Sweeping the Internet: Why Are These Chinese “Treasure Grandpas” Touching Millions of Netizens?

A recent wave of viral videos has handed China’s internet spotlight to an unlikely group: a few white-haired elders.Unscripted videos of three elderly men living with joy, wisdom and resilience resonate with millions weary of a fast-forward world.

Yang Shurong, who plays saxophone by Daming Lake in Jinan, East China’s Shandong province; “Third Grandpa” from Rizhao, whose earthy Juxian dialect has been likened to a refined “London accent”; and Chen Jin’ao, who grows gourds near the former residence of Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy, in Shaoxing, East China’s Zhejiang province, have gone viral across short-video platforms. There are no carefully scripted plots and no exaggerated stunts for attention—just fragments of ordinary life. Yet countless users, hurriedly scrolling, stop their fingers, replay the clips and linger.

Many attribute this breakout simply to another accidental rise of ordinary people in the age of short video. But beyond the traffic, what we see is far more than another surge of “silver-haired influencers.” It is a two-way encounter across screens: the unhurried daily lives of these elders happen to offer the spiritual antidote that contemporary people have long been seeking.

Yang Shurong, 75, has an impressive resume: former principal oboist of the Shandong Song and Dance Theater Symphony Orchestra and a national first-class performer. After stepping out of the stage spotlight and retiring, he picked up a saxophone and sat down by Daming Lake. He plays whatever he likes, from the popular “Little Apple” to anime songs favored by young people. One short video received 1.7 million likes, and netizens dubbed him “the most stylish man at Daming Lake.” The old man only smiled calmly: “What style? I’m an old man. I really don’t know.”

What moves millions is not flawless technique but completely relaxed, unguarded joy. He melts into the melody, free and at ease. That happiness carries no utility and sets no threshold. It travels with the evening breeze over the lake, through the screen, and settles firmly in viewers’ hearts.

“Third Grandpa” in rural Rizhao, Shandong, appeared in a video only 23 seconds long that drew more than 35 million views. His thick, earthy Juxian accent unexpectedly takes on a distinctive charm, described by netizens as a textured “London accent.” His unique voice draws people in, but what keeps them is the clarity distilled by time. “Youth turns to snow-white hair in a single day. Truly cherish time; truly cherish life,” he says, summing up half a lifetime of insight in a few words. The person who filmed him spent eight years visiting and listening to him, and lamented that such clarity had rarely found an audience willing to stop and listen. The internet gave him a chance to be seen, but the old man’s composure was never created to win praise.

The story of Chen Jin’ao, the “gourd grandpa” in Shaoxing, is even more heart-wrenching. The 75-year-old carefully tends plants on a riverside balcony, where vines bear seven gourds resembling a scene from The Calabash Brothers. Tourists passing by across the river call out “Grandpa” to him, one after another. Few know that behind this pastoral poetry lies a 25-year wound. He and his wife lost their only child. In 2001, their 18-year-old daughter died suddenly, and immense grief closed their hearts for years; they lived in silence. The visitors’ unintentional calls were like a glimmer of light that opened a door locked for years.

“I never thought I would hear anyone call me Grandpa again in this lifetime,” he said. Having tasted the deepest sorrow of separation, he did not bow to fate. Instead, he chose to pass warmth outward, singing “Our Life Is Full of Sunshine” and offering strangers the tenderness forged through suffering.

The three men have different backgrounds and ways of expressing themselves, but they share one thing—authenticity. Yang does not know what the “Ferrari meme” means. Third Grandpa does not know what a “London accent” is. Gourd Grandpa never thought of becoming an internet celebrity. They simply do what they have always done, at their own pace.

Fame has not thrown their lives off balance. Yang has told his family to stay low-key, saying that at his age, whether he is famous or not does not matter; life should go on as it always has. Third Grandpa in Rizhao still keeps to his ordinary routine. Gourd Grandpa still walks to the balcony every day, watering and trimming the vines, waiting quietly for the gourds to grow. Excitement is the internet’s gift; life remains one’s own. That is the most moving source of confidence.

Our era constantly urges everyone to speed up. Short videos chase a hook in three seconds and a twist in five. Daily life is filled with endless schedules and goals. Everyone is swept along by the current, afraid that one slow step will leave them behind the times. Anxiety has gradually become the norm.

The three white-haired elders show another answer: growing old does not mean vitality exits; having weathered storms, one can still retain the ability to love. There is no need to cater to others’ expectations or chase success as defined by the outside world. To walk slowly at one’s own pace is itself a remarkable strength.

The best healing is never empty chicken soup for the soul, but a living example. The popular saying “Your grandpa will always be your grandpa” now carries a new meaning. They did not set out to teach us anything; we simply happened to see them. And what we see is what life should be like: Yang’s saxophone holds joy, Third Grandpa’s words hold wisdom, and Gourd Grandpa’s balcony holds sincerity. They have turned their days into an answer.