Catch Phrase | 佛媛(fóyuán)

Writer: Song Yingwen  |  Editor: Stephanie Yang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2021-10-11

Meaning:

“Fo” literally means “Buddha,” while “yuan” is a formal term in Chinese to describe a beautiful woman. The word is coined by Chinese netizens to describe a group of fancy young women who have attracted online followers with photos of them practicing calligraphy, visiting temples and paying homage to Buddha. While claiming that cultivating the heart is their daily lifestyle, these young women with revealing clothes and luxury accessories were actually hoping to profit from advertisements and sell products ranging from cosmetics and clothes to Buddhist culture-related products. People have shown resentment towards these online influencers, accusing them for tainting the solemnity of religious places.

Example:

A: 我竟然花了100元买这条手链,真不敢相信。在淘宝上,售价仅20元啊。

Wǒ jìngrán huāle yībǎiyuán mǎi zhètiáo shǒuliàn, zhēnbùgǎn xiāngxìn。Zài táobǎo shàng, shòujià jǐn èrshíyuán a。

I can’t believe I paid 100 yuan for this bracelet. It costs only 20 yuan on Taobao.

B: 你一定是在小红书上看了某个佛媛账号推荐买的吧?

Nǐ yīdìng shì zài xiǎohóngshū shàng kànle mǒugè fóyuán zhànghào tuījiàn mǎide ba?

Aha, you bought it from one of the foyuan accounts on Xiaohongshu, didn’t you?