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The comeback of Li Ziqi – once China’s hottest influencer – after a two-year hiatus has sparked heated discussion on mainland social media about her changed appearance.
Li declared her official return on September 15 in a video published on social media platforms that went viral after it was picked up by local news outlets. She had not yet shared any new content at the time of this article’s publication.
In a clip shared by China Financial and Economic News, Li is seen with long black hair and wearing a white T-shirt. Standing in an orchard, she greets the public and gives a brief introduction about her plans to deliver new lifestyle content.
“In the future, I will insist on producing more quality content on my ways to tell Chinese farming culture and rural stories,” she said in the video.
Li, who was born in 1990 in the southwestern province of Sichuan, began posting videos of herself cooking, doing handicrafts, and living a peaceful lifestyle in 2015, attracting fans both within and outside China.
Chinese internet culinary sensation Li Ziqi has set a record for having the “most subscribers for a Chinese-language channel on YouTube”. Photo: CCTV
Li’s personal Douyin account, which she stopped uploading videos to in April 2022, had nearly 49 million followers. She also set a Guinness World Record in 2020 for having the “most subscribers for a Chinese-language channel on YouTube” with more than 14 million followers at the time before rising further to 17.7 million.
Li’s appeal was founded on her poetic and exquisite portrayal of Chinese culture. Images of her doing chores – such as feeding animals, preparing a meal for her grandmother or making silk clothes – were picture-perfect.
Followers were also captivated by Li’s cooking videos that showed the entire process of how a crop is grown, harvested and prepared.
But Li’s thriving career was suddenly cut off in July 2021, over a dispute with her agent Hangzhou Weinian Brand Management Co. Ltd which saw both parties suing and counter-suing each other a total of five times between October that year and March 2022.
Li’s thriving career was suddenly cut off in July 2021 over a dispute with her agent. Photo: CCTV
A turning point was reached in December last year, with a settlement agreed under the mediation of the Intermediate People’s Court in Mianyang, the Sichuan city where Li lives. Details of the case were not disclosed.
The reasons for the dispute are unclear, but fans have speculated that Li’s reluctance to over-monetise her online presence may have been a factor, a view that contributed to some of the discussion about her changed appearance.
More than 29,000 Douyin users had commented on Li’s return by the time of writing. Apart from excitement about the news, many also were curious about her looks.
Besides showing cooking techniques, Li’s videos help viewers discover a new way to immerse themselves in the wonder of Chinese culture and learn local handicraft styles and agricultural practices. Photo: CCTV
“Her eyes and chin are different from before, and it appears her face has been injected with hyaluronic acid. She eventually became an internet celebrity,” said one commenter.
“Yes, her eyes are bigger,” another agreed.
“Why does she have to change? She looked beautiful too,” read a further comment.
“She is not a beauty influencer. As long as her new content is great, that would be fine,” a fan said.
