seized by the authorities by force. The public showed tremendous sympathy to the fallen soldiers. In Wukan’s case, the public clearly stand with the villagers. “Give back the land to its people,” a Weibo user writes. “Who are the masters of this country?” another protests.

A Weibo user points out that land seizure is a tough case for the government to handle: “The local authorities’ unregulated land selling is not unique [in Wukan]. If WK returns the land to the villagers, I’m afraid villagers all over China will request [the authorities] return land to them, and this is what they (the authorities) fear.”

She/he has a point. The fear of the prospect of Wukan’s revolt spreading over China led the government to block the news in the very begging of the protest. The media blackout provoked many netizens on Weibo to criticize Chinese government and the media. “It would be nice if [the government] use the effort they made to block the news somewhere it’s actually needed,” a Weibo user writes.

Another user is concerned about the government’s cover-up: “This time about wk, I don’t know if some wumao (government agents infiltrating online communities who post favorable comments about the government and the Party) will come out and ‘clarify the rumors’… damn it, those wumao, no matter how stupid they are, should have a bottom-line for morality and conscience!”

A user applauds foreign media for their coverage: “WK is getting big. Turned out it’s foreign media that have conscience…” Another criticizes Chinese who haven’t shown their support to Wukan for their apathy: “I couldn’t sleep this morning and reposted a lot of [posts] about wk. In today’s China, some people fled, but some are ready to give their last drop of blood to protect their home… But, most of us are still just onlookers…”

Now it seems that Weibo is still trying to block information under the pressure of the government. Several users mentioned that their posts containing “WK” have disappeared shortly after they posted them. “Posts about WK can’t live for over an hour; why not tell us the truth?,” a user complained.

However, the discussion of Wukan is still alive on the social media site despite the censorship. Perhaps Chinese people are more rebellious than the government thinks we are, like this one, who, before she/he went to bed last night, wrote her/his last post for the day: “Before I go to bed, I’ll post this, risking my account being deleted.” There’s a link to a blog post with photos of protesters and crying villagers and a lengthy report of Wukan’s revolt. “I also want to say,” she/he continued, “WK people, hang in there!”

Virgin boys and girls, let’s have a surprise wedding~ Have a relationship with marriage as its goal. You dare love me as long as the sky lasts, and I’ll dare love you as long as the earth exists.

Currently, #微博结婚证#, or “microblogging marriage certificate,” ranks the 5th on the Hot Topics of the Hour list on Sina Weibo. “Let’s do it!,” many reposted. Do you have a sweetheart in mind?

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However, sensational as these online phenomena are, they all seem lackluster when compared to these two women in China who have gained their fame solely by playing the internet. The two of them are indeed the gems in the category of famous people who are famous for… being (in)famous. They play the “being famous” card so well that Paris Hilton looks like an amateur put side by side with them. These two internet celebrities in China are 芙蓉姐姐, “Furongjiejie” (“Sis Lotus”) and 凤姐, “Fengjie” (“Sis Phoenix”). (And google them, my friends, especially for their images.) It’s fair to say that these two are of iconic status in the online culture in China, and they have even reached beyond the internet to other domains in Chinese popular culture.

Furongjiejie, or Furong or Frjj, has been famous since 2005, when she started posting her photos and promoting herself on Tsinghua University’s BBS. She soon gained nation-wide notoriety because of her narcissistic and blatantly excessive confidence. On her blog on 163.com, she states that she is 21 years old (she was born in 1977), and writes in her personal Introduction:

Love-song diva, dancing queen, queen of the Web, Furong queen. A columnist, singer, dancer, artist, model, actor, MC, senior editor, advertising designer. The creator of the Furong Spirit characterized with bravery, perseverance, and confidence. Furongjiejie, who, relying on her absolute confidence and pride, presents her real self, has become an internet sensation through her unique personality and perseverance, and her influence has extended beyond university BBSs to the mass media, so extensive that her fans call her “a campus celebrity like a goddess”…

Frjj also states in her recent updates that:

With her overflowing talent, smooth style, strong and independent character, and innocence that defies traditions and conventions, Frjj has become a grass-root idol for youth in the age of the internet, and has become a support in spirit for their rejection of low self-esteem and self-loathing. Since she launched her career, Frjj has been recognized and affirmed by the public for her healthy, confident, and attractive image.  With her extremely feminine figure, combined with her explosive dance moves and her sweet voice, she exudes the most mesmerizing stage charm, and has become a super diva that attracts fans. She is a big start at the center of the public fascination, and a very personable grass-root star, who has very strong mobilizing power and the widest fan base. Most importantly, Frjj has a kind heart, who has participated in countless charity events, and has been a public and health ambassador for countless times, welcome and supported by the public.

