Inearly2016,theSouthKoreantelevisiondramaDescendantsoftheSunwasbroadcastinChinathroughanonlinestreamingserviceatthesametimeasitwasshowninSouthKorea.Afterfourepisodes,videoviewssurpassed300million.SongJoongkishottofameforhisleadroleasYooSijinandbecameoneofthemost-discussedtopicsandtopsearchtermsinChina.
KobeBryant
OnApril4,2016,KobeBryantscored60pointsinhisfinalNBAgamewitha101-96winovertheUtahJazz.TopayrespecttoBryant,someChinesecompaniesgavetheiremployeesthedayofftowatchthegame.Thatmorning,Bryantpostedathank-youvideoonSinaWeibo(aChineseversionofTwitter),andbytheafternoonithadamassed90,000likesandover20,000comments.
MohammadAli
LegendaryAmericanboxerMohammadAlisuccumbedtoillnessonJune4,2016.Chineseathletesexpressedtheircondolences.“AliorganizedmanytrainingclassesforboxersandrefereesinChina,tremendouslyassistingthedevelopmentofboxinginChina,”remarkedChineseboxerYangLianhui.“Almostallofourgrowthmustbeatleastpartiallyattributedtohim.”
LeonardoDiCaprio
LeonardoDiCapriohasbeenwidelyknowninChinasincethefilmTitanicwasreleasedin1997.InFebruary2016,hefinallywonanOscarforBestActorforhisroleinTheRevenant.Virtuallyeveryonefeltthatthestatuettewasdeserved,andChinesefanswereexcitedforhim.ManythankedtheOscarvotersformakinghiscareerwishfinallycometrueinhisforties.
AngelinaJolie
AmericanactressAngelinaJolie,whohasperformedimpeccablyinawidevarietyofroles,isverypopularinChina.Moviegoersareconsistentlyravingaboutherwork,andofcoursehermarriagetoanddivorcefromBradPittalwaysattractedChinesefans’attention.
BobDylan
AmericansingerandsongwriterBobDylanwontheNobelPrizeinLiteraturelastyear.ChinesemusicianssuchasrockerWangFengandfolksingerLiJianpostedcongratulationsonsocialmediaplatformsassoonasthenewsbroke.ForChinesemusicians,BobDylanismorethanalegend;herepresentsthecultureofanera.
BearGryll
BearGryllsisaBritishadventurer,writerandtelevisionpresenter.HeiswidelyknowninChinaforhistelevisionseriesManvs.Wild,andwasoriginallydubbed“themanwhositsatopthefoodchain”bysomeChinesenetizens.InNovember2016,hepostedashortvideoabouthisinteractionswithYaoMing,aChineseformerbasketballplayerwhowasinvitedtotakepartinhisnewshowRunningWildwithBearGrylls,whichexcitedChinesenetizensandsportsfansalike.
EmmaWatson
Therecenttrendof“booksontheunderground”promotedbyBritishactressEmmaWatsonhascausedwidespreaddiscussionandmadenewsallovertheworld.ManyChinesestarsandordinarypeoplejoinedintheactivity.
MakotoShinkai
InDecember2016,YourName,thelatestfilmbyMakotoShinkai,hitcinemasontheChinesemainland.Afterearningboxofficerevenuesof540millionyuan,itbecamethehighest-grossingJapanesefilminChinaofalltime.
KeigoHigashino
Recently,AmazonreleaseditsbestsellerlistfortheChinesemarket.KeigoHigashino’sMiraclesoftheNamiyaGeneralStoresoldstronglyinChinaandfinishedinthetopthreeonthelist.Higashinowondualbestsellinghonorsin2016,inbothpaperbacksalesandKindlee-books.