胖东来
What Does 胖东来 Mean?
Pang Dong Lai is a regional supermarket chain from Henan province that became a viral sensation for treating its employees like actual human beings — generous paid leave, mental health days, no forced overtime, and management that doesn't gaslight you. Emerging around 2025, in a country where '996' (9am–9pm, 6 days a week) is normalized, this place went viral for being aggressively decent. Chinese netizens now use it as a benchmark to roast every other employer: 'Why can't you be more like Pang Dong Lai?'
Origin Story
A regional supermarket chain from Henan province became a national cultural phenomenon in 2024-2025 for its extraordinary employee treatment: mandatory 5-day work weeks, annual forced vacations, high wages, and free mental health days. In a country of 996 culture, a business visibly valuing employee wellbeing became aspirational and almost utopian.
Cultural Context
Against the backdrop of China's brutal '996' work culture and youth unemployment crisis, Pang Dong Lai became a symbol of what humane employment could look like. Its founder Yu Donglai is celebrated as a near-mythical boss who preaches employee happiness over profit. The chain also began helping struggling supermarkets nationwide 'remodel,' which only amplified its folk-hero status among burned-out Chinese workers and consumers alike. The term originated and spread primarily on Zhihu.
Similar Expressions in English
Like Costco or REI in America — companies praised for treating employees well — but more extreme.胖东来 became a symbol of what Chinese work culture could be, making it both inspiring and melancholy.
How Is It Used?
Chinese Explanation (中文解释)
胖东来是河南一家超市，因超高员工福利和服务质量成为网络热议话题，象征理想职场标准。