A decade-old joyous moment in the life of Chinese actor Hou Xiang recently turned into a social media pile-on.
In June 2026, the 40-year-old’s wedding photo from 2013 began recirculating online and drew criticism over what was deemed an “unacceptable age difference” between him and his wife.
The backlash stemmed entirely from Xiang appearing like a small child in the photos, with boyish features and standing a little over 5 ft tall, while his wife, Zhao Yin, posed behind him, her hands on his shoulder.
What netizens did not know was that his appearance was due to a lifelong medical condition, which has earned him the nickname “ageless man” in the Chinese entertainment industry.
“Real life Benjamin Button,” one user said after learning the truth.
Hou Xiang stopped growing when he was only nine years old
Image credits: Baidu
Hou Xiang was born prematurely on October 24, 1985, to a mother who was severely malnourished during the pregnancy. According to Chinese media outlet Sohu, he weighed less than three pounds at birth, and the doctors said that it would be a “miracle” if he survived.
He did, and for the first few years, he grew up like any other kid. However, things changed in the third or fourth grade, when Xiang was about nine years old. As his friends started hitting puberty, Xiang’s physical growth seemed to have stalled, frozen in place.
Image credits: Di Dao Zhan/Baidu
“Some children are just late bloomers; they’ll get there eventually,” his mother thought at the time, according to Sohu.
But years passed, and despite his family’s best efforts, nothing changed. Xiang continued to look like a nine-year-old.
He was taken to one hospital after another and underwent multiple blood tests, X-rays, and other medical examinations. The results of those tests are not public, but the family learned that Xiang had permanently stopped growing.
Being in his early teens at the time, Xiang did not understand the significance of the revelation. However, in the coming years, social interactions made him realize the gravity of his condition.
Not only was he often ostracized by his peers, but he also had to explain the situation over and over again while riding public transport, visiting the bank, and at other places where minors are not allowed to have access by themselves.
Xiang’s childlike appearance in wedding photos recently sparked backlash
Image credits: Zin Alexander/Facebook
In 2013, Xiang married his junior high school classmate, Zhao Yin.
He had liked her back in the day, but couldn’t muster the courage to approach her at the time because of his insecurity over his appearance.
After meeting her again at a class reunion years later, Xiang finally decided to ask her out to dinner. Their friendship bloomed into a romance, and they tied the knot in a small ceremony.
Image credits: Zin Alexander/Facebook
Both were around 28 at the time, but Xiang still looked like a nine-year-old boy.
As the wedding photos resurfaced this week, those unaware of his condition began to bully the two, 13 years after they got married. Some even accused Yin of having an “inappropriate” and “creepy” relationship with a child.
“This isn’t a couple, it’s a mother and son,” one user said. Another wrote, “What does this woman want?”
However, many showed their support for the couple once they learned the truth. “Don’t judge a man by his look or his wealth,” one said.
Hou Xiang’s symptoms point to a rare hormone deficiency
Image credits: Chuang Guan Dong/Baidu
Such contrasting reactions are not new to Xiang or his wife. But the couple has maintained a low-key status, both individually and in their marriage, over the years, and has not spoken out against the negative comments.
Image credits: Baidu
Despite the internet’s reproof, Xiang didn’t let his condition stop him from pursuing his dream. At 18, he attended the Beijing Arts Vocational School, where he majored in performance arts.
He debuted in the 2004 Chinese television series Very Small Courtyard and went on to appear in more than 20 TV shows and a few movies, playing a child in each.
Image credits: Baidu
Home with Kids, Stepfather, Ming Palace Mystery Case, and Battle Flag are some of his better-known TV projects. He has also worked in Chinese feature films such as Knives Laugh, The Kwai Army’s Bloody Battle, and Pistols.
While Xiang has never revealed the specific details of his medical condition, his symptoms are similar to those of Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD).
Image credits: Zin Alexander/Facebook
It occurs when the pituitary gland fails to produce enough growth hormone, leaving growing kids and teens with short stature and a face that often looks younger than their actual age.
It is a well-known but rare condition affecting between 1 in 3,000 and 1 in 10,000 people worldwide, according to the Child Growth Foundation.
“He looks like he’s 12.” The internet was shocked to see Hou Xiang’s appearance in his wedding photos
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