A 62-year-old man living alone in China has become a viral sensation after villagers began recording his daily life, seemingly without his knowledge, in a real-life version of the Truman Show.
Feng Dianwu, affectionately known to local residents as ‘Brother Min,’ is China’s latest social media star — but he has no idea he’s an online celebrity.
The elderly man has intellectual disabilities and lives completely alone in a small, run-down home in Cangzhou, a city in Northern China.
Reports state that Dianwu suffered injuries to his vocal cords and brain while defending a friend in his youth, causing cognitive delays. He has lived in his house by himself ever since both of his parents died, and survives by scrounging food and supplies from other residents.
‘Brother Min’ has gone viral on Chinese social media – but netizens are concerned about him being filmed 24-7.
Netizens concerned as elderly man is filmed online 24-7
Dianwu’s story caught the attention of Chinese netizens after a video was taken of the man gathering cabbages at night in the village, first posted online in 2022 by another villager in Cangzhou.
After the video went viral, locals began recording him and posting videos of the elder on social media — and soon, it became a trend to film his everyday life.
As of 2025, cameras are set up in most rooms of his home, showing Dianwu going about his daily tasks like feeding his chickens, relaxing or even buying items at local stores, where cameras have also been installed to keep an eye on him.
Paramount PicturesChinese news outlets and social media commenters have compared Dianwu’s livestreamed life to The Truman Show, a movie starring Jim Carrey about a man whose entire life is filmed as part of a reality TV show.
According to Chinese reports, the money made off of the viral videos and streams following Dianwu goes right back to the elderly man in an effort to improve his life and upgrade his living conditions.
Since gaining viral fame, villagers have treated Dianwu to nightclub outings, beauty treatments and more… but although the wholesome content has gained quite an audience, many netizens are concerned about the man seemingly being filmed all the time without his knowledge.
Following growing outrage over Dianwu’s constant surveillance, the accounts posting content of Dianwu have been seemingly removed. Villagers have also claimed that he was removed from his home by relatives and taken to live with them as of March 2025, although this statement has not been confirmed.
Dianwu isn’t the only person to have been streamed 24/7 for others’ entertainment; in 1998, a Japanese comedian was chosen to compete on a variety game show where he was placed in a small apartment and filmed constantly, surviving solely on winnings from magazine sweepstakes.
He is now the subject of a documentary titled ‘The Contestant,’ which follows his year-long journey that has similarly been compared to The Truman Show.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.