'Cold Beauty's Hospital Hair-Wash Goes Viral after Survival Race

After more than a month in the wild, popular contestant "Cold Beauty" went live from her hospital ward yesterday, drawing more than 100,000 viewers as she washed and detangled her hair — her first proper grooming session since entering the "Qixing Mountain Cup" jungle survival challenge.

The race began on October 8 at the Qixing Mountain campsite in Zhangjiajie, where finalists were competing to survive at least 40 days in the wild.

"Cold Beauty," whose real name is Zhang Chaoqin, became one of the most closely watched contestants, standing out as the longest-lasting female participant. Early in the competition, she became the first female contestant to start a fire in record time using traditional fire-drilling techniques.

She entered the challenge in full makeup but, after weeks of surviving on foraged wild fruit and greens, emerged "sunken-cheeked and cracked-lipped" — a stark transformation that captivated viewers watching her shift from elegance to endurance.

On November 14, the 37th day of the contest, Zhang was rushed to hospital after vomiting and fainting. She was diagnosed with malnutrition and failed the medical check required to continue. Her weight had dropped from 52.5kg to 42kg in just 33 days, The Cover reported.

Her struggle sparked widespread concern, and her Douyin followers soared from 15,000 before the competition to 335,000 as of today.

Zhang posted a video yesterday thanking supporters and reassuring viewers she was safe. The clip has since gained more than 104,000 likes.

That same evening, her hospital-room livestream went viral as a local barbershop team spent hours rescuing her hair, which had become severely matted and hardened after more than a month without washing. Staff in the livestream said they had tried combing it out earlier but failed.

"We used conditioner, essential oils, treatment liquids — we soaked it. We started at 6:30pm, and it may take until 1am to finish," the livestream host said.

The stylist, who has run his barbershop for 15 years, said he had never seen anything like it. He volunteered to help after seeing Zhang's "safe-and-sound" video.

As Zhang's condition improved, competition organizers visited her with prize money. Although she did not reach the finals, she was named the women's champion and awarded a total of 26,600 yuan (US$3,741). The company chairman added a personal red-envelope gift, and fans — calling her a "one-in-10,000 woman" — sent 10,001 yuan, which organizers transferred to her along with an additional 12,001 yuan bonus.

Zhang has also been invited to serve as a tourism ambassador for Zhangjiajie and as an image representative for the Qixing Mountain scenic area.

She expressed gratitude for the support and joked about her next steps, saying her biggest challenge now is her hair because "it's turned into a rock," and quipping that she's not sure she's ready to be an "ambassador" just yet.