Homeless single father in China who sells balloons at night with his daughter goes viral

A homeless single father dubbed “Balloon Father” on Chinese social media went viral after he was seen selling balloons at night with his young daughter.

The father, whose identity has not been revealed, is seen in a Douyin video posted on Aug. 12 pulling a cart full of colorful balloons of various shapes and sizes on the side of the road. The girl, who appears to be around 5 years old, follows alongside him wearing a pink dress while holding a large bunny doll.

The father decorated a luggage bag with balloon dolls and filled the inside with cotton-padded quilts, everyday necessities and materials for balloon creations.

Residing in Xuchang, Henan province of central China, the father explained that he brings his daughter along with him as he does not want to leave his daughter alone.

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The two sleep in the shade under trees during the day and sell balloons at night until 2 to 3 a.m.

“He said he and his daughter were the only ones remaining in the family,” the Douyin video’s creator, surnamed Wang, explained. “He had to take his daughter with him because there is no one at home who can help him with child care and the girl’s kindergarten is on summer break.”

The father stated that he has many unpaid bills and is owed thousands of yuan in unpaid salary from when he worked on construction sites.

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While going home, Wang allegedly ran into the pair and began a conversation, learning about the difficult circumstances that they were going through.

“He chose to sell balloons to raise money for his daughter’s education,” Wang said.

A follow-up video on the Douyin account showed the pair getting fresh haircuts and a bath. The young girl was also seen shopping for new clothes while trying on different blouses and laughing.

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Featured Image via Douyin

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