A decade or so ago on the Chinese internet, Yuan Tengfei was famously known as the “History Inventor.”
Graduating from the History Department of Capital Normal University, this former middle school teacher rose to internet fame through his unique, stand-up comedy style of lecturing. He later appeared on CCTV’s Lecture Room (Bai Jia Jiang Tan) to host the series “The Turbulent Times of the Two Song Dynasties.” The show’s viewership rating once peaked at 0.27, hitting a two-year high for the program and earning him the title of “the most legendary history teacher in history.”
However, as his fame grew, his rhetoric strayed further off course. Back then on the Tianya Forum, countless netizens refuted his distorted historical statements line by line.
He publicly labeled New China’s history textbooks as “corrupt history,” claiming that less than 5% of the content was true, and even told students to burn their textbooks after the college entrance examination (Gaokao). He disparaged the heroes of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea while turning around to praise the West. He even defended Japan’s erasure of the Nanjing Massacre from its textbooks, aggressively spreading historical nihilism.
His widely circulated quote, “When everyone carries a gun, there is no chaos,” became the iconic symbol of his pro-American rhetoric back then.
In May 2010, the Beijing Haidian District Education Commission ordered him to undergo self-reflection and issued a warning due to “serious erroneous remarks” in his lectures. His school also demanded that he cease all teaching activities at private training institutions.
Following this, he completely transitioned to self-media, where his controversial remarks intensified.
As the internet “Clean Up” campaigns progressed, historical nihilism was stripped of its room to spread. Around 2017, Yuan Tengfei’s accounts across all platforms were wiped clean. His Weibo account “Teacher Yuan Tengfei,” which boasted 13 million followers, vanished from the Chinese internet, leaving only a handful of die-hard fans privately archiving his past audio materials.
Moving to America: A Dream Shattered in Three Months
Years after fading from the public eye, Yuan Tengfei has returned to the spotlight.
On August 24, 2026, he arrived in Texas, USA, which was confirmed on September 2 when a friend posted photos on an overseas social media platform. On September 30, he officially announced on his YouTube channel that he had a child later in life, giving the baby the nickname “Jiu Dun” (Nine Meals).
The 54-year-old explained his reasons for moving to the United States:
He claimed it was for his children’s education, and to experience fewer people blaring music on high-speed trains, less traffic, and less public square dancing. In doing so, he portrayed China as a noisy and chaotic environment while praising America as a better place to raise children.
Praising America and disparaging China had long been his hardwired way of expressing himself.
Yet, this carefully constructed vision of a “beautiful life in America” lasted less than three months before the iron fist of reality struck.
On October 6, Yuan Tengfei posted on his WeChat Moments to complain about the American healthcare system.
He recounted that for a minor ailment, he lay in the emergency room for several hours and received a bill of over $5,000. Even after insurance coverage, his out-of-pocket cost exceeded $1,000, and the hospital forced him to stay overnight for observation. He lashed out directly, calling America a “trash country,” and even lamented, “If worse comes to worst, I’ll return to China and turn myself in.”
On the same day, another post on his Moments was even more shocking.
The mother of his child simply had a large blister on her foot and went to an urgent care clinic. Even though the clinic was completely empty, they still had to wait 20 minutes to see anyone. The hospital ordered X-rays, a CT scan, and blood work for a tiny blister, ultimately racking up a staggering bill of $13,500—equivalent to over 90,000 RMB. The mother broke down on the spot, crying, “You couldn’t spend this much money on healthcare in a whole lifetime back in China.”
Caption: A single emergency room visit costs 90,000 yuan: Yuan Tengfei’s family medical bill in the U.S.
Filled with frustration, Yuan Tengfei admitted that leaving his comfort zone past the age of fifty was supposed to ease his anxiety, but it had only worsened it. He suffered from daily dizziness and chest tightness, feeling completely desperate.
Misfortunes never come singly.
After leaving the medical clinic, he rushed to school to pick up his eldest daughter and was pulled over by American police for speeding in a school zone.
At 54 years old, he experienced American-style law enforcement for the first time—keeping both hands firmly on the steering wheel while being questioned. His court date has been set, and the fine is reportedly around $500.
The man who once talked grandly about “everyone carrying a gun keeps the peace,” and who had proudly bought three or four guns within weeks of arriving in the U.S. to show off in videos, remained completely silent in front of the law enforcement officers.
When the news first leaked, his loyal fans insisted the screenshots were fake. It was only when one of his WeChat friends stepped forward to confirm it that his followers were forced to accept reality.
Caption: On October 6, he posted on his Moments to slam America.
Caption: His wife’s foot injury resulted in a $13,500 medical bill. This number caused the entire family to break down, with his wife stating that treating illnesses in China for an entire lifetime wouldn’t cost this much.
The Same Script, Different Actors
A similar script has already played out for another Chinese migrant, Wang Weiheng, known online as “Donut.”
Back then, Wang Weiheng smuggled his way into the U.S. and went viral online with his phrase, “American donuts are so delicious,” doing everything he could to romanticize American life. Later, while delivering food, he sprained his waist. For a medical consultation lasting just ten minutes or so, he received a bill as high as $5,760.
Uninsured and unable to pay, he fell into debt and went bankrupt. Unable to afford rent, he had to set up a tent in the woods to live, getting driven away by police multiple times and eventually ending up begging on the streets.
During the National Day holiday, Wang Weiheng clashed with American police once again. According to a post he published on the X platform, two police officers tracked him to his campsite in a suburban park, handcuffed him, and struck him on the ribs and back with the butt of a gun before loading him into a police car. One of the officers then pulled out a knife, slashed his tent and sleeping bag, and forced him to delete posts on social media that criticized the police.
Compared to Wang Weiheng, Yuan Tengfei still has family wealth accumulated back in China, allowing him to have a house and a car upon arrival, which makes his conditions look much better. However, his hidden survival crisis is equally grim.
An internet user living in the U.S. crunched the numbers for him:
Assuming he brought $750,000 to the U.S., under the current environment of high inflation and high mortgage rates, and given that he has to support a family and a newborn, this money will be completely drained within two to three years.
The data indeed paints a bleak picture:
U.S. prices have risen by about 5.9% since December 2024, with the average family spending over $3,700 more per year due to inflation. Grocery prices have surged nearly 30% compared to 2020, and the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has climbed to around 7.4%. In America, even for a native middle-class family, a single accident or one astronomical bill can completely shatter their economic defenses.
Caption: Netizens calculate: How many years can a $750,000 savings balance last in America?
At 54 years old, with a background in the humanities and limited English proficiency, it will be extremely difficult for Yuan Tengfei to find stable, formal employment in the U.S. The median salary for education-related jobs in America is around $7.500, but a teaching position is virtually impossible for a Chinese history teacher who does not speak English, and manual labor is not something he is willing to do.
His only remaining path to earning a living is his old profession:
Relying on video content creation to hunt for internet traffic.
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