A cluster of gourds growing outside the home of 75-year-old Chen Jin'ao made him a reluctant viral star after visitors likened them to the classic Chinese animated series Calabash Brothers.
Chen first surfaced online on August 29 after a local media outlet in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province posted a Douyin video showing his home and a tidy gourd vine growing in front. The video quickly climbed the platform's trending list, and tourists soon followed. Netizens dubbed him "Grandpa Calabash Brothers."
First airing in 1986, the TV series follows seven brothers, each with a unique power, who hatch from magic gourds grown by a grandpa. This likeness turned Chen's old house into a popular tourist spot overnight.
In March 2026, Chen bought calabash seedlings at a local farmers' market, and spent five days building a wooden trellis by hand. The vine eventually produced eight calabashes, with seven in a row in the front and one behind. Their appearance reminded people of scenes from the animated series.
But Chen was not welcoming all the attention. He and his wife, Shen Hualing, lost their only daughter many years ago. For more than two decades after her death, they kept to themselves and rarely socialized.
After the videos went viral, the couple faced a constant stream of onlookers. Livestreamers set up outside their home day and night, while others cosplayed as the Snake Spirit, the antagonist in Calabash Brothers, and danced at their gate. Some even knocked on the couple's door late at night.
On September 5, Chen cut down all the calabashes. He told media that he would keep them at home and would not sell them for any amount of money. He also said he would never grow calabashes again.
Chen's story sparked childhood nostalgia and public sympathy for the bereaved elderly couple, while indirectly boosting tourism in Shaoxing. As more visitors arrived, commercial offers poured in. Chen turned them all down, making clear that he would not accept advertisements or gifts.
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