Since its release on Feb. 10, Chinese director Jia Ling’s second film “YOLO (热辣滚烫)” has grossed over $478 million at the box office, breaking the previous record for a drama during China’s Spring Festival season. The movie tells the story of a 32-year-old woman finding independence and life goals through boxing. As fans celebrate the success of this female director in commercial cinema, discussions on Chinese social media have linked Jia Ling to a viral and controversial online prophesy known as Ziweixing (紫微星 or 紫薇星), which emerged in 2020 and is helping to fuel a new kind of women’s movement in China.
Now used as a synonym for outstanding women, Ziweixing originated in a playful prophecy by a female user on Douban, a popular online forum in China. The post stated that, in 2021, the entertainment industry in China would enter a three-year stagnation period during which the popularity of famous celebrities would plummet and entertainment companies would fail in their investments. This period would be followed by the emergence of a Chinese world superstar — Ziweixing — in 2023. While the post did not provide any detail about Ziweixing and was later deleted from Douban, people continue to discuss Ziweixing on various social media platforms, sharing screenshots of the original post.
The term Ziweixing appears in two forms: “紫微星” or “紫薇星.” Both are pronounced the same but spelled slightly differently. “Xing” means star, and “紫微星” in ancient China is a concept in traditional astrology, also referring to the North Star, which represents honor, prestige or imperial power. While the traditional meanings of the first version are unfamiliar to many Chinese today, the first two Chinese characters “Ziwei (紫薇)” are the name of a flower, Crape Myrtle — and flowers often symbolize femininity. Moreover, Ziwei is also the name of a female character in the famous TV series “My Fair Princess (还珠格格).” Therefore, in related discussions of the prophecy, Ziweixing has always been considered to be a woman.
This vaguely worded prophecy went viral alongside notable incidents involving Chinese celebrities, such as the pop star Kris Wu, who was detained in July 2021 and sentenced to 13 years in prison for crimes including rape. The subsequent removal of works by “tainted stars” from video platforms, in accordance with the Broadcasting and Television Law of the People’s Republic of China, caused losses for entertainment companies. Such coincidental correlations sparked enthusiasm for discussing this prophecy, and some people believed the prophecy was real.
Due to the lack of detailed descriptions of Ziweixing in the initial prophecy, people relied on their vivid imaginations to develop this character further. The notion that Ziweixing was a woman from an ordinary or impoverished family gained traction because it could account for her sudden fame in 2023 despite her prior obscurity. In related discussions, many individuals linked the life struggles of their own or their friends with those imagined to be experienced by Ziweixing. Such narratives nearly reached a consensus that Ziweixing is a woman who transcended poverty to achieve fame through exceptional abilities and talents.
Through discussions of Ziweixing — alongside other recent events relating to the treatment of women in Chinese society — working-class and marginalized groups of women are freely expressing their aspirations for personal success and working through the challenges they face in contemporary society. Despite earlier feminist movements, it is unlike anything China has ever seen before.
The evolution of Ziweixing
Initially, Ziweixing was considered to be a movie star. However, people gradually began to associate Ziweixing with figures mentioned in different prophecies throughout history, such as the Sage Ziwei in the 44th and 47th images of “Tuibei Tu,” an ancient Chinese prophecy book of the Tang Dynasty.
Speculations emerged regarding other professions Ziweixing might possibly pursue, as being merely a celebrity couldn’t align with the prophesied greatness. Popular suggestions include an athlete who shows female strength, a literary creator who uses literature to have widespread influence, or a political figure capable of influencing decisions. People expect the legendary figure to be powerful enough to change the situation for many people, especially improving women’s lives. Such change can only be achieved by those with significant influence.
There were constant sarcastic comments online aimed at those who believed in this prophecy. Opponents claimed that the prophecy of Ziweixing was just a fantasy of uneducated rural Chinese women. Not only did opponents consider those who participated in discussing this prophecy superstitious and foolish, but they also believed that this fantasy would never come true. Their reasoning was that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people’s lives became difficult, particularly those of underprivileged women who did not receive a good education and did not have enough resources to achieve such remarkable success described in the prophecy.
It is challenging for women from working-class and marginalized backgrounds in China to obtain equal opportunities or achieve successful careers. They are often expected to fulfill traditional caregiving roles within the family and have historically not been considered as feminist or independent.
Feminism in China is primarily government-led. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, during Mao’s era, gender equality improved to enhance productivity and advance China. From the 1990s, China began legislating on women’s rights as individuals, not merely as members of a collective entity. At that time, feminists often came from the upper class, such as professors and researchers.
The one-child policy, adopted at the end of the 1970s, was well implemented in urban areas. A generation of only daughters received adequate resources from their families. They became well-educated, independent women who embraced feminism. After 2012, feminists, mainly composed of urban college students, started a new wave of feminism in mainland China, with feminist performance art and small-scale protests in the streets sparking heated discussions on women’s rights.
However, until 2020, only about 15.5 percent of China’s population had a college education. The one-child policy also exacerbated demographic imbalances because most couples preferred sons. The resulting shortage of women leads to an excess of men, forcing many into celibacy and contributing to the growth of trafficking in women and violence against them. Girls are also more likely to face discrimination in terms of access to education, especially in rural areas. This has created a significant gap in feminist awareness between urban and rural areas.
