Despite the infamous Great Firewall, China’s netizens are outgrowing internet users across the rest of the world. But what are they spending their online lives doing in the landscape that exists beyond the Wall? And what – if anything – is the rest of the world missing out on?

Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui had already won the hearts of Olympics viewers worldwide with her excitable celebrations and post-swim interviews. Then, by talking about swimming on her period, she won even more support in China where discussion of menstruation remains taboo.

In China, calling someone a diaosi – which directly translates as ’penis hair’ – isn’t an insult. On the contrary, millions of Chinese in dead-end jobs, with no car, house or girlfriend identify with the term, wearing it as a badge of honour. But could self-deprecation be a danger to society?

China’s Golden Shield Project – or the ‘Great Firewall’ – has long posed problems for video moguls looking to please domestic audiences. But with new regulations tightening censorship even further, how are media sites staying relevant in an increasingly crowded and insular market?