Xinjiang police officer causes chaos at tourist spot.

A video capturing an awkward moment for a traffic police officer at Sayram Lake is going viral on Douyin, prompting many locals to flock there to take photos.

In mid-May, images of a group of police officers directing traffic at Sayram Lake in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (China) went viral on Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and many other social media platforms in the country. Among them, the name that attracted the most attention was Yili'er. The male police officer has a striking appearance but often seems shy when tourists film or photograph him.

According to Phoenix TV , the wave of attention on Yili Aer began after many tourists posted videos capturing moments of him directing traffic. Many videos showing the police officer bowing his head, smiling awkwardly, avoiding the camera, or quickly turning away when under scrutiny have garnered millions of views on Chinese social media.

Many people flocked to Xinjiang to "check-in" with the group of police officers at Sayram Lake, especially Yili'er (left photo). Photo: Douyin .

It is the contrast between his serious demeanor when on duty and his somewhat introverted reactions that creates Ylik's unique appeal.

The social media effect is also believed to have contributed to the recent surge in visitors to Sayram Lake. On travel platforms, numerous posts sharing experiences of "hunting for the Sayram Lake police officers" have appeared. Some tourists said they visited the location not only to admire the scenery but also to meet the group of police officers who went viral on Douyin.

Many humorous comments circulated on social media, such as: "Suddenly I have an urgent matter to attend to in Xinjiang," "Sayram Lake is now famous for both its scenery and its people," or "This is truly a 'hidden check-in spot' for Xinjiang tourism."

The phenomenon of the traffic police group at Sayram Lake is not uncommon in China. Previously, many individuals or moments have unintentionally gone viral, becoming "tourist magnets" for the local area.

In 2023, a nearly 1.9-meter-tall police officer on duty at the Asian Games in Hangzhou went viral on social media after a video of him assisting citizens went viral. Soon after, many people flocked to the area where he was patrolling just to take photos or record videos.

In Shanghai, a young police officer named Gu Chenhan also went viral for his resemblance to actor Eddie Peng. His patrol videos with his police dog attracted millions of views.

Source: https://znews.vn/chang-canh-sat-tan-cuong-khien-diem-du-lich-vo-tran-post1653631.html