She Was Called "Little Fan Bingbing" and Pursued an Acting Career
But After Fan Bingbing's Tax Evasion Scandal, She Became a Target of Online Ridicule
The story of a Chinese woman who spent about 1.7 billion KRW on dozens of plastic surgeries to resemble top Chinese star Fan Bingbing has attracted widespread attention. During Fan Bingbing's peak, she gained public interest as a "Fan Bingbing look-alike," but after Fan Bingbing's image declined due to tax evasion allegations, her similar appearance became a burden.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on December 15, Heo Cheongsi, a 31-year-old from Shenzhen in southern China, underwent a total of 37 plastic surgeries between 2008 and 2016 to resemble Fan Bingbing. The total cost of these procedures reached 8 million yuan (about 1.67 billion KRW).
As a teenager, Heo Cheongsi was dissatisfied with her appearance and longed to look like Fan Bingbing. At that time, Fan Bingbing was a popular actress in China, admired for her beauty and also gaining international attention.
Heo Cheongsi's parents initially opposed the surgeries, but she remained determined. She requested the medical staff to make her look as much like Fan Bingbing as possible, undergoing double eyelid surgery three times alone.
After her surgeries, Heo Cheongsi gained recognition by appearing on a Chinese audition program in 2016. She earned the nickname "Little Fan Bingbing" due to her resemblance to the actress and received minor roles in films and dramas.
She began dating one of her surgeons, Yu Xiaochuan, who also underwent several plastic surgeries to resemble actor Li Chen, who was Fan Bingbing’s boyfriend at the time. The two became famous as a couple imitating celebrity couples and were invited to various events across China.
Yu Xiaochuan opened a plastic surgery clinic with the slogan "Turning ordinary people into stars." The couple married in 2017 and had a son the same year.
After Fan Bingbing’s Fall, She Became a Subject of Ridicule... Underwent More Surgery to Escape the Resemblance
However, in 2018, Heo Cheongsi revealed on her social media that her husband had an affair with a man, and the two eventually divorced.
At that time, Fan Bingbing became embroiled in a tax evasion scandal and was ordered to pay about 884 million yuan (approximately 184.63 billion KRW) in unpaid taxes and fines, leading to a ban on her entertainment activities in China. Amid the controversy, Fan Bingbing disappeared for four months, fueling rumors of exile, disappearance, detention, or even death.
As Fan Bingbing's image plummeted, Heo Cheongsi became the target of online ridicule and stopped receiving acting offers.
Heo Cheongsi underwent further plastic surgery to move away from her resemblance to Fan Bingbing and later appeared in supporting roles in some dramas. In recent years, she has started working as a fashion blogger and live commerce host, and currently has about 330,000 followers.
In a video released last year, Heo Cheongsi said, "I am myself," adding, "One of the principles of my life is not to live to satisfy others."
This story has sparked significant interest on Chinese social media. One user commented, "She no longer resembles Fan Bingbing, but she is still beautiful." Another said, "If I had that much money, I would also get plastic surgery to become prettier."
On the other hand, some responded, "The moment you go to extremes to imitate someone else, you lose the most important thing-yourself. I hope this story makes people reflect on the value of their own existence."
Meanwhile, Fan Bingbing remains restricted from working in China and continues her acting career mainly overseas. There are also claims that Chinese authorities are continuing efforts to "erase Fan Bingbing." Last month, Fan Bingbing won the Best Actress award for the film "Mother Earth" at the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, but Chinese media did not report on the event.
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