Cleaning staff praised for expert explanations of relics

A cleaning staff member at the Summer Palace in Beijing has been widely praised online after footage of him explaining cultural relics and exhibitions to visitors during the recent National Day holiday was posted on the internet.

He has been dubbed by netizens as the most powerful cleaning monk — after a character in Chinese writer Louis Cha's novel Tianlong Babu (Demigods and Semidevils) who disguises himself as a cleaning monk at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province.

A short video showing a member of the cleaning staff at the Summer Palace explaining Buddhist scenic spots attracted a lot of attention on social media platforms recently, with netizens marveling at his mastery of traditional Chinese culture.

In the video, the worker, Zhang Xu, 40, explains the cultural connotations of the sites to several tourists.

What made it special was his recitation of dozens of hard-to-pronounce Buddhist sites. He spoke with such ease and confidence that it seemed like he was performing a tongue twister. People thought he must be a tour guide or expert, yet he was wearing a janitor's uniform and holding a broom.

After his explanation, Zhang smiled and returned to his work as though nothing had happened.

The video was posted online on Oct 7 and immediately became a trending topic on social media.

Netizens expressed amazement at how ordinary people can become experts in certain areas.

"In Beijing, no matter what you do, you can acquire a deep understanding of history and culture. Sometimes ordinary people are willing to explain things to complete strangers in exchange for a simple thumps-up," said one netizen on the social media platform Xiaohongshu.

Zhang is better than regular tour guides, and the palace should offer him a job as a docent, another commented.

The cleaner, who lives in Beijing's Yanqing district, said he was surprised he'd become famous online, as he only wanted to help the tourists who seemed puzzled.

He told Beijing Daily that he had been interested in architecture since he was a child. His father works in the construction industry.

He has been a security guard and construction worker and has always had a strong interest in traditional architecture. He often refers to books or finds information online in his spare time.

Zhang joined the cleaning staff at the palace in late 2021 and walks about 40,000 steps inside the palace every day, so he knows a lot about it.

"The traditional architecture of the palace is not just an assembly of bricks and layers. These elements are friends who have deep history and know how to speak to people who understand them," he said.

They are historic marvels with distinctive Asian aesthetics, he said.

The Summer Palace is an imperial garden built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and served as a retreat for emperors to escape the summer heat and engage in political and recreational activities.

The palace complex spans a vast area and is renowned for its beautiful landscape, featuring an artificial lake, numerous pavilions, bridges, temples and gardens.

Videos of a janitor at Zhengzhou Museum explaining cultural items at the museum to visitors have also garnered praise from netizens.

Sun Baoju, 55, only has a middle school diploma, but she can explain with ease the exhibits at the exhibition hall where she works.

She told local media Elephant News that she often listens to the museum guides and also asks them for more information about the exhibits.

Although she has only worked at the exhibition hall for several months, she likes each exhibit and knows their details by heart, she said.