Xing Xing first went viral in 2021 after a picture of her eating gained enormous views. Since then, her videos have consistently received high view counts, sometimes in the millions. As someone who finds monkeys fascinating, I have to admit I’m no exception to watching Xing Xing on Instagram. However, there is a persistent mystery surrounding her origin and how she came to live with her caretaker.
My curiosity partly stems from concern. A major chunk of the content creation around animals is rooted in exploitation, so I was worried Xing Xing may be another victim, used for money-making via social platforms.
The interesting thing is, despite browsing various news sites claiming to have ‘interviewed’ Xing Xing’s caretakers and watching videos of people visiting her, her story is no clearer to me. Luckily, and perhaps the bar is set low, Xing Xing is almost certainly not being exploited by her caretaker, Ye Liannu.
Who is Xing Xing?
It’s easy to call Xing Xing a monkey and move on, but for the purpose of context, I’d like to provide more information.
Xing Xing is a one-armed Tibetan Macaque residing in the Daliang Mountains in Zhejiang province, an area that is not normally inhabited by Tibetan Macaques. Her name translates to “Stars,” though the reasoning behind it is unclear.
Xing Xing is rumored to live in a cave that nobody has located. She comes down to the Yanghu Temple for food or whenever her caretaker calls out for her. Speaking of caretakers, she is cared for mainly by an elder nun named Ye Liannu and sometimes by the head abbot of Yanghu Temple, Ying. Ye Liannu is reported to be 83–85 years old and is lovingly referred to as Grandma by online viewers. She speaks a local dialect that differs from Mandarin.
Where Did Xing Xing Come From?
Coming to the main point, there are a lot of stories going around regarding Xing Xing’s origins, and they continue to resurface after regular intervals.
The most popular version claims that Xing Xing was originally a circus monkey who lost her arm in a wild boar trap. When a hunter found her, he sold her to a village near the mountains. She was briefly kept in a restaurant as entertainment but was released afterward when the villagers could not afford to meet her dietary demands. From there on, it is claimed that she either wandered into the Daliang Mountains or someone sold her to a villager there. Soon, Grandma found her and started feeding her. Xing Xing is said to have been pregnant when she first arrived, but it is claimed that her infant later passed away. She also had an iron chain collar around her neck, which a Ningbo Zoo worker helped remove. Now, it’s been more than 15 years since Xing Xing has been cared for by the elderly nun.
This all sounds heartwarming, but it’s hard to tell how much of it is true. For example, a YouTuber recently visited Xing Xing and personally interviewed a monk at the temple, who gave another bizarre version. He claimed that he rescued her 16 years ago from someone who was trying to kill Xing Xing and eat her brain. The monk claims she was not from a circus and suggests that the online story has been distorted. He also feels he doesn’t receive the public credit he deserves, since most of the revenue goes to live streamers who visit the area and make videos of Xing Xing.
During my research, I found another 2022 Upstream News article featuring the temple’s head abbot, Ying. In the article, Ying states that he remains unaware of who released Xing Xing, and she simply appeared in the mountains over 10 years ago. She was mischievous at first and stole food, but she gradually stopped once the elderly nun started caring for her. Within this version, there is no claim of a rescue or a circus origin.
Is Xing Xing Healthy?
We may never find out about Xing Xing’s true origins, so perhaps the only important thing is whether Xing Xing is happy and healthy now.
Judging from the videos, it seems that the grandma truly cares for Xing Xing. But Xing Xing is nonetheless a wild animal who requires natural wild conditions to thrive. Videos of her sometimes reveal stress responses toward those who feed her; in fact, she even reportedly bit Grandma once. These may be signs of stress during feeding. Xing Xing’s caretakers have thus far requested that visitors not feed her, but to no avail. Being consistently fed by visitors may even make her dependent on human generosity, thereby increasing the likelihood of such incidents of aggression.
On the plus side, Xing Xing has a regular feeding routine, moves quickly despite her one arm, and lives a free-ranging life. The Forestry Bureau says her living conditions are “relatively good.”
As of now, Xing Xing is assumed to be over 15 years of age. Tibetan Macaques generally live between 20 and 30 years, so she’s still got a few good years left in her.