Screen grab of Li Ziqi's Sina Weibo post

After a three-year hiatus, renowned Chinese video influencer Li Ziqi restarted posting online with two new videos on Tuesday afternoon. The videos were shared by her across social media platforms, including Douyin, Sina Weibo, and YouTube and quickly became the top trended topic online, with her Douyin uploads alone garnering over 2 million likes and nearly 200,000 comments in just two hours.

One newly uploaded video showed how she turned a woodshed into a woodland cloakroom, and the other showcased her craft using the intangible cultural heritage Chinese lacquerware techniques. As of 10 pm Tuesday, or five and a half hours after release, the video of the lacquerware has garnered 100 million views on Sina Weibo, with a total of 1.6 million interactions, including shares, comments, and likes. Many netizens have flooded the comment area with messages of support and expressed how much they missed her content under her videos.

"We've missed you so much and have been waiting for these three years. We hope you stay strong and keep moving forward," a Weibo user wrote. Another fan on YouTube commented, "After years, your videos are back. I really missed your videos, you and your grandmother. Whenever I watch your videos, I feel relaxed," echoing the sentiments of many of her followers.

Li started posting short videos on Sina Weibo in 2016, featuring poetic portrayals of rural life, traditional cooking techniques, and cultural practices, such as making ink and clothing. In 2020, Li set a Guinness World Record for the most subscribers on a Chinese-language YouTube channel, with a total of 11.4 million followers at the time.

Despite not updating her content since July 14, 2021, she has seen her followers increase and fans request new videos during her absence.

In her latest Weibo post, she wrote a comment, "No time for a small essay today, I'll catch up with everyone after I finish my busy schedule. Miss you!"

Global Times