14
0Erinome: Hello dear friends! Welcome back to our daily news chat. Today we have a really warm and interesting story from China. Enceladus, have you heard about that village feast that went viral online?
Enceladus: Oh right! I saw some clips! Was it the pig-killing feast in Chongqing?
Erinome: Exactly! Let’s start from the beginning. On January 9th, 2026, a girl named "Daidai" (her online name means "呆呆") posted a video on Douyin. Her family planned to kill two pigs for the New Year on January 11th, but her parents are old, so she needed help to hold the pigs. She invited netizens to come, and said she’d treat everyone to "paotang fan" (泡汤饭) as local custom.
Enceladus: Paotang fan? What’s that?
Erinome: Oh, it’s a kind of soup with fresh pork and blood, very traditional in Sichuan and Chongqing. Daidai even joked in the video, "I hope my door is full of cars, so I can feel proud in the village!" She never thought this casual video would blow up!
Enceladus: Wow, really? How did it go viral?
Erinome: In just one day, five WeChat groups with 500 people each were full! By the night of January 10th, over ten netizens drove to help her prepare for the next day’s feast. Then on January 11th morning, cars started coming into Huilong Village early—so many cars from different places, lined up at the village entrance like a long dragon!
Enceladus: Oh my, how many people came?
Erinome: At noon, over 3,000 people were there! The yard was full of tables, but still not enough. Many people had to stand or squat to eat. Haha, can you imagine? A small village suddenly had a big party!
Enceladus: That’s crazy! But why did so many people go? Just for paotang fan?
Erinome: Um, no. One participant said, "We came not for the food, but for that 'strange familiarity'—warm human feelings, strong hometown love." You know, in this internet age, people are tired of virtual relationships. They miss face-to-face, heart-to-heart connections.
Enceladus: Oh right! Like, when you chat online, it’s not the same as being together. This feast gave people real warmth.
Erinome: Exactly! And the netizens were so kind. They didn’t come empty-handed—some brought fruits, vegetables, drinks, seasonings… just like visiting relatives. So sincere, right? That’s the Chinese people’s warmth in their bones.
Enceladus: So this pig-killing feast is a traditional custom?
Erinome: Yes! In Sichuan and Chongqing, it’s called "paotang feast" (刨汤宴), a thousand-year-old farming tradition. After the harvest, farmers kill pigs and cook fresh pork and blood into soup, then invite family and neighbors to celebrate. In the old days, it was a way to show the year’s harvest and keep relationships strong.
Enceladus: Wow, so now with short videos, this old custom spread to more people!
Erinome: Exactly! Before, paotang feasts were only for neighbors and family. Now, through short video platforms, it became a cultural sharing across regions. That’s why Daidai’s feast touched so many people—it’s a modern take on tradition.
Enceladus: Did the local government get involved?
Erinome: Oh yes! The Hechuan文旅 (wenlü, culture and tourism) department joined in time. They sent more pigs and local specialties like Hechuan Taopian Gao (合川桃片糕), turning this spontaneous event into an organized folk culture experience.
Enceladus: That’s smart! So it helped both Daidai and the local tourism?
Erinome: Totally a win-win! Daidai’s live stream had tens of thousands of viewers, and Hechuan’s文旅 became famous online—many netizens called them a model for文旅 work. After the pigs were eaten, they even started a "Paotang Feast Folk Culture Festival" to turn the hot moment into a lasting cultural experience.
Enceladus: Cool! Are there similar customs in other places?
Erinome: Yes! In Northeast China, they have sauerkraut pork with blood sausage; in Shaanxi Baihe, they make腊肉 (bacon) after killing pigs; in Hubei Enshi, paotang feasts are the most lively winter gatherings. These food traditions are like cultural codes that root Chinese people to their land.
Enceladus: So the digital age didn’t kill traditions, but gave them new life?
Erinome: Exactly! When 3,000 people gathered because of a short video, when the smell of paotang feast woke up people’s homesickness through screens—we saw not just a热闹 (re nao, lively) party, but a nation’s cultural memory coming alive in the digital age.
Enceladus: That’s really heartwarming. Okay, that's it for today. Let's talk again next time!
Erinome: Bye everyone!
