A simple request for help on TikTok turned into an extraordinary community gathering after a young Chinese woman, Daidai, asked for assistance slaughtering two pigs for a traditional festival.

Daidai, a 20-year-old from Qingfu village in China, had been struggling to find someone to help her elderly father prepare pigs meant for a year-end cultural celebration.

Unable to manage the task alone, she decided to seek help through Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.

“I was afraid that my father wouldn’t be able to handle the pigs,” she wrote. “Please help me so I won’t be embarrassed in my village.”

What she expected to be a small response quickly grew beyond imagination. Within hours, the post attracted more than one million likes, and thousands of people began arriving at her home.

According to reports, over 3,000 visitors eventually turned up, transforming a routine village activity into a scene that felt more like a movie than real life.

In return for the help, Daidai promised a shared meal prepared with pork from the pigs. This gesture resonated deeply in rural areas of Sichuan and Chongqing, where communal feasts and traditional celebrations remain an important part of cultural life.

The gathering soon became a two-day festival. Around 1,000 people attended on the first day, while more than 2,000 arrived on the second day, January 11, 2026.

Bonfires were lit, food was shared openly, and singers entertained the crowds, prompting Daidai to ask police to help maintain order.

Despite the joy, the event took a toll

Exhausted by the logistics of hosting such a large crowd, Daidai eventually announced that the celebrations had come to an end and asked new visitors to enjoy the area without entering her home.

Reflecting on the experience, Daidai said she had underestimated the power of social media and the public’s longing for traditional community gatherings, which have been fading amid modern lifestyles.

She expressed gratitude to everyone who attended, noting that the celebration had grown into “one big family moment” that brought great happiness to her father.

Local authorities welcomed the peaceful nature of the event, with some residents suggesting the festival could become an annual tradition in Hechuan District. As one villager put it, “Here, neighbors help each other. Today I help you, tomorrow you help me.”