Li Ziqi

Li Ziqi (Chinese: 李子柒; pinyin: Lǐ Zǐqī) is a Chinese video blogger, entrepreneur, and internet celebrity known for her serene, from-scratch videos of traditional Chinese food and handicrafts, filmed in her rural Sichuan home. Her YouTube channel, launched in 2017, has amassed over 28 million subscribers, and in February 2021 she received a Guinness World Record for the most subscribers on a Chinese-language YouTube channel. Her content, which rarely features spoken words, has a meditative quality that has resonated with a global audience, making her one of China's most recognizable cultural exports.

Beyond YouTube, Li has built a massive following on Chinese platforms like Weibo and Bilibili, and she has launched her own food brand selling items like rice noodles and flower cakes. She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2020 and has been recognized as a cultural ambassador for Chinese heritage. After a three-year hiatus due to a contractual dispute, she returned in November 2024 to an overwhelming welcome, and in 2026 she serves as an ambassador for the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai. [edit]

Li Ziqi was born Li Jiajia in 1990 in Mianyang, Sichuan, and grew up in the rural countryside of Pingwu County. Her father died when she was young, and her mother left, leaving her in the care of her grandparents. Her grandfather, a village chef, taught her traditional farming and cooking techniques that would later become the foundation of her videos. After her grandfather's death, she left school around age 14 and moved to the city, working odd jobs such as restaurant work, DJing, and singing in bars to support herself and her grandmother.

In 2012, Li returned to her hometown to care for her ailing grandmother, a decision that would transform her life. In 2015, she began filming short videos of her daily rural life using a smartphone, initially posting them to the Chinese platform Meipai. One early video, 'Making a dress from the fiber of Chinese honey locust trees,' gained traction in 2016, and she was soon recruited by the short-video app Miao Pai. Her early collaborations with the video company Weinian Technology helped improve her production quality significantly, setting the stage for her global breakthrough. [edit]

Li Ziqi's breakthrough came in 2016-2017 when her videos, featuring elaborate preparations of traditional Chinese food and handicrafts, began attracting millions of viewers. Her YouTube channel, launched in 2017, became her global flagship. In February 2021, she received a Guinness World Record for the most subscribers on a Chinese-language YouTube channel, with over 14 million subscribers at the time. By late 2024, that number had surpassed 28 million. Her videos, numbering over 130, have accumulated billions of views combined.

Her most famous series include making soybean sauce from planting soybeans to bottling the finished product, creating an entire wardrobe from scratch, and building a traditional wooden pavilion. In July 2021, she went on hiatus amid a contractual dispute with Weinian Technology over equity and trademark rights. She returned in November 2024 with new videos that quickly went viral, and in June 2026 she was named ambassador for the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai. Her influence extends to heritage tourism, with fans traveling to rural China to experience the lifestyle she portrays. [edit]

Li Ziqi's public persona is defined by a pastoral, nostalgic aesthetic. Her videos feature traditional Chinese techniques, tools, and clothing, shot in golden-hour lighting with ambient sound rather than music or narration. She rarely speaks, earning her the nickname 'the silent queen of YouTube.' Media portrayals range from the New Yorker's 'online pastoral poetics' to academic analyses of her role in China's soft power strategy. Her fan base is global and devoted, with fans on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Weibo, and Bilibili. While she has no official fandom name, her followers are known for their passionate defense of her authenticity. Her return after three years was met with overwhelming enthusiasm, with millions of views within hours. She has inspired countless imitators and sparked global interest in rural Chinese life. [edit]

