(Yicai) Nov. 13 -- Li Ziqi, China's most popular YouTuber, surprised fans with two new videos that gained more than 100 million views in total on Weibo in less than a day after more than three years of no updates following a legal dispute.

Li, known for her tranquil and artistic cooking and crafting videos set in rural China, posted two videos yesterday on multiple social media platforms. In the first one, she showcases her skills in lacquer art, painting a picture of a dragon on her grandmother's wardrobe, signaling her new focus on preserving intangible cultural heritage. In the second video, she transforms a woodshed into a dressing room.

In February 2021, Li set a Guinness World Record for the most-subscribed Chinese YouTube channel, reaching 14.1 million subscribers. With the current number of around 20 million subscribers, Li is expected to continue monetizing her content, relying on ad revenue and her personal brand. This year, she registered several trademarks under her name for products, including beer, snacks, clothing, shoes, and hats, according to official records. However, her Douyin account currently does not feature any endorsed products. It remains to be seen whether she will enter the live-streaming e-commerce trend.

Li’s return follows a legal dispute with Weinian, an influencer management company that once managed her food brand and social media campaigns. In 2022, Li gained full control of Ziqi Culture Communication by increasing her stake to 99 percent, leaving Weinian with just 1 percent. As a result, Weinian's Chief Executive Liu Tongming is no longer the chairman of the joint venture.

After a three-year absence, Li must redefine her positioning to maintain her fanbase, said Zhang Yi, founder and CEO of iiMedia Consulting. During her hiatus, other influencers with similar content have emerged. One potential opportunity for Li could lie in expanding her international following, Zhang said, adding that domestic influencers often face challenges breaking into overseas markets.

Despite the dormant period, Li’s YouTube channel continued generating revenue. In fact, her channel earned CNY785,320 (USD108,531) in monthly revenue, and the estimated price for a single video collaboration stood at CNY359,650, according to a trending Weibo post from April.

Editor: Emmi Laine