A media-friendly mayor in the Chinese city of Lanzhou photographed with a collection of luxury watches has caught the attention of two Guangzhou student super-sleuths and the party’s corruption watchdog.

Every time the mayor appeared in a photo, the students noticed he was wearing a different, expensive watch.  As the mayor was photographed frequently, the students began posting the pics to Weibo. Their actions have since become known as “名表门” (expensive watch-gate).

One of the eagle-eyed amateur detectives Zhong Guoqing, from Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-sen University, wrote to authorities to get answers.

Now, the party’s anti-graft watchdog in Gansu is taking a closer look at allegations that mayor Yuan Zhanting is wearing watches money just couldn’t buy on his paltry government salary.

The photos have become a hit online, and sparked a number of inquiries by government officials and the media.  It is another example of China’s netizen activism, which has been increasing of late.

This story echoes a similar case when of Yang Dacai, then a senior safety official in Xi’an, was found to also have amassed an unhealthy collection of high-end watches. He was later fired.

As for the mayor of Lanzhou, time has caught up with him.

Guilty or not, it’s another embarrassment to the party, which is trying to stamp out corruption.

(Story via: Shanghaiist)