Overview
- A video of 48‑year‑old Ma Jianping serving food at his Yilan Restaurant in Tongchuan went viral on Douyin and spurred widespread memes and sharing online.
- Chinese outlets reported the clip received about 1.3 million likes, a metric that has circulated widely but has limited independent corroboration.
- Local reporting says customer numbers and revenue at the restaurant have roughly doubled as people visit to see Ma in person, though those figures remain anecdotal.
- Ma, who previously worked as an electrician and co-owns the restaurant, says he feels shy about the attention and has turned down offers to become an online influencer.
- The story illustrates how short social‑media bursts and meme culture can create sudden foot traffic and small windfalls for ordinary businesses while leaving the person at the center reluctant to pursue fame.