When Daidai realized her father was too old to slaughter two pigs for a traditional community feast in the run-up to Chinese New Year, she turned to social media. She didn't want him to feel bad. Can anyone help me? she asked on Douyin, China's version of Tiktok, at the end of last week. My father is old. I am worried that he can't handle these pigs. Daidai, who's in her 20s, promised that those who came to their village, Qingfu, to assist would be treated to a pork banquet.
In rural Sichuan and Chongqing, large community meals are an important part of culture, featuring twice-cooked pork, steamed ribs, soup, and homemade liquor. Let me hold my head up high in our village, she said.
Her appeal for help attracted more than a million likes, and the response on the ground was like a scene from a cheesy feel-good movie, as thousands of cars poured in, carrying many more people than she needed for the task.
So many responded that traffic jams brought roads in this part of rural Chongqing in south-west China to a standstill. Drone images showed carloads of people queuing up with rice crops on either side hoping to still enter Qingfu. Walking in from long distances became a traffic-beating option for some.
Daidai posted that drivers coming into the area should be careful on the roads, especially those from the city unaccustomed to conditions in the countryside. The atmosphere has been great. It reminded me of my childhood when my family still kept pigs. It has been years since I felt anything like that, one man who drove more than 100 kilometers (65 miles) to get there told the BBC. He has seen license plates from all over the country.
When the pig slaughter and subsequent mass banquet did happen, it was watched live online by more than 100,000 viewers, registering 20 million likes, and the local government embraced it as a flash-tourism moment. With many more people in town than two pigs could feed, tourism officials donated more pigs to meet the huge demand, and small restaurants sprang up serving crowds of visitors in outdoor seating areas.
Yet what this phenomenon has shown is how quickly a small matter can become something massive in the age of social media. I thought maybe a dozen people would come, Daidai told Chinese media. But there have been too many to count.
The response has also been driven by what seems to be a yearning from Chinese people to get back in touch with community cultural events, as well as a need for positive experiences when life can, at times, feel very dark. The banquet celebration went on for two memorable days, with bonfires and much partying.
Daidai echoed her gratitude towards everyone involved, stating, For everyone who came, the feeling was like that of a big family. It was really warm, really healing and really meaningful. The event's success indicates a promising future for community-driven festivities in China.
In rural Sichuan and Chongqing, large community meals are an important part of culture, featuring twice-cooked pork, steamed ribs, soup, and homemade liquor. Let me hold my head up high in our village, she said.
Her appeal for help attracted more than a million likes, and the response on the ground was like a scene from a cheesy feel-good movie, as thousands of cars poured in, carrying many more people than she needed for the task.
So many responded that traffic jams brought roads in this part of rural Chongqing in south-west China to a standstill. Drone images showed carloads of people queuing up with rice crops on either side hoping to still enter Qingfu. Walking in from long distances became a traffic-beating option for some.
Daidai posted that drivers coming into the area should be careful on the roads, especially those from the city unaccustomed to conditions in the countryside. The atmosphere has been great. It reminded me of my childhood when my family still kept pigs. It has been years since I felt anything like that, one man who drove more than 100 kilometers (65 miles) to get there told the BBC. He has seen license plates from all over the country.
When the pig slaughter and subsequent mass banquet did happen, it was watched live online by more than 100,000 viewers, registering 20 million likes, and the local government embraced it as a flash-tourism moment. With many more people in town than two pigs could feed, tourism officials donated more pigs to meet the huge demand, and small restaurants sprang up serving crowds of visitors in outdoor seating areas.
Yet what this phenomenon has shown is how quickly a small matter can become something massive in the age of social media. I thought maybe a dozen people would come, Daidai told Chinese media. But there have been too many to count.
The response has also been driven by what seems to be a yearning from Chinese people to get back in touch with community cultural events, as well as a need for positive experiences when life can, at times, feel very dark. The banquet celebration went on for two memorable days, with bonfires and much partying.
Daidai echoed her gratitude towards everyone involved, stating, For everyone who came, the feeling was like that of a big family. It was really warm, really healing and really meaningful. The event's success indicates a promising future for community-driven festivities in China.
