Recentl, a 17-year-old Chinese actress, Huang Yang Tian, sparked a controversy on the internet by wearing a “sky-high-priced earring” to show off her wealth. Her father, who used to be a civil servant, has come under suspicion for alleged corruption. As the incident continued to simmer online, on May 22, the official announcement from Ya’an City, Sichuan Province revealed that an investigation has been launched into Yang Wei, the father of Huang Yang Tian, for suspected violations of conducting business irregularly and deliberately concealing the issue of illegal birth of a second child during his tenure in Ya’an.
It all began a week ago when Huang Yang Tian shared a photo of her coming-of-age ceremony on social media. Netizens noticed her earrings worth 2.3 million yuan, prompting questions about her family background and the source of her wealth.
Subsequently, netizens dug up the fact that her father, Yang Wei, used to be a civil servant in Ya’an City, Sichuan Province. Due to doubts like “being a civil servant, the family income shouldn’t be so high,” netizens scrutinized the early social media photos of Huang Yang Tian and found that her mother had worn a bracelet worth about 450,000 yuan and a necklace worth 260,000 yuan. Some even discovered a photo of Huang Yang Tian from 2019 with a villa, claiming that her family owned a mansion worth tens of millions in Shenzhen.
Online allegations also suggested that Yang Wei, during his tenure in Ya’an, had participated in a bidding process for a reconstruction project after the 2013 Ya’an earthquake and established a biotechnology company at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, leading to accusations of “profiteering from national disasters” and triggering public opinion on the mainland.
Faced with public scrutiny, Yang Wei posted on Weibo on May 16, stating that he is not a “corrupt official” and that the high-end jewelry worn by his daughter belonged to her mother. He also claimed that he had never been responsible for the post-earthquake reconstruction bidding project in Ya’an or involved in bidding review, fund management, etc., and resigned from his civil service position in 2017 to start a business with his wife in Shenzhen.
On May 19, an article by the Chinese media Observer questioned whether Yang Wei was a “corrupt official,” stating that his self-justification is not definitive.
The article argued that Yang Wei was not an ordinary civil servant but rather a civil servant in the disaster-stricken area. In official information from the Ya’an City government in 2015, there was a project called “Yunfeng Mountain 4A Scenic Area Development Project in Yingjing County” with a total investment of 700 million yuan, related to post-earthquake reconstruction in Ya’an, for which Yang Wei was the contact person, and the phone number was consistent with the Yang Wei who went into business later. The project duration was from 2014 to 2019.
According to enterprise check, Yang Wei is associated with three companies. The earliest one, Shenzhen Guoying Film and Television Culture Communication Co., Ltd., was established on October 24, 2014, with a registered capital of 5 million yuan, and the legal person was Huang Yang Tian’s uncle. Two years later, it was changed to Yang Wei’s mother, Si Lingxia. In 2017, it was changed to Yang Wei. The timeline adds up correctly.
The article questioned, “While it is possible to have the same name and surname, how could the name and phone number be the same? Without sufficient evidence, we can only speculate that Huang Yang’s father is lying.”
Another company associated with Yang Wei, Shenzhen Shuici Momu Cosmetics Trading Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Yishantang (Shenzhen) Biotechnology Co., Ltd.), was established on April 13, 2020, with a registered capital of 10 million yuan.
After the public outcry over Huang Yang Tian wearing “sky-high-priced earrings,” Yang Wei withdrew from the company on May 14, 2025. The company’s legal representative was changed to “Hao” and the major shareholder from Yang Wei to “Zhao.” The main member, Si Lingxia, also stepped down. The company’s name was changed from the original “Yishantang (Shenzhen) Biotechnology Co., Ltd.” to “Shenzhen Shuici Momu Cosmetics Trading Co., Ltd.”
Subsequently, on May 16, Yang Wei responded to the public opinion on Weibo. This means that before responding to the public opinion, he hurriedly changed the name of his company, the legal representative, shareholders, and business scope information, and withdrew from the company with his wife Si Lingxia, which further raised suspicions among netizens. The combination of disaster area reconstruction funds, luxury goods, corruption, and these keywords struck a nerve with the public.
On May 22, the local authorities released an official announcement, denying the allegations raised in public opinion, stating that Yang did not handle the post-earthquake reconstruction project bidding while in Ya’an, nor was he involved in the approval and management of post-disaster reconstruction funds and charitable donations.
However, the announcement did not quell the public opinion, with netizens criticizing, “Downplaying the real issues. Even if he is innocent in his apparent job and business, it is not enough to support the huge wealth they have. So, the critical question remains about the source of their wealth.” “They can’t trivialize real issues! While ensuring transparency in investigating Yang’s issues, also pay attention to the direction of the charity funds!” “Can the accounts for donations in Ya’an be made public? That’s where the focus should be.” “Refuse self-inspection for Ya’an.”
Some netizens have even requested a revision of the announcement, stating, “It must be clear: 1. whether the so-called sky-high-priced earrings are branded genuine products and their value. 2. What is the family’s asset situation and the source of wealth.” “Her mother’s illegal immigration company also has many issues,” and more.