Chinese rural influencer and YouTube star Li Ziqi made a surprising comeback after a three-year hiatus, capturing widespread attention with her unexpected appearance in a new video.
On Oct. 24, the phrase “Li Ziqi reappears” quickly became a trending topic on Chinese social media after a video featuring the 34-year-old surfaced, showing her promoting a panda conservation program, as reported by Hongxing News.
Chinese rural influencer and YouTuber Li Ziqi. Photo from Facebook |
Fans eagerly responded on her Weibo account, expressing excitement about her return. One fan wrote, “Can you post new works? It’s been years. Surely you’ve gathered plenty of good material by now. We hope to see you return soon.”
However, some viewers pointed out differences in her appearance since her last public post three years ago, questioning if the video was generated by AI or if she had undergone cosmetic surgery.
Her assistant mentioned that the team is uncertain when she will resume creating videos. She is also the legal representative of Sichuan Ziqi Cultural Media Co., Ltd., holding a 99% stake in the company, according to Tianyancha.
In 2024, Li officially changed her birth name from Li Jiajia to Li Ziqi and registered multiple trademarks under the new name, expanding her ventures into food, beer, and clothing. A friend congratulated her on Weibo, noting that she had succeeded in securing the “Li Ziqi” trademark and continues to achieve her goals.
Li’s return comes after a legal dispute with her former partner, Weinian, owned by Liu Dongming. In 2021, she sued Weinian for alleged contract violations, seeking independence due to dissatisfaction with Liu’s handling of her brand, according to HK01. The dispute was resolved by the end of 2022, and Li agreed to continue collaborating with Liu, although she has yet to resume video production.
Li’s rise to fame came from her humble beginnings. After struggling on the streets, she started posting videos on Weibo in 2016, gaining massive popularity with her poetic portrayal of rural life and traditional cooking techniques. She promotes a lifestyle closer to nature and traditional culture, advocating for reducing plastic use.
In 2020, Li set a Guinness World Record for the most subscribers on a Chinese-language YouTube channel, with over 14 million followers at the time, according to Radii. Her YouTube channel has grown to 19.9 million subscribers, and her Douyin account had nearly 49 million followers as of April 2022.
Comments are closed.