China influencer, often described as ‘combative’ version of ex Internet star Li Ziqi, has simple recipes for success and penchant for tackling livestock

It is a crowded field, so it may come as a surprise to find out that one of China’s top online influencers is a blunt, middle-aged woman from a rural backwater who never wears makeup.

Almost as remarkable is the fact that she has become popular by sharing her experience of daily life in a region of the country whose biggest boast is being cold.

With more than 14 million followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, the woman who uses the simple pseudonym, Sister Yu, is described as being “rough” and “country-wise”.

The descriptions reflect the knowledge and experience gained from being brought up in the harsh environs of her rural hometown in the northeastern province of Liaoning, the news portal Huxiu reported.

Her fans describe her as a “combative” version of Li Ziqi, another vlogger on rural-life who once became a top online personality in China on the back of her delicate cooking and handicrafts skills.

The earthier Yu, 45, has received more than 120 million likes across the 194 video clips she has posted online that showcase traditional cooking and farming methods in northeastern China.

Her powerful frame and ability to handle manual labour has impressed many.

But it is her forthright and blunt personality that has won over the masses.

Sister Yu always concludes her cooking videos with the slogan: “Country life is like this. A meal should have four dishes. Eat it!”

In one video, she prepared a “Yearly Pig” feast, a Chinese New Year tradition practised by residents of rural China that involves slaughtering a pig and using different parts of the animal to cook various dishes.

In the video, Sister Yu buys an adult pig and tackles it to the ground before several male neighbours help her bind the animal’s legs.

For many others, the attraction is her recipes, which require a wide variety of ingredients but produce “down-to-earth” home-cooked food.

Her only “weakness”?

Fans suspect that she spoils her husband, who is much shorter and thinner than her, rotten.

When the couple visited a wet market, Sister Yu held dozens of kilograms of vegetables on her back while her husband bargained and ate snacks alongside her.

“This scene reminds me of a mother taking her son shopping,” joked one follower.

Sister Yu has captivated mainland social media and attracted a flood of online compliments.

“She does not apply any makeup or look overly sweet like other women vloggers, but I think she is the most beautiful online influencer,” said one comment that received 8,000 likes.

Another fan said: “I do not think I could accomplish half of what Sister Yu completes in an hour, even if I worked without a break from morning till evening. She is inspiring!”

Her contemporary, Li Ziqi, had 49 million followers when she stopped uploading videos in April 2022 following a dispute with her management company.

Her return to social media in September sparked an online debate because her appearance seemed to have changed during her time away. – South China Morning Post