When Daidai, a woman in her 20s living in the rural Sichuan province of China, turned to social media to ask for help slaughtering two pigs for a traditional Chinese New Year feast, she never expected the overwhelming response she received.
Daidai’s elderly father was struggling to handle the task on his own, so she posted a simple request on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, asking if anyone could come to their village of Qingfu to lend a hand. Little did she know, her appeal would go viral, attracting over a million likes and sparking a massive influx of volunteers.
Thousands of cars poured into the small village, bringing far more people than Daidai had anticipated. Traffic jams brought the roads to a standstill, and some visitors even opted to walk long distances to reach the village. Drone footage captured the scene of carloads of people lining up, rice crops lining the sides of the roads, all eager to assist.
“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 over 100 kilometres to get there, told the BBC.
When the pig slaughter and subsequent community feast finally took place, it was watched live online by over 100,000 viewers, racking up 20 million likes. The local government embraced the event as a “flash-tourism” moment, with tourism officials donating additional pigs to meet the overwhelming demand.
Daidai, who initially thought maybe a dozen people would show up, was astounded by the scale of the response. “But there have been too many to count,” she told Chinese media.
The phenomenon has highlighted a yearning among the Chinese people to reconnect with their cultural traditions and community events, particularly in a time when many may feel isolated or disconnected from their roots. One villager expressed the sentiment, saying, “Here neighbours help each other. Today I might help you slaughter a pig at your place, tomorrow you will come to my place to do the same.”
For Daidai and her village, the outpouring of support has been a heartwarming and meaningful experience. “For everyone who came, the feeling was like that of a big family. It was really warm, really healing and really meaningful,” she said.
The success of the event has already sparked discussions about turning it into a regular occurrence, allowing the Hechuan region to capitalize on the enthusiasm for genuine, grassroots community interactions.
