King of the Wilderness

However, they underestimated the internet-age netizens’ abilities to dig up history and their sharp eyes.

Less than ten minutes after the tweet was posted, the comments section was flooded by various "history detectives"!

[Wait a minute! Why do you only show portraits from the Joseon Dynasty but don’t dare to post a portrait of your king from the Goryeo Dynasty? Are you afraid everyone will see that your king was dressed exactly like the Yuan Dynasty emperor next door?]

[This is hilarious! Did you deliberately crop out the commendation edict from the Ming Dynasty emperor next to this portrait of King Sejong of Joseon? Want me to Photoshop it back for you?]

[Further development? Sorry, I only see an aesthetic downgrade from wide sleeves to tight, short clothing. You call this development?]

[The funniest thing is, Mr. Lin’s robe features a Qilin! A divine beast from Chinese mythology! Shouldn’t your Korean divine beast be a kimchi jar?]

This flawed and sarcastic response by the Korea Culture Institute did not quell the debate but instead fueled the fire and intensified the ridicule.

Amidst this chaos filled with sarcasm and quarrels, at exactly ten o’clock in the morning, another blue-check account quietly appeared under the #Happy Chinese New Year topic.

Account name: Chinese Embassy in the USA (中国驻美国大使馆)

The appearance of this account instantly brought a temporary silence to the noisy battlefield.

The official Twitter of the Chinese Embassy in the USA did not engage in any mutual attacks or blame any party.

It simply, calmly posted a long tweet with text and images.

The accompanying picture was a high-definition side shot of Lin Yu’an on stage at Madison Square Garden.

In the photo, Lin Yu’an is dressed in a magnificent Ming-style Qilin ceremonial robe, standing upright with a smile, bowing deeply to the audience, embodying the unique humility and solemnity of the East.

Above the photo, there was a paragraph of well-structured, eloquently worded English text showcasing a great nation’s poise:

The sound of firecrackers ushers out the old year, and the warm spring breeze brings in the Tusu wine.

The Spring Festival is the most traditional, valued, and warm Chinese New Year for the Chinese people.

It carries the expectation of family reunions, embodies the wish to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, and expresses our beautiful longing for the return of spring and renewal of all things.

On the occasion of the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, we extend the sincerest New Year greetings to overseas Chinese, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and friends from all over the world!

Resplendent attire, a millennium of Huaxia.

We are delighted to see Chinese citizen Lin Yu’an, wearing splendid apparel, which is one of the traditional Chinese garments embodying millennia-old spirit and dignity, the Hanfu.

The Qilin ceremonial robe and crown he displayed fully reflect the elegance and solemnity of Huaxia attire, originating from the culturally brilliant and inclusive Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 AD, in Chinese history.

We are honored to see a Chinese citizen sharing this festive joy from the East with people worldwide on the New York stage.

Civilizations become colorful through communication, cultures become enriched through mutual learning.

Whether it’s the festive Chinese New Year or the elegant Hanfu.

They are not only cultural treasures of the Chinese nation but also brilliant flowers in the garden of global human civilization.

We welcome friends from all over the world to visit China, to experience firsthand the ancient charm and contemporary style of this land.

China’s door is always open for friendship and exchange.

With best regards, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America

This tweet was filled with impeccable diplomatic wisdom.

The first paragraph, with a grand narrative, defined the cultural connotation of the Chinese New Year and cleverly integrated the most representative symbol of the Year of the Dragon, with a clear stance and grand demeanor.

The second paragraph, after affirming the Chinese New Year, in a gentle tone that we are pleased to see, casually affirmed Lin Yu’an’s actions and clearly pointed out the key cultural affiliations of Hanfu and the Ming Dynasty.

The third paragraph demonstrated an open and inclusive national bearing, that culture is both national and global, instantly elevating the outlook higher than the previous narrow argument that only our culture is global.

This is not just a science popularization; this is a textbook-level, kingly cultural announcement!

The moment this tweet was posted, a decisive reversal took place in the entire public opinion field!

[Damn! Damn! The embassy stepped in! The national team is personally backing God Lin!]

["Resplendent attire, a millennium of Huaxia"! This script is so high-level! Is this a dimensional reduction attack by cultured people?]

[Did you see that? Officially certified, Ming Dynasty Hanfu! That slap was too loud!]

[Tears in my eyes! Really teary-eyed! We used to fight alone outside, but this time, we have our Motherland behind us!]

[Brothers, don’t just stand there! Share it! Like it! Let’s boost this embassy tweet to the skies!]

Countless Chinese netizens, overseas students, and Chinese expatriates rushed into the tweet’s comment section like soldiers responding to a rallying call.

The previously reasoned arguments of Korean netizens were instantly overwhelmed by the tide of Chinese netizens’ rebuttals, struggling to cope.

Their accusations of cultural appropriation appeared so pale, ridiculous, and out of their league in front of a national-level diplomatic account.

A few minutes later, the Chinese Embassy in Canada, the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, the Chinese Embassy in France... Official social media accounts of dozens of Chinese embassies and consulates around the world.

As if coordinated, they almost simultaneously reposted the tweet.

In an instant, the image of Lin Yu’an in Hanfu bowing was all over Twitter, Facebook, Instagram!

The cultural flame ignited by Lin Yu’an at Madison Square Garden, with the national team’s relay, completely evolved into a prairie fire!

————

(It’s the beginning of the month, asking dear readers for monthly tickets~ Feel free to exchange for December dolls~ Double monthly tickets also count as exchange quantities~)