After accidentally clicking a video of Ly Tu That on Youtube, Eddie Kim feels like he has just entered the colorful fairy world.

Eddie Kim, commentator on social and cultural issues of MEL Magazine living in Los Angeles, USA, always knows that China is a beautiful, dynamic country and the cultural cradle of Asia. However, Kim did not expect the video of a young girl cooking on YouTube can vividly convey the beautiful aspects that do not exist in his busy urban life. All just a mouse click Kim.

Regardless of making tofu, chutney, dried beef or steaming crabs, every video of Ly Tu That, the 29-year-old girl who owns 7.5 million followers on Youtube and about 20 million fans on Weibo, are all harboring nostalgia and igniting the longing for a peaceful rural life, Kim commented.

The village of Li lived in the middle of a busy town during errands and DJ performances in the evening in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Before that, she was raised by her grandparents in a village in Pingwu County, Sichuan after leaving her stepmother who mistreated her.

In 2012, hearing that her health was weakening, Ly decided to return to the remote hillsides in Binh Vu. 4 years later, she started uploading homegrown and cooking videos. These scenes caught the sentiment of the viewers, helping the number of people watching Ly's channels increasingly crowded and beyond the Chinese border, attracting many international fans, including Kim.

According to this commentator, Li seems to understand the deprivation and exhaustion in city life, which she also experienced. "Many people feel pressured in today's society. So I want them to relax and experience something good when watching my videos after a busy day, to dispel some anxiety and stress, "Li said in an interview in September.

In the videos, the girl dubbed the "Sichuan fairy girl" appears with long black hair and traditional Chinese-style outfits, looking gentle and quiet. Although it is easy to buy bottled soy sauce at the stores, Li has made his own spice right from the soybean planting stage.

Not stopping at food, the way she creates objects and cosmetics also surprises the online community. "She is my favorite YouTuber, a chef, artist, gardener," commented an account named Corazon Cestona.

The Global Times said that the "fairy-like" beauty in Ly's videos, drawing many foreigners, was inspired by the revival of the ancient relationship between man and nature. The attachment to nature is also the source of love for the landscape of the Chinese people and promote the idea of being immersed in nature.

From the perspective of Chinese culture, Li is like a recluse living an ideal country life, characterized by ancient poems and paintings. In that world, people are comfortable both physically and mentally, having enough time to relax to pursue their interests, away from external difficulties.

Besides the profound knowledge of Chinese cuisine, nature and culture, the image quality is not inferior to the films, depicting the beauty of the countryside in an aesthetic and professional manner, which is also said to be weak. What makes Lee's videos stand out from other similar channels.

"I thought that was exactly how it worked out. Initially, when I had to do everything on my own, I set up the tripod for the shoot. That's why all my footage was fixed," Li said. explain.

She now has a cameraman and an assistant, but is still directing the video. The two are also responsible for recording Ly's interview with SCMP in September under meticulous guidance about her shooting angle and standing. Li even suggested shooting content for the interview.

"I have always been the director for all my videos, from the selection of scenes to the way of shooting and framing. My cameraman until the day of the recording knows the content of the video," Li said. In addition to careful editing, carefully inserting the background music, Ly's videos also use color filters with a distinctive blue color, creating a "real" feeling for the viewer.

Xu Lixia, a vlogger who also posts cooking videos in Chinese villages on Youtube, said Li's videos are perfect in both shooting and cooking methods. "Her content is very diverse and really fascinating. She is living a life everyone dreams of," Xu said.

However, reputation also comes with becoming a controversial target. Some people suspect that Lee didn't make the videos himself, but has a professional team behind them, causing her to post a behind-the-scenes video. On December 4, Lee was again brought up for discussion when the Weibo Lei Silin account, with more than a million followers, suggested that she only exposed China's underdeveloped side. gender.

Chinese media as well as a large number of social media users have defended Li. "Foreigners understand Li's love and passion. That's why her videos are popular worldwide without a translation. Without a word to praise China, Li still promotes the land culture. countries well and tell good stories about China, "China Central Television (CCTV) said.

As for commentator Kim, he found it strange to take in another country's culture by lying in bed watching Ly's videos, imagining himself standing in the middle of the field, feeling the weight of a fruit basket on his back and scorching sunshine in the middle of summer.

"I am filming about my life, or rather the life I want," Li said. According to Kim, millions of other people also yearn for that world amid today's worries.

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Chinese media defended the village of Li Tu That