We are enchanted with Li Ziqi's videos. Hers is a beautiful and extraordinary story. told from her home in rural Sichuan province in China. It is the filming of her life, and its a life many others aspire to. Especially when we are in need of a less stressed life.
Li Ziqi 李子柒 is practically a national hero in China, and one of its biggest social media stars. Her aesthetic value and 'back to simplicity' living has attracted tens of millions of followers and viewers worldwide to her relaxing and mesmerizing lifestyle. She conveys strong traits of being self-sufficient, independent, simple. Almost redefining what a good life should be.
Living closer to nature is an aspiration for many urban millennials in China, and in the west who realize materialism and consumption alone don't provide enough meaningful experiences. The term is called xiangchou 乡愁. Xiang means countryside or rural life, and chou means to long for it, or miss it.
She offers her viewers a look into her simple, but very productive daily life. We can observe her cooking, gardening, and building. She prepares gorgeous, sometimes elaborate meals, and other times very simple preparations, all with locally grown ingredients.
Naturally, we were particularly impressed with her video about making bamboo furniture. The sequence of cutting the bamboo culm from her nearby forest is nearly identical to the bamboo forest in our film, A Business for Good where we witness the local farmers harvesting the wild bamboo.
She shows deftness in her woodworking skills which she learned from her grandfather, and which results in a beautiful sofa.
All of her videos capture the beautiful and serene countryside. It's a view of China that we are familiar with and enjoy immensely.
At bambu, we appreciate her artistry as she highlights traditional Chinese culture and handicrafts. It is this that first inspired us when we discovered bamboo and all its uses and versatility. When we began, our primary goal was to share our appreciation for well-designed cooking utensils, or the simplicity of a well-made spatula or the subtle beauty of a tasting spoon.
Li shares an aesthetic value that translates across cultures. Her unhurried and relaxed manner appeals to many of us.
In this video she harvests and prepares peas. Peas and pea greens have never looked so desirable.
In this video, Li shows us the process of growing and harvesting cotton, and how she dyes it, and then makes her clothing.
In our overly stressed, hurry-up culture, it is so refreshing to witness traditional Chinese culture alive and well.
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