CNBC Exclusive | Influencer Li Ziqi Returns to Spotlight as China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Ambassador
WUYUAN, Jiangxi Province — The 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage (I.C.H.) Video Creation Summit opened this week at Wunvzhou Scenic Area, marking a renewed push to revitalize China’s cultural legacy through digital storytelling. Jointly organized by the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association and local government bodies, the event spotlighted a high-profile comeback: the appointment of reclusive content creator Li Ziqi as the association’s “Ambassador for Intangible Cultural Heritage Promotion” and “Mentor for Youth Creators in I.C.H. Storytelling.”
“This feels like my first time seeing such a large crowd after six months away,” Li remarked during her keynote address, referencing her extended hiatus from public life. The influencer, whose real name is Li Jiajia, ended a 1,200-day social media hiatus in November 2024 with a video exploring lacquerware craftsmanship — a deliberate choice underscoring her new role in preserving traditional arts.
Li’s career arc mirrors the evolving nexus of cultural preservation and digital entrepreneurship. Rising to fame in 2016 with her viral Lanzhou Beef Noodles video, she cultivated a global following through cinematic portrayals of rural Chinese life. At her peak, her YouTube channel amassed over 10 million subscribers, earning a Guinness World Record for the most-subscribed Chinese-language channel and cementing her status as a catalyst for cross-cultural dialogue.
Analysts suggest Li’s return signals strategic alignment with China’s soft power initiatives. “Her authentic storytelling bridges generational and geographical divides,” noted Chen Wei, a cultural IP strategist. “By anchoring her comeback in I.C.H. themes, she’s positioning herself at the intersection of heritage conservation and the $200 billion creator economy.”
Li Ziqi addresses attendees at the Wuyuan summit (Image: CNBC AI News)
The summit coincides with China’s intensified efforts to commercialize cultural assets, with the I.C.H. sector projected to grow 12% annually through 2030. For Li, whose eponymous lifestyle brand once generated an estimated $150 million in annual sales, the ambassador role offers a pathway to rebuild her commercial influence following a highly publicized legal dispute with her former MCN agency in 2022.
As youth engagement with traditional arts becomes a policy priority, Li’s mentorship initiative aims to equip emerging creators with production expertise and ethical storytelling frameworks. “Digital platforms aren’t just content channels — they’re time machines preserving our past for future generations,” she concluded, leaving open the question of whether her next video will feature Ming Dynasty porcelain techniques or vanished Nuo opera traditions.
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