When Han Han flipped the bird at judges after receiving a penalty during the China Touring Car Championship in June, many wondered if he'd taken his penchant for controversy too far.

     The 27-year-old professional racecar driver later posted on his blog, lambasting the Federation of Automobile Sports as "unprofessional" in rule enforcement and criticizing it for failing to impose penalties for prohibited pre-rally road surveys.

     Asked whether he had considered his obscene gesture's influence on society, Han sarcastically responded: "The only group that might be affected is children, but I believe that with the protection of 'Green Dam' (filtering software blocking violent and pornographic Internet content), they won't be hurt."

     It was the sort of sharp comment that has made Han China's most popular blogger -- and one hailed as the voice of his generation.

     Han's blog is known for attacking the establishment, and his opinions often make headlines - that is, if they pass the censors.

     His thoughts on the fire that destroyed a new tower block owned by State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) in February disappeared from the Chinese Internet soon after they were posted.

     But the posting was copied and forwarded thousands of times before vanishing from his blog.

     He voiced the frustrations of his generation in the post: "The government needs to think about a serious issue: Its mouthpieces damage the image of their master when they operate under the current mechanism. Even a truthful story can appear fake when they are the ones reporting it.

    "The younger generation has been maturing and will ridicule what these State-owned media agencies produce more and more ... No wonder they (the media) are being left behind by the times."

     He also pointed to the reasons for his own popularity: "This is an era in which you cannot convince people unless you have virtue."

     In late May 2008, when American actress Sharon Stone triggered outrage in China by saying the Sichuan earthquake was "interesting" and "karma", Han argued that Stone's original meaning was distorted by the media.

     He put the full quote and direct translation in his blog, saying Stone was explaining her thought process, but the media quoted her out of context.

    Three days later, he posted a 3,000-word article entitled Don't Show the Fury of the Whole Nation, advising the public to ease their nationalist ardor.

     "A sentence from a passe foreign star misquoted by the media made us show our savage side," he wrote, referring to postings calling for her to be "killed" or otherwise harmed.

     "If we think about what we've said after natural disasters in other countries, we will find we are far from real humanitarians. If you don't reflect on the past, you are not as good as Stone. She at least knew enough to reflect on herself," the post read.

     He also said Chinese should focus on more important matters, such as the "tofu-built" schools that collapsed in the quake.

     For this he was branded an "idiot", "cold-blooded" and "unpatriotic" on Chinese websites.

     In fact, he had gone to Sichuan right after the quake to distribute relief materials he and his friends personally donated, but he cautiously avoided the cameras so as not to be branded a "showoff".

     Lu Jinbo, Han's publisher, and Leung Man Tao, a commentator with Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV, agree that Han might be the next Lu Xun (1881-1936), arguably the most famous modern Chinese writer, who was acclaimed for his vehemently critical essays.

     As a post-'80s author, Han gained fame when his first novel Triple Gate (San Chong Men) was published in 2000. The book is about a high school student's campus life.

     In it, Han -- then only 18 -- attacks the educational system, by comparing teachers who do home schooling with prostitutes.

     "Teachers are not popular, but home schooling is. From that, we can see that teaching is like dating," he wrote.

     "One to many is cheap, but one to one is precious -- almost the same price per hour as a prostitute.

     "However, a teacher is much more competent than a prostitute: The prostitute makes money by giving joy, while a teacher achieves it through giving agony."

This provocative criticism launched at least five of his books onto the bestseller lists.

     One reader of Triple Gate wrote to the author, saying: "Han Han you're great! You've just said what I wanted to say."

     He responded: "Then why didn't you say it?"

     Guangzhou-based New Weekly magazine said in late 2008 that Han lives up to the duties and responsibilities of a public intellectual
"His rational thinking makes us hopeful for the 1980s generation," it said, referring to the generation of mostly only children, who are famously considered self-centered and lacking social responsibility.

     But Han rejects the praise, saying he just enjoys speaking out. He even enjoys the fact that many don't share his views. "When I started car-racing, I thought the slow drivers were foolish but later changed my mind; without them, how could I stand out?"

     He has followed his own passions, and his entry into the racing world befuddled many who believe he has a promising future in writing.

     They claimed he just wanted to flaunt his wealth or just sought some excitement like many young men with excessive testosterone.

     At first, Han spent his own money on training and buying cars. Later, he was contracted to a professional team. And then he astonished the public by winning the 2007 China Circuit Championship.

     "My success comes from my judgment, which is my gift. Some people will never know what they are really capable of. They just waste their lives doing something that they are not good at," he says.

     Han enjoyed a carefree childhood in a small town in Shanghai's suburbs.

     Unlike many Chinese parents who push their children to excel, his parents were relaxed about his schoolwork and studies.

     He found a passion for reading as soon as he started to learn Chinese characters, hiding under his blankets to read at night.

     His independent streak became obvious at an early age when he resisted his parents' attempts to control what they saw as bad habits or behavior, even on minor issues like keeping his desk tidy.

     "They used to try to change me but never succeeded," Han says. "Then, they started to understand I always try my best to get what I want. Now, they support every decision I make."

     His academic progress foundered in 1999, when he failed seven subjects, including Chinese, in high school. He spent another year trying to catch up but eventually decided to quit.

     But before dropping out, he won the first New Concept national essay contest, which encourages innovative student writing. He also finished the manuscript for Triple Gate during class.

    He told his teachers he would live on the royalties, and they all laughed at his "naivety".

     But Triple Gate became a bestseller a month later and has since sold 1 million copies, making him a millionaire.

     He believes "success is the mother of success".

     He also makes money as a professional racer and from ad revenue from his blogs.

     In order to encourage Chinese writers, he promises an above-average rate of 2,000 yuan ($293) per 1,000 Chinese characters printed in a new magazine he will edit.

     He has been thinking about giving up racing and writing for some time.

     "But I still have some goals that I haven't yet achieved and some 'enemies' I have to beat," he says.

     His ideal life would be "staying in the right place with the right person".

     "Every morning when we wake up, we have nothing to do and don't need to do anything," he says.

     He admits to several relationships since he was 16 but is only now considering marriage.

     "I don't want to be restricted by anything," Han says.

     "But I believe that there is a greater power. When it appears, it will make me willing to take on the responsibility."

     A reporter from the Beijing-based China Pictorial magazine once characterized his anti-establishment and individualistic character as "Westernized" and asked: "How did you become like this?"

     "I don't think things can be called Easternized or Westernized," he responded.

     "There is only one standard - whether it's suitable or not for human beings."

     Ma Yimu, editor of the men's fashion magazine Esquire's Chinese edition, says: "Han Han is just a normal young man. He likes pretty women and says 'no' to things he thinks are wrong. If there were more Han Hans in China, the country would be more normal."

     Han expresses the view through song lyrics from his only music album: "Happiness is being happy in different ways."