Under the strict online censorship of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese internet occasionally sees texts, images, or videos that appear to carry political implications or satire. Recently, a netizen posted a video on Douyin mocking the “turtle on top of a utility pole,” sparking discussions. Subsequently, the video and related Douyin accounts were shut down.
The video leaked on May 7 shows a turtle perched on top of a utility pole. The blogger captioned it saying, “If you see a turtle on top of a utility pole, there’s no need to doubt that it climbed up there itself. Because it simply doesn’t have the ability to do so. Certainly, someone placed it up there, but it can’t come down on its own, just waiting to free fall.”
Someone else commented: “If it falls down, another one will be put up! Just push over the pole!”
In the comments section, someone even posted a picture of a steamed pig’s head.
Currently, the blogger’s account has been banned, and all their videos are now gone.
After the video was shared on an overseas platform X, netizens commented: “The art of domestic language has reached a level as high as the third or fourth floor.” “The fact that metaphors of this level can be understood indicates that the specific target of the metaphor is well-known and tacitly acknowledged. The censors definitely agree.” “I once wrote in my Weibo bio: ‘Those who disagree, please raise your hand.’ Guess what? My account got banned.” “The great leader has a new title, ‘the turtle on top of the utility pole.'”
Public grievances in China are boiling, and social media platforms like Douyin frequently feature subtly anti-Communist and anti-Xi content. Epoch Times recently reported that on Douyin, there has been a trend of “rebelling in the early morning,” where many netizens take advantage of the late-night hours when censors are resting to publish anti-Communist and anti-Xi content. Numerous netizens leave comments and likes, sparking temporary online celebrations.
A video that circulated on platform X on May 6 showed a man attaching a pig head doll to a target made of a dragon robe, and then shooting arrows at the pig head doll until it was knocked off.
责任编辑：宁峰#