A U.S. man became popular on the www.sina.com.cn microblog for his Chinese name Hao Lihai, which means really sharp, really capable, or simply really good.
His driver s license shows that Hao Lihai, 54, now lives in Bagualing, Futian District. He obtained a Chinese driver s license in 2004 and renewed the license this month for a 10-year valid period.
The name on the driver s license was first posted online by a netizen in Xi an City last week and quickly became popular.
By noon Sunday, the post had been re-sent 20,000 times and received 3,000 comments. Police confirmed the driver s license was genuine. Police said Hao Lihai came to Shenzhen in September 2004, staying in Pingshan New Zone.
There is no rule requiring foreigners to have a Chinese name. Most foreigners have Chinese names literally translated from their English names.
Interestingly, six out of 10 foreigners chose to be called Kong after they were required to have a Chinese name for housing purchases in Chengdu. The expatriates were from the United States, France and Malaysia and the names were either suggested by friends or found in a dictionary.
(Han Ximin)
