On Tuesday (12th), Li Ziqi, the first internet celebrity in mainland China, made a comeback after a three-year hiatus from her channel. This quickly became the talk of the town, with multiple related terms trending on search engines. Li Ziqi’s first post after returning was titled “Lacquerware.” She admitted that she developed an allergic reaction after her initial contact with raw lacquer, leading the entire team to seek medical treatment and receive allergy shots at the hospital.
According to reports from Xinjing News and Jimo News, on November 13th, a friend of Li Ziqi responded to netizens on social media confirming that Li Ziqi had officially changed her ID name from “Li Jiajia” to “Li Ziqi.” The friend even shared a photo of themselves with Li Ziqi. The news of “Li Ziqi changing her ID name” quickly rose to the top of the trending list.
Public records show that on February 22nd this year, the legal representative of Sichuan Ziqi Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. changed from “Li Jiajia” to “Li Ziqi.” On the same day, the operator of Datutu Flower Art Studio in Fucheng District, Mianyang City, Sichuan, also changed from “Li Jiajia” to “Li Ziqi.”
On November 12th, Li Ziqi released a video announcing her return, showcasing the intangible cultural heritage of lacquer art in Chengdu. Looking back on her journey of learning traditional culture, Li Ziqi revealed that lacquerware left the deepest impression on her, becoming the subject of her first post after coming back.
In a report by Xinwen Morning Post, Li Ziqi confessed that she had an allergic reaction after her initial contact with raw lacquer: she developed swollen lumps on her body that repeatedly scabbed and itched all over, making it difficult for her to sleep. The entire team had to go to the hospital to receive allergy shots.
Li Ziqi’s first attempt at making lacquerware was unsuccessful. With guidance from her teacher, she spent three months repeating the final steps before finally creating her first successful piece, “Lacquerware.”
According to Beijing Daily, some netizens noticed a mistake in Li Ziqi’s video update – she wrote the character for “lacquer” incorrectly. She mistakenly wrote the lower right part of the character as “water.” As per Baidu Chinese, the stroke order for that part of the character should be vertical hook, dot, lift, stroke, dot.
Some netizens viewed this as nitpicking, while others believed that promoting traditional culture is important, but improving the team’s cultural literacy is also crucial.
Public information reveals that Li Ziqi, originally named Li Jiajia, was born in the countryside of Mianyang, Sichuan in 1990. When she was young, her parents divorced, and she lived with her father. At the age of 5, her father passed away due to illness, her stepmother mistreated her, and her grandparents, feeling sorry for her, took her in.
It is known that Li Ziqi’s grandfather was a rural chef skilled in farming activities and weaving various bamboo products. In her early years, Li Ziqi helped out and learned various practical skills under his influence, which later became essential in creating her videos.
In 2016, Li Ziqi gained popularity across the internet with her short video “Lanzhou Beef Noodles,” showcasing her rustic ancient style and gradually becoming a top influencer at home and abroad. However, with nearly a hundred million followers, Li Ziqi stopped posting in 2021 due to a conflict with the MCN agency Hangzhou Wenyi.
Nevertheless, according to E-commerce News, despite Li Ziqi’s hiatus, her YouTube channel continued to generate advertising revenue. Platform data shows that the average monthly ad revenue for Li Ziqi’s channel is 785,320 yuan, with the income in the last month reaching 567,217.61 yuan, estimating an annual income of over 6.9 million yuan.
As of November 12th, Li Ziqi’s total fan base across all platforms is close to 113 million. This includes approximately 25.74 million on Weibo, 47.15 million on Douyin, 9.18 million on Kuaishou, 7.55 million on Bilibili, and 3.25 million on Xiaohongshu, with 19.9 million fans on YouTube.
In December 2022, Hangzhou Wenyi issued a “Reconciliation Announcement,” marking the end of the conflict between the top internet celebrity and the MCN agency. Li Ziqi’s case drew attention to the hidden fierce commercial battles behind mainland internet celebrities, along with the subtle “external propaganda” effect. Analysts believe that the resolution of this case indicates official support for Li Ziqi to continue “telling the Chinese story” effectively.
On the second day of Li Ziqi’s comeback (November 13th), she was invited to participate in a promotional event organized by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Publicity Department of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of Cyberspace Administration. She was honored by the authorities as the “Guardian Ambassador of the Revitalization of Intangible Cultural Heritage Project.” Li Ziqi had previously received several titles, with local officials using her influence to promote the regional economy.
According to Jimo News, on social media platforms, with Sichuan’s cultural and tourism department backing Li Ziqi, there is a sense of confidence and assertiveness, with slogans calling for other regional cultural and tourism entities to “bring it on.”