Li Ziqi stands as a singular figure in digital culture, currently evaluated by the iFANN Global Fame Engine without a placement in the published rankings. While she commands a massive global audience, the system's latest assessment confirms she does not hold a specific numeric rank within the Global Top 1,000 or any Top-100 scope list. This absence of a formal ranking distinguishes her unique trajectory from standard celebrity metrics, reflecting a career built on quiet influence rather than chart dominance. Her following is vast and deeply devoted, yet it operates without a centralized structure. Official channels confirm she has never established a fan club or distribution network for organized groups, leaving her millions of subscribers to exist as a decentralized collective. Despite this lack of formal organization, the impact of her audience remains palpable. The so-called 'Li Ziqi effect' drove a surge in tourism to heritage towns across China following her return in late 2024, proving that her viewers actively translate online admiration into real-world travel. However, this bond is not without friction; her recent advice against aspiring influencers becoming Key Opinion Leaders sparked debate among fans who view her own status with complex eyes. Unlike pop stars whose legends are written in stadium crowds and fainting lines, Li Ziqi's mythology is forged in silence. Her three-year disappearance transformed her into a symbol of resistance against corporate exploitation, turning her return into a triumph celebrated by media outlets worldwide. She remains a guardian of intangible cultural heritage, communicating solely through the visual poetry of her craft.[edit]

Known as 'the silent queen of YouTube,' Li Ziqi rarely speaks in her videos, earning her nickname through pure visual storytelling. She learned cooking from her grandfather, a village chef, before working as a DJ and restaurant worker in cities during her early adulthood. Her production process is meticulous, often taking months to document entire cycles from planting seeds to final products. She maintains no official fan club or distribution channels beyond her verified accounts, stating directly on Instagram that she has none. Her YouTube channel description reads '李家有女，人称子柒' ('There is a daughter in the Li family, known as Ziqi'). A central part of her legend is the three-year disappearance starting in late 2021 due to a legal dispute with her management company, Weinian. This silence turned her into a symbol of resistance, making her November 2024 return a viral moment covered by major international outlets like the BBC. Fans widely retell stories of her dedication to skills like indigo dyeing and paper crafting as proof of her authenticity. In June 2026, she was officially named the ambassador for the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, marking a shift from solitary creator to a representative of Chinese craftsmanship on a global stage.[edit]

Li Ziqi lives in Pingwu County, Mianyang, Sichuan, with her grandmother, who appears frequently in her videos. Her grandfather, a village chef, taught her traditional farming and cooking techniques. Her father died when she was young, and her mother left, leaving her in the care of her grandparents. She has no known siblings or children. Her grandmother remains her primary companion and appears often in her content, adding a personal touch to her videos. [edit]

Li Ziqi's grandmother is her primary companion and appears frequently in her videos. She had a professional relationship with Weinian Technology, her former agency, with whom she had a contractual dispute. Miao Pai was an early platform partner. Her work has been analyzed by scholars and journalists, including coverage in The New Yorker and The New York Times. [edit]

Li Ziqi is exceptionally private about her personal life, and no public romantic relationships have been confirmed by credible sources. There is no verifiable information about dating history, marriages, or children. As of 2026, she is believed to be single, with her primary personal relationship being with her grandmother, who lives with her. No credible outlets have reported any romantic partnerships, and her public persona is entirely focused on her craft and rural lifestyle. [edit]

iFANN currently estimates Li Ziqi's net worth at $18 million. Her financial portfolio spans diverse streams, with YouTube ad revenue from billions of views serving as a primary pillar. She generates significant income through brand endorsements and her personal food brand, which sells items like rice noodles and flower cakes. Monetization on Chinese platforms such as Weibo and Bilibili further diversifies her earnings. Although her three-year hiatus between 2021 and 2024 likely reduced income during that period, her return in November 2024 and subsequent ambassador roles have significantly boosted her commercial viability. Estimates from various sources range from $10 to $20 million.[edit]

Li Ziqi has received recognition primarily through cultural and media honors rather than traditional entertainment awards. Her most notable achievement is the Guinness World Record for the most subscribers on a Chinese-language YouTube channel, awarded in 2021. She was also named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2020 and included in Forbes China's Top 100 Digital Stars in 2019, highlighting her impact as a digital creator and cultural ambassador. [edit]