A Bodybuilder Knitted a Dress for His Girlfriend

Zheng Tianyuan, a 32-year-old radio host and bodybuilder from Shenzhen, secretly knitted a qipao (a long dress common in China) for his significant other. It was his first time knitting.

He bought the pattern online and spent two and a half months working on the dress, often combining knitting with stationary bike workouts to keep the gift a secret.

Zheng said his passion for knitting unexpectedly brought back memories of his late mother, who had also once knitted but gave up the hobby after family criticism. He found her old knitted coasters at home—many in the same color as the dress, some unfinished. Now that he's taken up knitting himself, he wants to continue her work, complete the missing pieces, and create a joint project with his mother.

After the video was posted, many users admired the combination of his muscular appearance and his "unusual" hobby for a man. However, some criticized him for pursuing "women's work," to which Zheng responded that a hobby doesn't define masculinity. His position received widespread support, especially among women, who praised his attention to his partner and his courage to pursue his interests.