Sustainable and self-sufficient, Youtuber Li Ziqi documents here serene life in the Chinese countryside.
Story by Divina Ceniceros Dominguez
Illustration by Jasmy Liu
Snowflake cakes, traditional furniture out of bamboo, lipstick made from roses in her garden and dress-making with grape skins — Chinese Youtuber Li Ziqi (@liziqi) can do it all. With 6.67 million Chinese subscribers and over 8 million overseas subscribers, Li Ziqi has people from all over the world watch her gather ingredients from her bountiful garden. or the forest right outside her backyard. Oftentimes, our lives can be consumed by schoolwork, traffic and other stress that comes attached with student life. Li Ziqi makes videos for people to relax and take a moment to breathe, gazing at the peaceful Chinese countryside, even if just for a moment.
Situated in the rural Sichuan province of Southwestern China, home of the giant pandas, Li Ziqi is completely detached from the Chinese metropolitan environment. In fact, she’s about two hours away from the nearest city. Without access to a conventional supermarket, she depends on the environment around her for meals, and her general livelihood. In an interview, Li Ziqi said that while she originally grew up in the countryside with her grandparents, she had to work in the city at the age of 14 to work. Nevertheless, she eventually returned to her village to take care of her grandmother. There, she learned to forage for food, raise cattle, learn the proper way to extract nutrients and cook with fresh vegetables.
After watching just one of her videos, it is evident that Li Ziqi’s channel goes beyond the typical Youtube cooking channels we are familiar with in the US. One of the most impressive things about her is the range of skills she harbors that many might deem archaic. It is an unusual sight to watch: a thin-framed young woman, trekking hills and rivers with baskets filled with fruits, vegetables and herbs. After she makes the trip home, Li Ziqi washes, cuts and cooks everything from shiitake mushrooms to salted duck eggs or sweet potatoes.
With supermarkets, the surge of restaurants, and fast-food so readily available in the city, it is easy to lose the connection to our food. Li Ziqi’s channel reminds us of the process, starting from sourcing to the plate presentation.
