Monkeys On Mt. Emei Prefer Peanuts, According To Cute Viral Chinese Propaganda Video

The mist-shrouded Mount Emei is one of four sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism, a site of pilgrimage and religious devotion for thousands of years. It's also home to packs of wild monkeys, which are so comfortable around humans that many tourist and travel blogs advise visitors to arm themselves with bamboo sticks.

According to a recent viral video posted by China Perspective, an X account affiliated with state-run radio service China Radio International, these monkeys prefer peanuts.

The video itself has inspired numerous memes and many interesting reactions in recent days.

As with many monkey memes, it is the human-like reaction of the ape when it refuses the sunflower seeds that has particularly thrilled viewers.

The monkey's preference for peanuts and rejection of sunflower seeds also reminded many viewers of the classic Drakeposting meme format, which features similar imagery.

Viral videos, while silly and cute, are serious business. They are seen by hundreds of thousands and even millions of people, generating significant media attention (including this news post).

The account may gain new followers from cute animal videos or work to drown out negative news about other issues. Usually, the account just posts videos of Chinese officials acting in charming ways or other forms of lighthearted and cute news.

Academic research on Chinese propaganda has identified cute animal or character content as a major category, using this sort of emotional response to an adorable animal (such as a monkey) to promote certain ideological perspectives.

X recently dropped a labeling system for state-affiliated media as well, making it easier for state-run outlets to blend in on the platform.

As it stands, the only true ideological perspective embedded in the Mt. Emei monkey video appears to be a strong anti-sunflower seed stance.