When “Check-In” Culture Crosses the Line

While many tourist sites in China are competing for viral fame, some are rejecting the sudden attention that has reduced them to photo backdrops or passive NPCs in strangers’ videos.

Recently, an elderly couple in Shaoxing, a water town in Southern China, went viral after the seven calabashes on their balcony were found to strikingly resemble the classic Chinese animation “Calabash Brothers.” But as the crowds grew, they cut down all the calabashes to end the virality.

Yet as long as people keep chasing the perfect check-in and photo-op, new viral locations will inevitably emerge.