Chinese president Hu Jintao with Brother None-Too-Sharp.

Those enterprising economists over at the wonderful Marginal Revolution pointed me in the direction of this fascinating Independent article about a homeless man in Ningbo, China, nicknamed “Brother Sharp,” who has become a style icon and symbol of shabby chic bohemian coolness.

Brother Sharp, also dubbed “Handsome Vagabond” and “Beggar Prince,” has an online posse that considers him the coolest man in China. It’s good to know that people in China are just as shallow and stupid as we are. An excerpt:

“He is 5′ 8”, around 35 years old, and always has a cigarette between his fingers. He also appears to have a fondness for women’s clothes, which has only served to fuel his status as a fashion icon. His good looks are reminiscent of popular Asian actors like Takeshi Kaneshiro or the Oscar-nominated Ken Watanabe.

His identity remains a secret, and social workers in Ningbo say they want to keep it that way. ‘Homeless people are vulnerable. It is incorrect to use them for entertainment purposes,’ said one worker at a homeless centre in Ningbo. Brother Sharp is said to appear mentally disturbed when approached on the street.

In China, begging is technically illegal, as the Communist Party-run state provides all a citizen could need. In reality, the rapid development of the Chinese economy in the last 30 years has marginalized many.

The rumors surrounding Brother Sharp’s true identity persist. Some say he is a university graduate who lost his mind after his girlfriend left him. Others have blogged about how they sought him out and tried to help him find work or to go back to his family, but that he appeared frightened and cried out without speaking.”