包子的馅儿

A cutlassfish spills out of a steamed bun bearing the likeness of Xi Jinping (Rebel Pepper 变态辣椒)

包子的馅儿 (bāozi de xiàn’er): bun filling

Reference to Zhou Xiaoping, a nationalistic writer who was praised by Xi Jinping at the 2014 Beijing Forum on Art and Literature.

On October 15, 2014, at the Beijing Forum on Art and Literature, Xi Jinping delivered a speech reaffirming the Communist Party’s long-held view of the social responsibility of the artist: promote Party ideology. As Xi was wrapping his speech up, he praised Zhou Xiaoping and Hua Qianfang, two young “Internet writers,” for their “positive energy,” called on them to continue writing, and directed the nation’s attention their way. Seemingly unbeknownst to Xi, Zhou Xiaoping had already achieved a level of Internet infamy for his nationalistic and awkward prose, and his tendency to misrepresent historical facts. In 2013, Zhou earned the nickname Cutlassfish Zhou (周带鱼 Zhōu Dàiyú) after fabricating a fact about the species.

Xi’s praise of the unpopular blogger served to offer a slight bruise to his well-crafted image as strongman and wise father figure. Xi’s high-profile down-to-the-people visit to a popular Beijing steamed bun shop in late 2013 won him the nickname “Steamed Bun Xi” (习包子). When the president offered Zhou praise, many netizens asked what the steamed bun was made of: