Tourists visit Hechuan, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, on January 16, 2026. Photo: VCG

"My family is planning to slaughter two pigs at home, is anyone willing to help hold down the pigs? I'll treat you to feast soup," after a girl named Daidai (pseudonym) from Hechuan, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, posted on social media, over 3,000 people flocked to her home to lend a hand at the peak, and netizens were drawn to soak up the festive atmosphere.

Initially moved by concern that her elderly father might struggle to pin down the pigs on his own, Daidai posted a video seeking help. In the video, she said she will offer to treat helpers to a traditional pork-based soup with rice in return.

Unexpectedly, her request quickly resonated widely across the internet. The video has since received more than 1.1 million likes and over 642,000 shares.

Daidai initially set up five group chats, each with a 500-member capacity, all of which quickly filled up. By the day before the feast, the roads outside Daidai's home were jam-packed with hundreds of vehicles. 

The report said over 1,000 people participated in the two-day pig slaughter feast at Daidai's home, with the on-site crowd peaking at around 3,000. Daidai herself also livestreamed the feast, attracting over 100,000 concurrent viewers. Her social media following surged from about 1,800 to 1.813 million, the report added.

The number of pigs originally planned for slaughter also increased from two to five, Daidai said.

To accommodate the throngs of enthusiastic netizens, the local cultural and tourism authorities made every effort to make them feel at home. 

On the day of the pig-slaughter feast at Daidai's home, local officials joined the crowd to chop wood, prepare ingredients and cook the feast soup. While waiting for the meal to be served, officials also promoted Hechuan's local specialties to the visitors, and distributed local tourism brochures and scenic spot tickets. In the evening, a molten iron firework show, and a dragon dance performance were held locally, CCTV News reported.

Moreover, local authorities organized more than 100 personnel from departments including culture and tourism, public security, agriculture, logistics, and communications, along with town and village officials, as well as more than 80 volunteers to maintain order on-site, The Paper reported.

As of January 12, a total of 27 feast soup venues had been set up, receiving 8,800 visitors on that day alone, The Paper reported, citing an official from local cultural and tourism bureau.

Some netizens even suggested designating January 11 — the day Daidai's call for help went viral — as a local "pig slaughter feast," and several logo designs have already been proposed, according to The Paper.

Although the pig slaughter feast at Daidai's home has concluded, many netizens continue to visit Hechuan to experience the local vibe. In response, the district has set up five "Daidai's home-style feast soup" experience sites and will launch a themed folk culture season, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Additionally, other districts in Chongqing have followed, extending invitations to netizens nationwide to come and experience their own local folk culture.

Global Times