The trick is, Frjj‘s talents, status, and achievements are all self-claimed, at least at the beginning of her “career.” Frjj attempted and failed several times to get into the grad school, and she is not considered pretty by the Chinese standard. In fact, many consider her overweight and ugly. But in the photos she posted, she often poses in a “S” shape with ultra confidence. Combined with her own claims of sexiness and attractiveness, she has been a huge laughing stick among Chinese netizens, so huge that she actually has become a celebrity. She is often used as an iconic comparison when people talk about ugly, talentless, yet shamelessly confident women. What’s amazing is that her fame has lasted for six years and seems to be growing, unlike some might have predicted. Recently, she gave a talk at Beijing University, one of the most prestigious universities in China, and her recent weight-loss has been a widely talked about topic online. It also reported that she is written in a textbook for Chinese learning. Frjj‘s influence was so huge that the government ordered the website that hosted her blog to tune her down, forbidding her posts to be put on its homepage. In many ways, Frjj is indeed very different from many internet fads in the U.S., which usually enjoy 15 minute of fame. Her very excessive confidence, a trait that is extremely undesirable in Chinese culture that values humility, especially for women, has a strange yet strong momentum that has turned the negative into the capital for positive results.

Fengjie, compared to Frjj, is a new comer to the internet hall of fame, but not a bit lackluster. To put it simply, Fengjie‘s fame has come from the almost inconceivable gap between her outrageously high standard for her boyfriend candidates and her own looks and talent. In this regard, Fengjie is similar to Frjj, both exhibiting almost insanely excessive confidence. She first emerged in a supposed documentary TV show where she talked about her standard for her boyfriend — holding a Master’s degree in Economics from Tsinghua or Beijing University, 176cm-183cm in height, with “global” visions, etc. In fact, she said in various occasions that her boyfriend must have Prince William’s body, and she would be happy to have Obama as her boyfriend. Herself, on the other hand, is 146cm in height, without a college degree, considered ugly by many Chinese, and working as a cashier in a supermarket. Like Frjj, Fengjie‘s boldness, or shamelessness to many Chinese, has won her the status of celebrity across the country.

It is reported that Fengjie‘s success is actually the result of the operation by an online marketing company she hired. Nevertheless, she clearly understands how to capitalize on this fame. Recently. she went to New York and met with Sinovision’s HR for an interview to become a TV personality. Fengjie‘s visit to Sinovision was far from a low-key job interview. The interview was even video recorded, during which Fengjie commented on many things including the U.S. presidents, saying that the only two presidents she admired were Lincoln and F. D. Roosevelt. As to Clinton and W. Bush, she didn’t even bother to comment on them.

So, what do I think? Frjj‘s and Fengjie‘s images completely defy the traditional image of a good woman in China, who is supposed to be not only beautiful, knows how to take care of her husband and her family, but at the same time humble and quiet. Frjj and Fengjie are not pretty, they are single, do not have prestigious family or social status, yet they exhibit themselves in public and express themselves without any reservation. They are loud, outrageously confident about themselves, and demand the best for themselves. Many regard them as jokes, but neither of them has ever defended herself. They are fascinating to Chinese, men or women, precisely because of this outrageousness, this “shamelessness,” this notoriety. And in a way, in this world where the media are full of gorgeous and perfect celebrities, these women make everybody, especially those who are insecure about themselves, feel good about themselves. It’s almost like, “Look at Furong and Fengjie; what worse can happen?” And that’s why Chinese can’t get enough of them.

