Shanghai: Terrified Grandma Leaves Home As Her 'Fairytale' Balcony Turns Viral Sensation

Shanghai bow balcony: A home in Shanghai, China inadvertently became a public attraction and viral sensation recently after someone affixed a massive pink bow on its balcony. With people flocking to the house, situated on the already-popular Wukang Road that has served as a shooting location for several Hollywood films, it may well have been that its residents and neighbours would have enjoyed the publicity.

Turns out they didn't.

The Shanghai bow balcony home reportedly belongs to an elderly 80-something grandmother who was far from pleased with the hordes of youngsters crowding the street down below to take a look at her fairytale-like castle. They didn't know the princess inside was actually terrified of them.

As per local media, the idea of her balcony turning into a tourist attraction did not sit well with her. So she fled. Days after her home became a hot spot for the youth, the woman was picked up by family to live with them till the mania subsided. Reports suggest she is currently safe with them and the notorious bow has been taken down.

What's most unusual in all this is that the giant pink bow on the balcony wasn't even pinned there by her.

Shanghai Bow Balcony Becomes 'Daka' Trend, Frightening Elderly Grandma  

Locals claim the pink 'princess' bow was affixed to the grandma's balcony sometime around the Chinese New Year in February 2021. It however became a sensation only around Labour Day in May, when visuals of it began doing the rounds on Douyin, the Chinese alternative for TikTok.

The Shanghai bow balcony's popularity took off after Douyin users likened it to a castle, with the resident inside dubbed a princess.

At first, the adulation she was being endowed with by the youth on the streets chanting 'grandma, grandma' did not bother her, since local reports say the woman often came out to wave - 'like a princess' - when called.

"Standing on Wukang Road, under the phoenix trees, below a balcony with a ribbon bow, waiting for an old grandmother," a user reportedly posted on social media.

But as daka trends go in China, and elsewhere too, with people hustling to get on a travel fad only to post photos online, the Shanghai bow balcony home soon saw crazed crowds upon crazed crowds visiting. It soon became a problem, not just for the grandma, but other residents too, who found it difficult to enter and exit the building.

As of today, the big, beautiful bow reportedly stands removed, with the hope that the 'princess' grandma soon returns to her castle.

Image Credit: Archyde