The movement of urban feminists was also facing oppression from the government despite their efforts to avoid criticizing the government. Since 2015, the Chinese government has perceived the feminist movement as being instigated by foreign hostile forces, and through years of crackdowns, effectively weakened their activities, including detaining activists and banning their social media accounts. Consequently, due to fear of government reprisal, offline activist feminist activities have significantly decreased, and the internet has become the primary platform for feminist expression.
Even though the emergence of the prophecy of Ziweixing was not directly associated with feminism, discussions about it reflect the desire of women in China, especially marginalized women, to elevate their status, demonstrating feminist awareness. The popularity of this prophecy has remained high; for example, there are over a thousand videos about Ziweixing on Bilibili, a leading online entertainment video-sharing platform in China. Even the famous actress Yang Zi joked about being the Ziweixing on the TV show “Psychologist.” Ziweixing has gradually evolved into a fictional female figure used to symbolize successful women. This notion has been widely accepted and it is spreading across different social classes, no longer solely associated with superstition.
With the popularity of the prophecy, many male internet users tried to change the gender of the prophesied Ziweixing in various ways, but they were all rejected by females. For example, some argued that Ziweixing used to be a symbol of ancient emperors, and emperors can only be men. Female internet users countered it by citing history as well: China did have a female emperor — Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty.
Meanwhile, some others have speculated that there are two Ziweixings, one male and one female, and they can only achieve success if they get married. Female social media users point out that — in this version — there are frequently more detailed descriptions of the male, which tend to match the poster’s personal characteristics.
Men have also cited ancient Chinese divination books to claim that Ziweixing is a man. However, women have gone to great lengths to refute these male views — not only by predicting that Ziweixing is a woman through the traditional practice of Chinese Feng Shui, but also by using foreign divination methods, such as tarot cards. Such videos are found all over Bilibili.
The broader fight for gender equality in China
Chinese women are not only resisting cultural appropriation online but also participating in other actions to fight for equality. In late January 2022, a video of a woman chained in a shack in Feng county of Xuzhou city went viral, causing an online feminist movement to call for justice for the abducted victim. They focused on the rights of marginalized women, hoping to address issues such as human trafficking and forced marriage. Related hashtags regarding the chained woman on the social media platform Weibo have accumulated more than 10 billion views.
The first statement released by Feng County asserted that the woman’s family name was Yang, that she had been tied up due to a mental illness, and that no human trafficking was involved in her marriage. This was widely disputed by the Chinese public, with many taking it upon themselves to uncover the victim’s identity, investigate the legality of marrying someone with a mental illness, determine whether she is a victim of human trafficking, and understand why she had eight children. Under public pressure, Feng County released another statement in February that refuted its previous explanation of the woman’s identity and how she had ended up in Feng County. This confirmed the suspicions of the public and the credibility of the government was further damaged.
As the movement grew, its ranks expanded to include lawyers, academics, former journalists, bloggers and individuals unaffiliated with any institution. Among the latter are two women — Wuyi and Quanmei, known only by their online nicknames — who attempted to visit the chained woman. They were detained for five days by local police from Feb. 11-16, 2022. After being released, Wuyi exposed the brutality of the local police in an online post, was re-detained and has remained missing since March 2022.
The husband of the chained woman was investigated by the public security authorities on Jan. 31, 2022 and sentenced by a Chinese court to nine years for abuse and illegal detention, while five other people were sentenced to terms ranging from 8-13 years for human trafficking. However, the chained woman has continuously been guarded by authorities in a psychiatric hospital, with no one allowed to make contact.
People have continued to speak out on her behalf. On Nov. 14, 2022, several students dressed as the chained woman called for attention to the incident on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Chinese feminists organized a campaign using large posters to demand that the chained woman be allowed to speak and that Wuyi be released. In January 2024, Chinese diaspora gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles to demand freedom for the chained woman and an end to the CCP’s dictatorship.
Unlike the initial feminist movements led by the Chinese government or subsequent feminist movements initiated by a few activists who avoided political involvement, this movement is the first and largest spontaneous feminist movement where ordinary Chinese citizens are expressing critical views of the government and disregarding censorship.
They question the government’s credibility due to its involvement in forging identity documents, facilitating marriages against women’s will in human trafficking cases and aiding in cover-ups — not to mention its unequal treatment of women in the justice system, such as leniency towards buyers in cases of human trafficking.
This movement has become one of the biggest credibility challenges Beijing has faced in recent years. In response, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced a 10-month nationwide campaign to eradicate human trafficking.
Although this feminist movement has not changed the ruling status of the Chinese government, Chinese women have become aware that gender inequalities are deeply rooted in the social system. Even when there are no protest activities, individuals from all walks of life, including the marginalized group, are joining in the practice of feminism in daily lives, such as advocating for passing on their maiden names and sharing feminist knowledge.
In discussions related to feminism, a common slogan emerges: “Ziweixing represents countless awakened Chinese women.” Embracing the prophecy of Ziweixing, Chinese women are banded together to protect their rights.
