China targets ‘toxic’ traffic as viral sensations upend daily life and public services

China is cracking down on content creators, fan groups, and online platforms as their pursuit of online traffic disrupts lives and public services nationwide. Authorities have called for restraint amid a surge of attention-seeking behavior that has upended the daily lives of ordinary citizens. This warning came after a viral incident in Shaoxing, eastern Zhejiang province, where crowds of visitors, live streamers, and photographers flocked to the home of a 75-year-old couple whose seven gourds growing on their balcony went viral.

The incident prompted People's Daily, a Communist Party mouthpiece, to issue a commentary urging the public to maintain boundaries between public attention and private life. Other similar cases, such as a tree in a wheat field in Xian that attracted visitors damaging crops and a "Grandpa Sugar Water" stall in Wuhan that faced hygiene concerns, were cited in the commentary.

The Zhejiang provincial publicity department emphasized that once ordinary people are thrust into the spotlight by algorithms, their lives can no longer belong solely to themselves. Authorities are being urged to be more discerning in responding to online traffic, rather than turning private spaces into tourist attractions without considering the potential harm.

The tension between online attention and offline capacity has also extended to public services, with a recent surge of complaints over a boy band concert in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province. Nearly 49,000 complaints were filed in a 10-day period, overwhelming the government's public service platform. The incident forced the activation of an emergency response mechanism, with staff working night shifts to handle the requests.

People's Daily described the situation as an "aggressive intrusion of toxic fan culture into public spaces," warning that repeatedly occupying public resources without legitimate reason could lead to legal liability.