An online influencer who built a lucrative business teaching women how to “seduce men” has become the focus of a public backlash and an official investigation.
Zhou Yuan, a woman in her late 40s based in Changsha, Hunan Province, ignited online discussions over her high-priced online courses that claim to show women how to wrap men around their fingers with various techniques.
On January 25, multiple Chinese social media platforms banned Zhou’s accounts. Five days later, authorities in Changsha officially launched an investigation into her activities.
In one video that went viral online in January, Zhou rolls her eyes in one direction while twisting her torso in another, a pose that she calls the “X-shape,” which she claims is a seductive way for women to look at men. Chinese social media platforms were soon flooded with Zhou’s instructional videos, which featured exaggerated expressions and gestures aimed at teaching women how to “cultivate charm.” Many netizens followed up by turning her expressions into memes and posting parody videos.
Zhou founded the Heibaidian Sexual Intelligence Academy in 2018, branding it as China’s first women-oriented “sexual intelligence education platform.” According to media reports, Zhou’s online and offline courses range from 10 yuan (US$1.4) to 88,000 yuan (US$12,680).
During her sessions, female students were taught dating techniques, seduction strategies and methods for maintaining relationships with men. The academy claimed to have served more than 100,000 students since its founding, with her official course platform reportedly bringing in over 24 million yuan (US$3.45m) in revenue. Her accounts on Douyin and RedNote had a total of nearly 200,000 followers. Beyond holding courses, Zhou’s commercial operations spanned intimacy products, makeup and medical services.
Zhou’s videos and courses have drawn strong criticism. Many netizens accused her of reducing women to seductive beings meant only to please men rather than enabling their empowerment. Others condemned the values allegedly promoted in her courses, such as her encouragement of women to become mistresses.
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