Addictive Clapping App of Chinese President’s Epic Speech Goes Viral
By Kyle Encina
A new app that lets users show their appreciation for President Xi Jinping’s three and a half hour speech at the Great Hall of the People during the 19th Party Congress went viral after being played 860 million times.
The game “Such a Great Speech: Applaud Xi Jinping” was made by WeChat owner Tencent, the minds behind the ultra-popular mobile game “Honor Of Kings.”
According to South China Morning Post, the app requires players to tap on the screen as fast as they can to applaud for China’s leader. Players take on the role of a member of the audience in the game’s lackluster and underwhelming design.
However, the viral game offers a simplistic yet addictive gameplay akin to the mobile hit “Flappy Bird”. One user was so invested in the game and was able to tap the screen fast enough to reach an astounding average of about 60 claps per second.
According to What’s on Weibo, some users reached an insane “clap rate” of 1,695. As of Friday, the game now redirects to the Tencent News site about the 19th Party Congress via desktop. “Applaud Xi Jinping” now only works on mobile devices.
While this mobile app offers at least some degree of excitement, others felt that Xi’s speech on Wednesday didn’t manage to do the same. A number of people who were in attendance during the actual speech felt that Xi’s spiel was excruciatingly long, according to Shanghaiist.
Furthermore, schoolchildren throughout the country were also forced to watch the speech. Some officials who were present found it hard to remain focused. Fortunately, the viral mobile game can make up for the lack of excitement found in Xi’s monotonous speech.
If more games like this proliferate in the country, perhaps local developers might just be able to earn China some new fans overseas.
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