Rubao culture

Rubao culture (Chinese: 辱包文化; pinyin: Rǔbāo wénhuà; lit. 'Bao-insulting culture', also known by the homophone variant, Chinese: 乳包文化; lit. 'Milk Bao culture'), is an Internet meme and subculture involving the satire, insult, and ridicule of Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. The term literally translates to "Insulting the Bun".

This subculture originated from the 2013 Xi Jinping steamed bun event, which led to Xi being nicknamed "Xi Baozi" (Chinese: 习包子; lit. 'Xi the Steamed Bun') or "Emperor Qingfeng" (Chinese: 庆丰帝) by the public. Subsequently, as China's internet censorship mechanisms became increasingly strict, a large volume of satirical works and derivative creations targeting Xi Jinping (referred to by enthusiasts as "Ru products" or "Dairy products", a pun on the homophone) migrated to social media platforms outside the Great Firewall, such as YouTube, Twitter (now X), Telegram, and Reddit.

Media outlets such as Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) have analyzed that Rubao culture is a method used by Chinese internet users to deconstruct political authority, release political dissatisfaction, and construct a group identity among dissidents through "black humor" while facing severe speech censorship and political pressure.