Editor's note: The following was translated and edited from an article that's been making the rounds in overseas Chinese online publications, such as wenxuecity.com. The article discusses a recent Weibo post that gave an update to the (now infamous?) photograph of young female staff members posing next to Hu Jintao's seat at the NPC & CPPCC meetings earlier this year. According to the now-deleted post, one of the girls was promptly fired and ejected from the premises, while the other girls were reassigned to a less high-profile area of the Great Hall of the People.

Sharp followers of Chinese internet culture will recall a photograph taken earlier this year at the National People's Congress meeting: four young female staff members posing on the famous seat exclusively reserved for President Hu's famous bottom. A since-deleted Weibo post now tells the rest of the story.

The photo, which first surfaced on Weibo on March 13 of this year, depicts a young woman in uniform at the Great Hall of the People seated behind President Hu Jintao's name placard. Beside her are three other young female staff members, one of whom is flashing double peace signs (of course). According to the poster, an unidentified Beijing media employee, the photo was taken after the CPPCC meeting had adjourned, though that is all that was known publicly at the time.

Netizens' divided reactions to the photograph

The photograph's appearance online prompted something of an uproar from netizens: "What? I can't believe they sat there! Aren't they afraid of being carted away by national security?" A less outraged contingent, however, also made its voice heard: "This means our leaders work alongside young people, and young people are young people, after all. Surely they wouldn't get worked up over a little thing like this…."

The aftermath

Recently, however, a Weibo poster confirmed to be entertainment personality "Ximen Shuai" revealed some new information: "Word is those girls were taken away to the Great Hall service office. The ‘ringleader' was fired and the other three were reassigned to the dispatch center. Apparently Hu Jintao wasn't even mad; he saw the photo and even laughed a little. I heard some goons down below managed to kiss enough ass to get the girls off the hook. I mean, what do you expect; they're just young girls. You wouldn't get mad if it were just your grandchildren goofing around, right?" That post has since been deleted, though it is still available for viewing thanks to many netizens who screen-capped and forwarded the post.

Choice comments on the post:

1. "Seriously? Can't girls have any fun? It's not like it was the golden throne of the Son of Heaven or anything; no need to punish them so severely."

1. "It's just a chair and a name card! Come on!"

1. "It's dictatorship and autocracy that create goons like this!"   

1. "Aw, I think it's cute."

 

Source:  wenxuecity.com (VPN required)
 

Related links
Hu, What, Where, Wen – a Quick Guide to the NPC & CPPCC
Crazy Actions of Girls of 90s - In Pictures
China's Youth: Rebellious, Modernising or Misunderstood?

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: 90’s girls photo Hu Jintao national people’s congress staff discharged girls posing at Hu Jintao’s seat