A year after becoming one of China’s most bizarre viral scandals, ‘Sister Hong’ is back in the spotlight. The man behind the infamous persona, Jiao — also dubbed ‘Uncle Red’ and ‘Red Sister’ after his identity was revealed — became the centre of a storm over secret recordings and claims involving more than 1,600+ straight men.
The case had largely gone quiet following Jiao’s arrest, but a reported new development has now brought ‘Sister Hong’ back into the conversation, raising fresh questions about what happened after the police investigation began.
Image credit : X | China’s ‘Sister Hong’ became the centre of a storm over secret recordings and claims involving more than 1, 600+ straight men.
‘Sister Hong’ reportedly spotted in Guangzhou
According to a recent post by a netizen, a man believed to be Jiao was spotted at a department store in Guangzhou trying on women’s clothing. The city is around 1,080 km (670 miles) from Nanjing, where Jiao was arrested in July 2025.
Photos shared online reportedly showed a long-haired man wearing a leopard-print top, denim shorts and high heels while browsing inside the store. The identity of the person in the images has not been officially confirmed, meaning the sighting remains unverified.
Still, its timing has reignited interest in the case, particularly because there have been few public updates on Jiao since his arrest.
How did China’s ‘Sister Hong’ scandal begin?
Jiao, a 38-year-old man from Nanjing, became known online as ‘Sister Hong’ after allegedly posing as a woman to meet men. According to reports, he used wigs, makeup and other methods to create the appearance of a middle-aged woman. He allegedly approached men through social platforms and dating apps before arranging meetings at his home.
The encounters were reportedly filmed using hidden cameras. The footage was later circulated and sold through online groups, turning what began as a private scheme into a huge internet scandal. Police subsequently moved to investigate the production and distribution of obscene material.
Image credit : Weibo | ‘Sister Hong’ used wigs, makeup and other methods to create the appearance of a middle-aged woman.
China’s Sister Hong’s 1600+ men claim
One of the most explosive claims surrounding the scandal was that Jiao had slept with more than 1,600 men. Online reports described the men as heterosexual, with the “1,600+” figure quickly becoming the defining detail of the story.
But the number has never been officially confirmed. Police reportedly dismissed the figure as exaggerated and have not released a definitive number of men involved.
Reports said Jiao allegedly offered what appeared to be free sexual encounters, asking visitors to bring small gifts instead of paying cash. Those gifts reportedly included fruit, milk, peanut oil and small household appliances. The visitors allegedly had no idea that hidden cameras were recording them.
Secret videos turn viral Sister Hong scandal into police case
The alleged recordings became the centre of the investigation after explicit videos began circulating online. Reports said Jiao created private groups where the footage was shared for paying members, with one reported subscription costing 150 yuan.
The spread of the material also exposed some of the men appearing in the recordings, prompting concerns over privacy and the unauthorised distribution of intimate footage. Authorities urged people to stop sharing the videos.
The scandal quickly grew beyond the original allegations, becoming a major social-media talking point in China and generating more than 200 million views for the related hashtag on Weibo at its peak.
Sister Hong arrest and legal battle
Nanjing police arrested Jiao in July 2025 over allegations related to the production and distribution of obscene material. Chinese law provides for prison terms of up to two years for spreading obscene material.
The case also prompted health concerns after reports emerged that some men who underwent testing were HIV-positive, although authorities did not establish that the infections were connected to Jiao.
Since the arrest, however, information about the legal proceedings has been limited. That lack of clarity is now at the centre of the renewed interest in the case.
Image credit : Weibo | Since the arrest of ‘Sister Hong, ‘ information about the legal proceedings has been limited.
What happened to Sister Hong after the arrest?
Now, in 2026, the reported Guangzhou sighting has raised fresh speculation about Jiao’s whereabouts and whether the man in the photographs is actually him. For now, there is no official confirmation of his current location or a clear public update on the outcome of the legal case.
What began as a shocking online scandal involving a fake identity and secret recordings has therefore resurfaced with another mystery attached to it: more than a year after the arrest, what happened to ‘Sister Hong’ and where does the case stand.
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