In the first half of 2013, the renowned writer and race car driver Han Han made a high-profile endorsement for CAMEL Camel Outdoor, then went relatively quiet for a while. But since August, Han Han seems to have reclaimed that bold, unconventional persona. Not only has he been sharing humorous and quirky posts on his personal Weibo, his sharp remarks have led many fans and netizens to exclaim, "This is the real Han Han!"
Recently, the popularity of the APP "ONE·一个," which he edits, has yet to wane. In August, he also published the first volume of the paperback series "One: It's Very Nice to Meet You," with an initial print run of one million copies. Upon release, it quickly topped various bestseller lists. On the racetrack, Han Han is also riding high—winning both first and second place in the last two rounds of the China Rally Championship. Meanwhile, in the China Touring Car Championship, although he lost a hard-earned second place at the Zhaoqing round due to car trouble, the scene of him and his teammate sweeping the top three at the previous Chengdu round remains fresh in memory.
Always bold and unconventional, Han Han has achieved remarkable success in his professional fields while also beginning to explore many new areas. Recently, there’s been a noticeable increase in Han Han’s interactions with the film world—could this be a sign that he’s preparing to step into the movie industry?
On September 18, 2013, the movie adaptation of Han Han’s novel, "The City of Lost Souls," was released nationwide. The film retained the dark humor of the novel, presenting a raw and incisive coming-of-age story. However, Han Han, ever the visionary, chose to remove his own branding from the film, not participating in any promotional activities. As a result, the movie became yet another example of critical acclaim without box office success. It’s reported that Han Han’s other major work, "Chang’an Chaos," may begin filming within the year—it’s the novel readers are most eager to see adapted. Whether Han Han will personally get involved remains to be seen.
Unlike the low-key approach of "The City of Lost Souls," Han Han’s voice acting for the DreamWorks animated film "Turbo" was much more high-profile. In the film, Han Han voiced the protagonist, Turbo, for the first time. In high spirits, Han Han also reworked the original script lines and posted a voice acting highlight reel on his Weibo. His rapid-fire delivery of over 100 words per minute rivaled even "Turbo," earning him the nickname "the best voice actor in China’s racing circle." Han Han even rented out a theater to watch "Turbo" on his birthday—clearly, he was quite pleased with his debut voice acting performance. Beyond dubbing, Han Han also wrote lyrics for the theme song of the upcoming romance film "I Want to Be With You." The film announced that Han Han authorized the use of his work "Empty City Record" as the promotional lyrics for the movie. According to Han Han, the lyrics of "Empty City Record" were a perfect match for the film. Han Han’s recent frequent collaborations with the film industry have people wondering—will the movie world soon welcome another young talent?
Han Han’s recent flurry of public appearances may be related to his good mood—and that mood naturally stems from his 31st birthday. On his birthday, Han Han received warm wishes from his racing team, family, and fans across the country who support him as a driver and author. The Weibo topic "Happy Birthday Han Han" garnered nearly 140,000 discussions. Additionally, his newly signed endorsement partner, CAMEL Camel, also sent birthday wishes.
The day before Han Han’s birthday was the CTCC China Touring Car Championship race in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. As the host, CAMEL Camel sent staff to the Zhaoqing International Circuit early to cheer him on. On race day, Han Han started from second place in qualifying and maintained his position throughout, looking for opportunities to overtake the leader. Unfortunately, in the final lap, his No. 6 car broke down, costing him the chance at second place. But the race loss didn’t dampen the birthday boy’s spirits. After the race, CAMEL Camel and its strategic partner, the Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team, prepared a surprise birthday celebration for Han Han. CAMEL Camel presented a carefully prepared birthday cake and an elegant birthday card, and together with the team staff and other drivers, they sang "Happy Birthday" to celebrate Han Han’s special day.
Han Han has always been a pioneering figure of the post-80s generation, unafraid to take on diverse challenges. From writer to race car driver, he’s faced plenty of controversy—but that’s just Han Han. You never know what he’ll do next, but every "Han Han move" brings plenty of surprises.