On the evening of the winter solstice on December 21, 2025, mainland Chinese actress Sun Li was filming a late-night scene on set. Concerned that the crew might not have ordered takeout, she took the initiative to cook dumplings in a mini electric cooker inside her trailer and distribute them to the team. On December 23, the news of “Sun Li eating six dumplings in one meal” became a hot topic on Weibo.
A Weibo account named “Random Thoughts of Li” revealed that on the day of the winter solstice while filming, Sun Li was worried that everyone might be hungry. During a break in filming, she specially cooked a pot of dumplings in her trailer using her own small electric cooker to share with everyone. She only ate six dumplings herself, accompanied by a small plate of vegetables and half a bowl of vinegar, believing that vinegar and dumplings were a perfect match.
According to Sun Li’s staff, eating six dumplings was already seen as a “special consideration” from her. If she hadn’t skipped lunch, the portion of this dinner might have been even smaller. This seemingly ordinary dining incident exposed the survival norm of female actors: shining brightly in front of the camera, yet meticulously calculating every bite behind the scenes.
As a frontline female star, Sun Li differs from many in the industry who follow extreme carb-avoiding diet methods. Instead, she chooses to consume a small amount of staple food daily, which is seen as a “relatively balanced” dietary method within the industry.
Sun Li chooses not to eat anything for lunch and only eats two meals a day. She believes in eating when hungry, not necessarily sticking to three meals a day. Mainland Chinese actress Han Xue has also mentioned that her doctor mother advised her family to only eat two meals a day all year round, considering it to be healthier.
Nevertheless, Sun Li’s winter solstice dinner of only six dumplings still amazed many netizens, with some commenting that it was a “self-disciplined meal of health enthusiasts” and that this level of discipline is not something an ordinary person could handle.
Deng Chao once jokingly referred to Sun Li as the “health enthusiast” in their family, saying that some things are unbearable for him like not going overboard with exercise, food, or health maintenance. He even joked that one day Sun Li turned around and said, “Should I start a class? Many friends are consulting me about health matters now.”
In reality, Sun Li’s health regimen always follows the seasonal changes, adjusting her health practices accordingly to different seasons and solar terms. For example, eating sprouts in spring, melons in summer, fruits in autumn, and roots in winter. Sun Li is well-versed in the “four seasons health maintenance” and firmly believes in the principle that “food is the best supplement”.