Chinese farmer becomes online star for his stunning poem recital
- Yu Xinwei’s recitation of Second Farewell to Cambridge has won him millions of fans on social media
- Other hot trends in China in November include a new TV drama series that has audiences split and a marathon craze sweeping the nation
A middle-aged farmer in northern China has become an online celebrity for his impressive recitation of a famous Chinese poem.
With a mellow, deep voice and speaking top-level standard Mandarin, Yu Xinwei’s recitation of Second Farewell to Cambridge, a famous poem in China written by early 20th-century Chinese poet Xu Zhimo, has won him millions of fans on social media.
Known as Uncle Shoushan on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, 45-year-old Yu has raised many eyebrows for his plain appearance but stunning voice and recitation skills.
Though China has largely eliminated illiteracy, Yu has still broken stereotypes, with people surprised a farmer like him could speak Mandarin like a radio announcer.
Having spent most of his life farming and taking odd jobs in his hometown in Longhua county, Hebei province, Yu started streaming live as a singer two years ago. Besides singing, he said he also likes watching documentaries on state television and studying voice dubbing.