Auntie Goose Legs

Chen Xiufeng, also known as “Auntie Goose Legs,” became a viral sensation in China in late November after the 54-year-old food vendor gained immense popularly among college students in Beijing for her sought-after snacks.

Since 2018, Chen has split her time selling roast goose legs outside Peking University and the Renmin University of China. Every day, she roasts around 200 goose legs and delivers them to students who had ordered via Wechat. In November 2023, Chen relocated her stall from PKU to Tsinghua University. As PKU students mourned the loss of their favorite goose legs, Tsinghua students eagerly welcomed Auntie’s arrival. Tsinghua students helped her set up Wechat groups where customers could place orders. Word spread among Beijing’s popular student area of Wudaokou. As a result, 20 Wechat groups were created to order goose legs, which would sell out instantly. Students who could not get a coveted goose leg expressed their disappointment through memes.

News of the competition for Auntie Goose Legs soon drew attention on social media. The hashtag “Tsinghua vs PKU battle for Auntie Goose Legs” quickly shot to the top of the Hot Search list on Weibo, attracting 170 million views. However, this sudden surge in popularity has placed tremendous pressure on Chen. On November 29, she opened an account on Douyin and posted three short videos expressing her frustration and anxiety. “I’m just an ordinary person and I just want to do my business in peace. But now there’s too much attention out there. Too many people. It stresses me out. I’m afraid I have to take a break for the time being,” an emotional Chen said in one of her posted videos.