Zhang Xiufang worked as a Beijing street cleaner, one of many women who patrol the roads sweeping up litter and dirt. She took up the job after her husband got sick and her family’s money situation became a little tight. But Zhang brought some unusual skills to her new position, as she explains:
Before I got the job I used to do Taichi both using my body and with a sword, and I missed them because with this Jon I start at 5am and finish at 4pm, but then one day I was swinging the broom and it reminded me of my old hobby – and then I started practicing again at work.
Zhang found that her acrobatic broom performances were a hit on the streets and online. Video of her performances has since been spreading all over the web, earning her the nickname “Sister Broom” among Chinese netizens.
But not everyone was pleased with Zhang’s newfound fame. She was neglecting her sweeping, and her shift partner was left to do double work in her absence. Bummer…
While we’ve seen many reports on this story in English, we didn’t see any that contained video of Zhang’s performances. We found one on Youku for you, so please check it out below (here’s an alternate on Tudou). If her story is indeed genuine we hope everything works out for her (and her shift mate) in the end.
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