“I wanted to become her,” said He Chengxi, a 31-year-old heiress from Shenzhen, South China, as she pointed to a photo of a young Fan Bingbing. Between 2008 and 2016, He underwent a staggering 37 plastic surgeries, primarily on her face, costing over 8 million yuan (approximately $1.1 million USD), all in pursuit of resembling the Chinese superstar.
Born into a wealthy family, He was dissatisfied with her “ordinary” appearance and became obsessed with Fan Bingbing’s beauty—so much so that she threatened suicide when her parents opposed the surgeries. She underwent eyelid surgery three times, demanding the results mirror her idol’s features.
Fan Bingbing, once one of China’s highest-paid and most revered actresses, was admired for her so-called “perfect” looks. Thanks to her transformation, He Chengxi gained sudden fame in 2016 after appearing on a national music competition. Dubbed the “Mini Fan Bingbing,” she landed small roles in dramas and films.
During this period, He began dating her plastic surgeon, Yu Xiaoquan, who also altered his appearance to resemble Li Chen, Fan’s then-boyfriend. The two built a personal brand around being “clones” of China’s most glamorous couple, appearing at events nationwide. Yu later opened a cosmetic clinic with the tagline: “Turning ordinary people into celebrities.”
In 2017, the couple married and had a son. However, by 2018, their fairy tale unraveled. He Chengxi publicly revealed that Yu had an affair—with another man. They divorced, and Yu was granted custody of their son.
The same year, Fan Bingbing was embroiled in a massive tax evasion scandal, fined 884 million yuan (~$125 million USD), and effectively blacklisted in China. As Fan’s public image crumbled, so did He’s. Netizens mocked her, acting opportunities disappeared, and her “copycat fame” faded fast.
He later pivoted to fashion blogging and livestreaming, amassing around 330,000 followers. She has since undergone further surgeries to look less like Fan Bingbing, returning to the screen in minor television roles.
“I am myself,” she declared in a 2024 video. “One of my life principles is not to live to please others.”
Her journey continues to stir debate online. While some admire her beauty and resilience—“She looks great now, even if she no longer resembles Fan Bingbing”—others criticize her for losing her identity: “When you copy someone completely, you lose the most valuable thing: yourself.”
Meanwhile, Fan Bingbing remains barred from Chinese media and has shifted focus abroad. Despite her exile, she won Best Actress at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards in November—an achievement mainland media largely ignored.
He Chengxi’s story serves as both a cautionary tale and a complex narrative about identity, celebrity obsession, and the search for self-worth in an image-driven world.
Sources: Znews
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