A Mainland Man Suddenly Died on the Street, and the Video Went Viral Online

A passerby in Shanghai unexpectedly collapsed and died while sitting in a rocking chair on the street. (Video screenshot)

[People News] In recent years, there has been a troubling rise in incidents of sudden death among young and middle-aged individuals in China, sparking widespread concern about public health and national well-being.

On May 20, a video circulated widely on mainland Weibo, showing a man who appeared to be feeling unwell sitting down to rest in a rocking chair by the street, only to tragically die in the chair. This incident quickly became a trending topic on Weibo, prompting many netizens to reflect on the unpredictability of life.

The video captures the scene on the afternoon of May 18, around 2 PM, during rainy weather. A man, seemingly in his youth, was seen holding an umbrella and walking with his back to the CCTV camera in an unspecified residential alley.

During his walk, the man appeared to feel unwell and, noticing a rocking chair by the roadside, sat down to rest, using the umbrella to shield his upper body. Bystanders mistakenly thought he was simply tired and taking a short nap in the rocking chair, failing to recognise that anything was amiss. However, just a few minutes later, the man sadly passed away. Eventually, some members of the public noticed something was wrong and confirmed that he had already died.

An individual claiming to have insider knowledge stated that the man's body had been cremated, but did not reveal the specific cause of death. As of now, there has been no official announcement regarding this incident, but various reports suggest that it was a sudden death due to an acute medical condition.

The video in question has been widely shared on Weibo, with numerous netizens commenting and discussing the incident, which at one point reached the top of Weibo's trending topics.

Thousands of internet users have expressed their sorrow over the silent farewell of a man, describing it as a mirror that reflects the harsh realities faced by neglected groups in contemporary society. It also serves as a sharp reminder, piercing the hearts of every adult.

"Whose father is this, and whose son is he?" "How many young people suffer from heart attacks? Life is so unpredictable!"

This unemployed young man has been living on this chair for an extended period. (Video screenshot)

As China's economy continues to struggle, the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, forcing those unable to find work to sleep on the streets and in parks after depleting their savings. With the rising number of homeless individuals, there are frequent reports of tragic incidents where people have starved to death on the streets.

On December 30, 2025, a video emerged online showing a man dressed in black tragically dying on the grass in a park in Shanghai. Netizens lamented, "The rich feast while the bones of the frozen lie on the road."

The video depicts the homeless man lying under a tree in the park, with bedding spread out on the grass, alongside a suitcase and a snake-skin bag containing clothes. Some speculate that the deceased was a worker who had been sleeping in the park.

Earlier, an investigation conducted by scholars within the Chinese Communist Party revealed that the number of homeless individuals in mainland China exceeds ten million. However, this article was swiftly censored. △