Hebei 'chubby man' builds cultural bridges

SHIJIAZHUANG－Liu Shichao dipped his index finger into burning liquid and lit a cigarette, a magic trick that would endear him to his fans worldwide.

After being posted on Twitter last year, the video went viral and has been viewed more than 10 million times.

The 34-year-old farmer from Hebei province gained fame as Hebei pangzai, which means the "Hebei chubby man".

Now boasting more than 160,000 followers, Liu is also fondly called "the king".

"The internet and social media have given opportunities to ordinary Chinese people, especially the farmers at grassroots level, so they can make their lifestyles understood and voices heard by others around the world," Liu's wife, Li Meijing, said.

Li did not initially like seeing her husband use social media, because many of the video clips then were about drinking liquor, which she believes is unhealthy.

Liu likes to appear cool in his videos. But in private, he dresses simply in a T-shirt and jeans and is a typical Chinese farmer: honest, rustic and not very eloquent.

In 2016, when he owned a restaurant, he started posting clips on Kuaishou, a Chinese video-sharing app.

"At first, I filmed myself smashing a brick with my bare hands, or opening a beer bottle in unconventional ways," he said. The footage of him guzzling beer and other types of alcohol in minutes attracted thousands of followers.

Last year, after he became well-known on Twitter, Liu saw a rapid increase in followers on his Kuaishou account, some of whom sent him messages in English.

"It suddenly occurred to me that foreigners use Kuaishou as well," he recalled.

A middle school graduate, Liu used translation software to reply to the messages. Sometimes when the translation was too garbled, he would ask friends for help.

In the process, he found that his overseas followers were interested in the daily lives of ordinary Chinese, especially farmers.

"They know so little about us," Liu said.

He opened a Twitter account in August and expanded the content of his videos.

"Once I filmed my shopping experience with my son in a county supermarket, which, to my surprise, was viewed nearly 1 million times. Many viewers had no idea what supermarkets in rural China look like," he said, making no attempt to hide his pride.

A video of him playing with his family in the snow was viewed more than 209,000 times. People from Canada, the United States and elsewhere exchanged their snow experiences in the comments section.

After posting another video, in which he baked sweet potatoes, Liu asked his followers about their favorite food. They shared their childhood memories, from toasted bread made over an open fire, blackberries picked in the forest, grandmother's popcorn, roasted crawfish, and hot dogs cooked over a small fire in the backyard.

"I want to tell my overseas followers there are tens of thousands of people at the grassroots level like me, who are enjoying their lives in every part of the country," he said.

Comments about his posts are always heartwarming.

"I admire your hardworking parents," said Lara Parpan, a Filipina. "You are a good son. Stay strong and continue to inspire others!"

Liu even has followers from Turkey who offered to send him beer.

When China was hit by COVID-19, Liu received many messages from around the world, asking him to take care of himself and praying for his safety.

His wife's attitude gradually changed, and she is now supportive of her husband's social media fame.

"China is home to numerous farmers," the 31-year-old mother of two said. "Although we are all called 'farmer,' every one is a unique individual. I will be happy if the video clips help foreigners know more about life in rural China."

Liu said he is always compared with Li Ziqi, a Chinese blogger who shot to fame with her short YouTube videos recording her traditional and idyllic lifestyle in China's countryside.

"Our styles are different," he said."I admire her persistence, but my style is more casual with the common touch.

"I think we are showing people different aspects of Chinese culture."

Xinhua