A small Chinese village has attracted the international spotlight after a ‘twin brother’ of Russia’s PM Vladimir Putin was spotted among its residents.
The peasant with a very familiar appearance was found by a local newspaper correspondent, who happened to stop by. Amazed, the journalist sent a photo to his paper. The shot made such an impression that it was immediately re-published by numerous Chinese news websites.
Following the mass media fuss, 48-year-old Lo Yuanpin became a local star. The historic photo brought a lot of attention to the small village. Local residents, longing for entertainment, take great pleasure talking to journalists. They call Yuanpin “Brother Putin” – the man himself says he takes it all in good humor.
“Of course, I’m still a peasant working in a field,” Lo Yuanpin told a Chinese news agency. “Nothing has changed much so far.”
The man, however, hopes that his sudden popularity might help him improve his personal life.
“I wish to have a wife and a family,” Yuanpin said. “I’m also thinking about giving up my job and launching my own show.”
This comes soon after the Russian PM was awarded China’s version of the Nobel Peace Prize for “keeping world peace.” Putin outscored other candidates, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Yuan Longping, a Chinese agricultural scientist.