Trending: CN's Female-Led Divorces, Murder in Dongcheng, & More

原创 Tautvile D. theBeijinger

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The fun, the strange, and the what-on-earth-is-this? Trending in Beijing is a wrap-up of top stories in Beijing as told by the trending hashtags, local press, and general power of the internet.

How fast is 5G, really?

All the hype around China's new 5G network had us believing we would be downloading movies left and right in a blink of an eye. However, the reality is not exactly what we were promised. Several Xinjing News (新京报 xīnjīng bào) reporters recently traveled around Beijing, testing the speed of the 5G network in various locations, demonstrating that actual speeds are pretty far from what was advertised (anybody who has ever bought frozen pizza based off of the packaging's picture will know exactly what this feels like).

READ: Here Are 3 5G Phones to Get You Ready for Beijing's Super-Speed Network

When it came to downloading, it took the reporters on average 1 minute to download 43 songs, and 7 minutes to download a 1h35m-long standard definition movie. We have to admit, that's still a decent leap from 4G but it doesn't come anywhere close to the "movies in seconds" speeds we were promised. Luckily, it sounds like 6G will be here much sooner than anticipated.

And it's not just the techies that the slow speeds have rattled, with conspiracy theorists also joining the conversation, pointing out that the current speed of 4G is almost the same as the former 3G network. "If you want to highlight the speed of 5G, just reduce 4G speed in the country and cheat customers that way!" said one less than impressed netizen. Follow the 5G speed tests under #实测北京5G网速# (shícè běijīng 5G wǎng sù, Beijing 5G network measured).

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Majority of divorces in China are initiated by women

The long-held belief that many Chinese women prefer to endure the hardships of family life and stay in an unhappy marriage rather than go it alone is slowly being proven incorrect. During a speech at Tsinghua University by the President of the Supreme People's Court Zhou Qiang (周强 Zhōu Qiáng), revealed that 74 percent of all divorce cases in China are initiated by women. More damning is that the divorce rate in China has been steadily increasing over the last 17 years and that on average, marriages reportedly start to fall apart after just three years.

While many of China's older generations likely see the rising divorce rate as a matter of existential concern, netizens have on the whole are congratulating women for standing up for themselves. As for why women are divorcing in higher numbers, netizens are speculating that it's due to growing economic stability among women, including high salaries and high rates of property ownership, both of which make it easier for women to divorce without totally derailing their lives and futures. As one user put it, "Women used to sacrifice themselves for the family, but now they are more independent." Join the discussion on marriage and divorce under #超七成离婚是女方提# (chāo qī chéng líhūn shì nǚfāng tí, more than 70 percent of divorces are initiated by women).

Dongcheng shaken by the murder of a young student

Announcement on the Public Security Bureau Weibo page (tap image for larger view)

Chinese social media has also been voicing their outrage over the murder of a female middle school student. An announcement on the Public Security Bureau of Dongcheng's Weibo page stated that a 41-year-old male suspect killed the student on an overpass close to East Tiantan Road (天坛东路 tiāntán dōng lù) in Dongcheng District at around 6.30am on Thursday, Nov 21. The suspect has pleaded guilty to the murder.

The case is still under investigation and no further details have been released, but reporters and internet users alike are busily drawing their own conclusions. While some commenters are encouraging girls not to go out when it is dark (anytime after 5.30pm, then), others are calling out this victim-blaming and are instead demanding stricter punishments for violent offenders. Users are discussing how to stay safe in the city under #北京东城一女学生遇害# (běijīng dōngchéng yī nǚ xuéshēng yùhài, a female student is killed in Dongcheng, Beijing), which currently has over 8.7 million followers.