'Xiao Pang' Tells Growing Pains

Xiao Pang, one of the most famous faces in Chinese cyberspace, appeared for an interview recently to express his feeling about netizens editing his image with photo editing software and publishing them on the Internet, Information Times reported today.

"I felt awful when I found my picture edited into different images three years ago," said Xiao Pang, who lives in Shanghai's Jinshan District. The newspaper didn't use his real name to protect his privacy.

"The picture was taken when I attended a traffic security activity arranged by my school, and I didn't know who the photographer was," he said

By searching "Xiao Pang" in most search engines, altered pictures of Xiao Pang will appear, edited to depict celebrities and movie posters.

Most netizens thought he was from Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He said his teachers and classmates seldom mentioned the parody pictures of him on the Internet to avoid hurting his feeling.

"I didn't mind that netizens edited my picture as a joke, but I dislike those who change my pictures into low-class ones, like putting my face onto a naked dancing girl," he said.

Xiao Pang said his favorite work is a short video that arranges the edited pictures together, named "The magic of Xiao Pang."

Now 19, Xiao Pang works in a gas station as an intern, earning 500 yuan per month. He said he hasn't determined his future career path yet.

October 01, 2006