How 'Minci Bulao', 89, won the internet

Country's oldest online celebrity enthralls young followers with tales from her past and says it makes life more colorful

Seventy years ago, the parents of Jiang Minci tried to force her into an arranged marriage with a man she didn't know or love. She was young and wanted to continue her studies.

"The man my parents wanted me to marry was an overseas Chinese who came from the United States," she said. "He had to leave the mainland when I refused to tie the knot with him."

Jiang, now 89, shared her story on the video website Bilibili earlier this year. It spread like wildfire and made her China's oldest internet celebrity and one of the most popular, according to Bilibili.

The retired engineer is a well-known figure in Tianhe district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, where she is a member of the neighborhood committee.

However, she is always surprised when she is greeted by young people using her online name, Minci Bulao, which means "Minci is not old".

"Are you Minci Bulao?" youngsters call out, as some of the residents of her housing estate cast envious glances at her.

Jiang's tale of the matrimonial misfire was the first video she posted on Bilibili at the end of April, with the help of her grandson, Dou Dou.

As the country fought to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and the public was staying inside as a health safety measure, Jiang asked her grandson to teach her how to film and post videos online to give her something to do.

Jiang said Dou Dou, who was also idle, was happy to help.

To her surprise, she received hundreds of thousands of thumbs-up when her first video was uploaded. Many netizens praised her bravery for escaping the forced marriage and said they wanted to watch more stories about Jiang's life experiences.

"I was really happy when my videos were liked by many netizens. My stories and experience of life had resonated with young people," Jiang said.

She is now one of the most popular uploaders on Bilibili, and videos of her telling stories from her youth have attracted tens of thousands of followers and likes.

"Despite my old age, I have a youthful state of mind and I am eager to communicate with young people," she said. "Creating and publishing videos online has now become an extra pleasure in my life, and makes it more colorful."