Kuai Technology reported on December 16 that New Oriental founder Yu Minhong appeared in an Oriental Select (Dongfang Zhenxuan) Douyin livestream last night, sharing stories and highlights from Antarctica.
Not long after the broadcast began, the livestream’s online viewership quickly climbed past 10,000, with viewers also sending tips from time to time.
During the session, Yu showcased videos he recorded of penguins as well as Antarctica’s sunsets and sunrises. He used the footage to introduce basic Antarctic geography, recount stories of humanity’s exploration of the continent, and briefly explain the fundamentals of China’s Antarctic research stations.
Some viewers joked in the comments that Yu had suddenly turned into a geography teacher.
Yu also mentioned that many travelers experienced seasickness during the trip, while he personally never gets seasick.
He added that Antarctica’s environment is “not as harsh as people might imagine.” While hiking there, the group even reached a point where they took off their heavy outerwear and stuffed it into their backpacks.
Notably, Yu said his trip to Antarctica was connected to philanthropic work, and that he also hoped to assess potential opportunities related to cultural and tourism development.
After the livestream officially ended, Yu stayed on in the room and joined the host for a brief product segment—promoting down jackets.
In related context, Yu was recently pulled back into public discussion following a handwritten internal letter marking New Oriental’s 32nd anniversary.
Around the same time Yu was sharing moments from Antarctica, some New Oriental employees posted online complaints about long hours and intense overtime. One employee said they received work emails on the subway after leaving at 8:30 p.m., describing a ten-hour teaching schedule as exhausting.
Others quipped that while their boss was enjoying Antarctica’s icy landscape, they were still working in the office until 10:00 p.m.
