For many in the West, 2016 will be remembered for Trump, Brexit, terrorism in Europe and an absurd number of pop culture deaths, from Bowie to Muhammad Ali. By comparison, China had an unusually quiet year. Nonetheless, there were still a few goings-on in the world's most populous country.
In our 2016 Year in Review series, we recap the best (and worst) of China's year in the worlds of technology, social media, sport, fashion, food, arts and more.
Many people have described 2016 as a garbage fire, but not everything was bad. These 10 heroes were bright spots in an otherwise grim year.
10. Fashion Icon Granny
An 80-year-old grandma made waves on social media this year for her impeccable fashion sense and top-notch modeling skills. Photos of Liang Xide, a fashion shop owner in Shenyang, went viral after her grandniece Lin Dan posted them on social media.
9. Starbucks Uncle
2016 brought some serious typhoons to China, but one Hong Kong man was unfazed by the bad weather. In a photo capturing what may be the most IDGAF moment of 2016, the man was pictured reclining with his feet up while enjoying a coffee and his paper, not in the least bit concerned that he was surrounded by a growing lake where the floor used to be. Understandably, the image went viral on Chinese social media, where the man was dubbed ‘Starbucks Uncle.’
A Wuhan university student also went viral for pulling off a similar feat in July:
8. Pole Dancing Team
China's national pole dancing team boycotted an international championship this December after organizers failed to display the Chinese flag at the event. To protest, the group put up their own flag. This isn't the first flag fiasco for China this year: netizens grew outraged at the misconfiguration of the stars on China's flag hanging during the Rio Olympics medal ceremony.
7. Orlando Bloom
While in Shanghai filming his upcoming movie Smart Chase: Fire and Earth, English actor Orlando Bloom upped his hearthrob status when he took an injured stray dog to the vet to get treated. He posted a video to his Instagram showing him helping the vets shave the area around the wound.
6. Spiderman
Liang Lei, of China's Shandong province, was nicknamed Spiderman after he scaled a building with his bare hands to reach a two-year-old boy who was dangling by his neck through the bars on the window. Climbing up several floors, Lei managed to get to the boy in the nick of time.
5. Chinese Immigrant
An elderly Chinese immigrant melted Canadian and Chinese hearts this year when an essay was published by her neighbor, Nicole Morris, about how the immigrant, Wing, began bringing homecooked meals to her after Morris' mother underwent heart surgery. Wing doesn't speak any English and Morris only knows how to say "hello" in Chinese.
4. Wheelchailer
Paraplegic Quan Peng of Gansu province spent his 2016 backpacking the country in a wheelchair. Quan began his journey in August 2014 in Beijing. By the end of his trip, he will have travelled nearly 3,500 miles (5,670 kilometers). He will finish his journey in Sanya, the southernmost city of Hainan province.
3. Astronauts
In mid-October, China successfully launched Shenzhou-11 from the Gobi Desert. Aboard the manned spacecraft were two male astronauts, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong. The spacecraft docked at China's orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 for 30 days, more than doubling China's national record for staying in space.
2. Turtle Releaser
A Fujian fisherman was offered RMB10,000 last March for a turtle he caught identified as a nationally protected Olive Ridley sea turtle. However, the man refused all offers, on the basis that returning the turtle to the ocean would allegedly give him good luck and fortune.
1. Fu Yuanhui
Olympic swimmer Fu Yuanhui became an online sensation within and without China this year after her endeering post-race interview in which she was informed she came in third went viral. "I was so fast!" she exclaimed. Fu now has more than 4.9 million followers on Weibo, where people shared videos of themselves imitating Fu's iconic facial expression filled with utter excitement.
For more 2016 year in review coverage, click here.
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