Cheng Guorong Chinese homeless man turned fashion celebrity Country: China

The Incredible Transformation of Chen Gu John

Chen Gu John, a young Chinese man, went from being a homeless person to becoming a fashionable celebrity. This amazing story took place in 2010 and later even became the plot of a movie, with Chen Gu John unexpectedly enjoying the fame that came his way. Chen Gu John, whose real name is Cheng Guorong, found himself on the streets at the age of 34, thinking that nothing could change his bleak destiny. Resigned to his fate, he spent his days wandering the streets of Ningbo, a city in eastern China, scavenging through garbage cans for food and begging from passersby. In reality, Chen has a family - a wife and children - but he had not been seen by them for a long time out of shame for not being able to provide for them. Since moving to Ningbo in 1996, he had not visited his family even once. It was this carefree and resigned wanderer that a casual photographer captured on the street, and this photo soon made its way onto the internet. It was then that a miracle happened - someone noticed that Chen, with his baggy warm coat, tall boots, and a smoking cigarette in his mouth, looked incredibly stylish and independent. This led to Chen being offered a modeling job. After cleaning up and dressing well, he managed to retain his rugged street charm - and very soon, Chen Gu John became a sought-after model. He was even dubbed the "Sexiest Homeless Man" in Chinese media. Soon after a local film studio shot a short documentary about Chen, his relatives were found - someone from his hometown recognized him, and it turned out to be a great joy for everyone, as they had long thought Chen was dead. Benefactors also emerged - 100,000 yuan was raised for him to have a decent life and a fresh start, and professional impresarios and agents took charge of his destiny. Today, Chen Gu John is a successful model with numerous offers for photoshoots, from which he can choose. His incredible story even became the subject of a film, which is being made based on a book written by his cousin. It is said that despite the fame that has come his way, Chen remains humble and continues to strive for independence.