Shanghai dragon video: Deception, propaganda or illusion?
A spectacular drone show with a flaming dragon over Shanghai? The Internet is excited - but what if it never happened?
The spectacular dragon video over Shanghai is causing heated debate: Deception, propaganda or pure illusion? The viral clip inspires millions - but a closer look reveals that the truth is often less dazzling than the images.
The viral video: Real or staged?
In the early hours of January 1, a video circulated on social media purporting to show a spectacular New Year's show above the Shanghai skyline: a giant, flaming dragon spiraling into the night sky amid drones and fireworks. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X were flooded with the breathtaking image, even Elon Musk was impressed. However, they were nowhere to be found on Chinese social media and especially on state accounts. A closer look reveals that the show never actually took place.
A closer look at the video reveals evidence of a digital production. Some of the lights shown are from the "Tears of the Gate of Heaven" show, which took place in Liuyang, Hunan, at the beginning of December. It was a tribute by a fireworks artist to his deceased mother. On platforms such as Xiaohongshu, these recordings were creatively edited, combined with Shanghai's skyline and finally published as an "official New Year's show" - a prime example of how easily manipulated videos can go viral.
Why China topics go viral
Such staged content, especially when it concerns China, follows a clear pattern: it fits perfectly into Western narratives that paint either an overly positive or overly negative picture of China. On the one hand, there are influencers and Western journalists, such as the once quite reputable Frank Sieren, who propagate a glowing China - a world of dazzling skylines, innovative technologies and impressive shows - for a fee or out of conviction. Foreign influencers earn money in part by creating content on Chinese platforms that idealize the country - and Chinese propaganda makes targeted use of them. Even in times of economic uncertainty, the strategy seems clear: paint a glossy picture that distracts from reality.
On the other side are media networks, such as that of the Falun Gong movement, which includes the Epoch Times, which move in the opposite direction: they portray China almost exclusively as a threatening superpower or communist regime with dark intentions. Both sides use emotional narratives and have a clear agenda, which makes their content extremely divisive - for both admirers and critics.
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Manipulation as an instrument of power
However, the fascination with such content lies not only in its political explosive power. With AI and ever-improving video editing tools, deception is becoming easier and more realistic. Especially now, when China is struggling economically and at the same time wants to define its place as a counter-design to the West, the temptation to use manipulative images to strengthen one's own position is great. But behind the glittering backdrops often lies a less glamorous reality.
In Chinese, there is a stratagem known in the West as "letting flowers bloom on barren trees", which symbolizes the illusion of splendour where there is actually emptiness. Social media in particular provides an ideal stage for such productions. The glittering images of a futuristic China often disguise the sobering reality behind them. Not all that glitters is gold - sometimes it's just varnish covering the cracks.
Debunking illusions - recognizing the truth
The video of the dragon may be a creative work of art, but it is also an example of how easily false images spread on social media. Rapid advances in AI and video editing are making it increasingly difficult to distinguish real from staged images. What is impressive at first glance often turns out to be a clever deception. A façade is often hidden behind the supposed glamor - a critical look is the key to uncovering the truth. This requires experts who either really understand the country and its cultural strategies or can decipher the technical manipulations.