More than two decades ago, he was among China’s first generation of online celebrities.
A photograph of his large head went viral and his pudgy face was superimposed on a raft of well-known figures.
However, Qian Zhijun, who is better known as Xiao Pang, or “Little Fatty” in English on social media, and who disappeared from the spotlight, is back, Dawan News reported.
Qian Zhijun in his pudgy-faced heyday as a global internet sensation. Photo: Baidu
“My life is no different from that of any ordinary person. I have been married and have a child. I just live an ordinary life,” Qian, a 39-year-old Shanghai resident, was quoted as saying.
Qian shot to fame in China in 2003 when a photographer accidentally took a picture of him dressed in his secondary school uniform at a road-safety awareness campaign event and released it online.
Mainland Chinese internet users were attracted and amused by Qian’s chubby face and the cute but scornful expression in his eyes.
Qian’s head, above, was placed on the bodies of various famous figures to create memes. Photo: Baidu
Witty netizens put his head on the shoulders of various famous figures, from the Mona Lisa, Jackie Chan, Marilyn Monroe and the animated character Shrek to the Statue of Liberty and world political leaders.