Editor's note: Originally published by the Southern Daily, this article recounts another instance of a "professional beggar" being exposed through social media websites; a popular trend in China today.There is a common perception that these professional beggars are not poor at all… rather they make their livings (often earning more money than those who have real jobs) by taking advantage of people feeling sorry for them. Netizens, in response to being tricked by these professional beggars, have taken great pride in exposing these beggars for who they truly are. Although the authenticity of the following article's accusations are questionable to say the least (as the final paragraph briefly touches on), this story still reaffirms the growing clout of pro-active netizens, who, fed-up with various elements of Chinese society are using social media as a platform to make their voices heard.Does this work?

Recently, a user on the Maopuwang social media website (www.mop.com) posted the following proclamation: "The 'Kowtowing King of Xidan' owns four cars, several houses in Beijing and has begged his way to a rich and happy life." Not long after, this post quickly became one of the website's most hotly discussed topics. At the time this article was originally published, the post had already garnered over 100,000 clicks. Suffice it to say, this social phenomenon of "professional begging" in China has a lot of netizens fuming.

Exposed! A beggar playing "Fruit Ninja" on his iPad. Photo youku.com

The Kowtowing King of Xidan

For many years now, a certain beggar could be spotted, along with his two sons and elderly mother, at various spots around the Xidan shopping area of Beijing. The sight of a beggar kowtowing is common in many of Beijing's high-end shopping areas. The act, so pitiful is likely to tug at the heartstrings of pedestrians that have just walked out of a department store where they nonchalantly just spent several hundred (or thousand) Renminbi. One Maopuwang user expresses this common feeling of guilt quite well: "Every time I go to Xidan and I see these kowtowing beggars, I always give them some money...I mean, just look at him knocking his head on the ground kowtowing and crying out in such grief and indignation!"

What is unusual about this particular beggar is that according to the creator of this posting, the man owns four cars and several houses in Beijing. Also, even though his mother is dressed from head to toe in gold and silver adornments and his sons are apparently seen wearing the hippest international brands, he can still be seen every night on the street begging for money, apparently with no reservations about it. More shocking yet, this Maopuwang user, in his post, divulged that this man's personal record for Kowtow-begging was earning 4,000 RMB in one hour! As such, the user proclaims that this beggar, who has literally kowtowed his way into wealth, has earned the satirical title of "The Kowtowing King of Xidan".

Another user, who was also familiar with this beggar, commented: "Most people upon seeing him for the first time, do not make the connection that this soft-spoken kowtowing beggar is actually a wealthy person. Yet, it seems that this man has never forgotten his origins, every day appearing cautious and conscientious, continuing his kowtow begging routine around Xidan. The irony of this situation is that all of these people who are giving money to this beggar, probably have less money than he does."

The social phenomenon of "Professional Begging"

Following the exposure of the Kowtow King, users were quick to share their own opinions of this "professional begging" social phenomenon in China. Many users seem to agree with a general sentiment that even if this kind of behaviour is not technically illegal, it is still a bit hard to accept on a moral level. Other users go one step further, insisting that this kind of behaviour is downright dishonourable, and that these professional beggars are cheating and exploiting kind-hearted people.

Another user shared their own run-in with a professional beggar: "One time, at the Dongsishitiao subway station exit, with my very eyes, I saw one of those lying-down-white-haired-frail-grandmother beggars snap up quickly from the ground, push her quilt into a bag and high-tail it out of the station. At the same time, her kowtowing son also abruptly got to his feet and had quickly disappeared. At that time, as I saw this happening from the side, thought that I had just seen someone on their deathbed spring up and walk away in broad daylight! After coming to my senses, I overheard someone saying, 'The city management is coming!'" Stories like these are a dime a dozen, and cause many people in China to think twice before ever giving money to a beggar.

But is this story true?

Yet, even though there is a general public sentiment not to trust beggars in China because of this "professional begging" phenomenon, some users still question the validity of this most recent (potentially sensationalist) claim. One user writes, "This claim doesn't seem very credible. 4,000 RMB in one hour? Even calculating 3,000 RMB per hour averages out to 50 RMB per minute, and in Xidan, for those who haven't been there, there are only a limited number of people who actually give money to beggars... As such, I have a hard time believing this story."

Another user added: "4,000 RMB in one hour? This rate of profit is ridiculous. Even at 1,000 RMB per hour, working five hours per day, 20 days per month, that would make this beggar's annual income roughly 1.2 million RMB. Given the opportunity, I would like to go do my own on-site 'investigation': team-up with another person for 3-5 years doing this crude work [and no doubt retire afterward]!"
 

Source: nfdaily.cn
 

Related links
Charity in China: The Low Down on Street Begging
Survey: What Are Chinese Attitudes Towards Charity?
How To: Avoid Employment Scams in China

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Keywords: Professional beggars China professional beggars Beijing exposing professional beggars in China Xidan kowtowing king