Zhang Yixing Photo:VCG

Chinese singer and actor, Lay Zhang Yixing, tested fans on the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) during a livestream on the eve of his 30th birthday on Wednesday.

Fans said the move can be a model for celebrities to spread positive energy, citing a campaign in the country to rectify an entertainment industry that only focuses on popularity, fame and fortune. 

Zhang asked a total of 16 questions during the livestream, including when and where the CPC was established and what is the CPC's emblem composed of. 

The move soon became a trend on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo platform as netizens said Zhang was the first celebrity to test fans of CPC history during a livestream.

The topic has scored nearly 55 million reads as of Thursday.

"My roommate is amazed at seeing me answer CPC history questions. I was never so serious even at classes. I promise I will study harder the CPC history," said a Weibo user.

As a publicity ambassador for network integrity, Zhang also called on fans to protect the network environment.

Some netizens criticized Zhang's behavior during the livestream as pretentious and fabricated for the patriotism mainstream. 

However, Zhang's fans defended him saying that this move is good to spread positive energy. "I hope all pop stars can learn from him," said another Weibo user.