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It seems that Strauss-Kahn’s fall fed Chinese’s hunger for examples of justice, examples of powerful figures being punished for their abuse of power, even if they did not happen in China:

白水古月: Sex and politics are always tied together, and this is true across the world. Look at this brother (IMF head Strauss-Kahn, born in Paris on May 25, 1949), at this age, he’s still into sexual assaults. I’m so impressed. Look, because of a bit carelessness, he’s famous now; even somebody from a poor mountain valley like myself knows this character.

最强力#IMF总裁 性侵#: He thought too much about himself, thought that he could use his money to calm everything down. But he forgot that money can’t put down our dignity.

Many microbloggers are impressed by NYPD’s quick response, and, albeit quite naively, a system that works to protect people’s rights. The following comment has been circulated around, reflecting many microbloggers’ appreciation of a such a “big city” system that protects “petty citizens,” especially women, and their condemnation of a system controlled by those in power:

侯少开: One of the differences between a big city and a small town: when powerful big shots cover the sky with one hand, it’s called small town; when petty citizens’ rights can be ensured, it’s called a big city. This might be why many people feel safe in big cities despite the feeling of displacement. (@新周刊) Based on the fact that after a female hotel housekeeping employee reported being sexually assaulted by IMF head Strauss-Kahn, the police arrested him in the first class chamber on an international flight and charged him, New York is a big city.

吾亦与点也#sexually assaulting female hotel employee, IMF head arrested#: Strauss-Kahn wouldn’t have lacked women around him, but the weakness of his character and his power and conceit allowed him to step on the bottom line of the law. In front of power and money, powerless women are willing and able to protect their dignity, this is a necessary requirement for modern society.

Others directly compared this case to those in China, often with a sarcastic tone such as the following entry:

书画家作家陈祖芬: If this brother had been born in China, he wouldn’t have needed to sexually assault [someone]. Look at Luo Mengguo, he’s having so much fun, and could even collect the underwear of the women he slept with.

Luo Mengguo was the corrupted Secretary of the Municipal committee of the CPC in the city of Maoming, Guangdong, who had multiple mistresses.

Of course, there are always those interested in international affairs who speculated on the impact of this incident on French politics:

爱智慧心飞扬: IMF head Strauss-Kahn was arrested in the U.S. on charges of sexual assault. I thought the was the strongest candidate for France’s presidential election in 2012, what a shame! Could it be a political conspiracy?

Chinese microbloggers’ interest in this incident seems to come from their dissatisfaction of the lack of social justice in China, especially in underdeveloped regions, or “small towns,” where local officials tend to abuse their power even more often than in larger cities. On a positive note, with the extensive use of social media, Chinese do have more channels to access to information and to express their opinions with a certain degree of freedom. One time a good friend of mine, a journalist in China, said to me that in China people know what’s going on in the country and in the world, but they just don’t talk about it. That’s partly true. After all, people who have access to the internet are still a fraction of the entire population in China. However, what I see is still encouraging and exciting. Many Chinese do speak out candidly, directly or through humor or sarcasm, and I believe more will be willing and able to express themselves in the future. We’ll see.

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Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Americans who don’t know much about my country or culture. Unlike some others, I don’t think there is an absolute moral obligation for Americans to understand Chinese culture or Chinese people. In fact, there are plenty of Chinese who don’t know much about America, except for what they saw on American movies and reality TV, oh, and from the very “selective” news coverage on Chinese national television. But for those who are interested in knowing more about China, I often feel sad. Pervasive as media are today, I find it difficult to get a picture of China that’s a little more than caricature. Unfortunately, American or Chinese mainstream media are very often quite inadequate or even misleading (although maybe in different directions). As someone who stands in a space between America and China, I often find myself caught in the crossfires of under-representation and misrepresentation of China and Chinese people from American and Chinese media. And I don’t like it a bit.

Now, I’m not going to pose myself as an expert on China just because I’m a Chinese national, nor will I speak for the Chinese people. That argument is as sound as Glenn Beck, or anybody for that matter, speaking for “Americans.” My only intent for this blog is to show Americans some “other” pictures of China, pictures with messy details, discordant colors, and inconsistent perspectives, pictures that are not seen by most Americans. This blog will be dedicated to topics Chinese people are talking about in social media, alternative news websites, or online communities, topics that reveal what they love, fear, despise, aspire, and more. I hope you’ll enjoy them, despite or because of their messiness.