#trending: Suicide of woman in China over online criticism of her pink hair sparks campaign to combat cyberbullying

CHINA — Almost a year ago, things were looking up for Zheng Ling Hua, a 23-year-old woman from Eastern China. She had just received news of her acceptance into graduate school and posted a picture with her bedridden grandfather on social media to celebrate.

However, things took an ugly turn when online harassment about her hair colour, which she had dyed to celebrate her graduation, reportedly pushed Zheng to end her life.

The death of the pink-haired woman has sparked a campaign to end cyberbullying in China. The campaign started trending on Weibo, a popular microblogging platform in China last Wednesday (Feb 22), reported Chinese publication Sixth Tone.

Calling for people to dye their hair pink in solidarity against online bullying, the user who started the campaign wrote: “Pink is not a crime, violence is. Let’s make pink the colour that represents the fight against cyberbullying.”

Zheng, who dreamt of being a piano teacher, became a target for cyberbullying in July last year after she posted a picture of her on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu celebrating her acceptance to graduate school with her grandfather while sporting bright pink hair. 

Online users on Chinese social media platforms, Douyin, Weibo and Xiaohongshu, harassed her for her hair colour, accusing her of being a “prostitute”, "bar escort” and not fit for teaching with her "bizarre" hair. 

Some even tagged her post with titles such as “the old man and his young wife”, suggesting romantic ties between her and her grandfather. 

Days after the photo went viral, Zheng was spotted online with her hair dyed black and cut short — the hairstyle some online users claimed an aspiring teacher should have. 

Despite fighting back against the cyberbullies with her lawyer, Zheng became severely depressed.

She ultimately took her life in January this year, after a six-month-long battle with depression. In her suicide note, she stated that the online harassment was the main cause of her depression, reported Sixth Tone.

Her death has triggered outrage in China, with online users questioning why hair colour can trigger cyberbullying. 

Social media users called for better legislation to combat and punish cyberbullying in the country.

“Today it’s hair colour. Will it be dresses tomorrow? The day after that, will it be ear piercings? And then what? Will Chinese women also have to cover themselves in black cloth?” a Weibo user wrote.

An outpouring of tributes for Zheng was also posted on Chinese social media.

"I wish you will become a pink flower that grows forever in the spring,” wrote one commentator. 

Last month, a Douyin livestreamer committed suicide after being continuously attacked online for months.

The livestreamer claimed his attacker used several aliases to send him “malicious” remarks and flag his content, eventually forcing him to shut down his livestreaming show, according to Sixth Tone.