ARTS / BOOKS
Different online celebrity: Migrant worker turned reading icon Liu Shili: learning a virtue for all
Different online celebrity
Editor's Note:
In an age of information overload, reading remains a necessary channel to invigorate the mind, provide inspiration and cultivate virtue. Whether it is childhood enlightenment or the pursuits of adulthood, everyone's reading journey carries unique emotions and life experiences. The Global Times has specially launched the "100 Avid Readers" series, inviting guests from various fields to share their connections with books, stories of growth and sparks of thought.
In this second installment, we meet grassroots migrant worker turned reading icon Liu Shili. With his passion for books, Liu became an internet sensation in 2025. Yet going beyond the fame, Liu shows us that reading can be a virtue for all that surpasses social boundaries.
The 59-year-old Liu is a Puyang resident. Having worked as a farmer and a migrant worker for most of his life, he told the Global Times that without the "life-changing moment" that occurred in 2025, he would never have imagined his name being linked to a study.
In June 2025, a video of him interacting with writer Chen Xingjia went viral. That experience sparked a wide public discussion on reading, and also opened a new chapter in Liu's life. "With a study in my name, public events, and more, I can now contribute more to the reading endeavor," said Liu.
Beyond internet sensation
With his heavy frayed backpack, he walked into the Beijing Book Building to read on June 25, 2025. That reading day was especially precious for a migrant worker seeking construction jobs in Beijing's odd-jobber market. Spending a day not working meant no pay, yet for Liu, a day without reading meant not recharging for work at all. "I just thought I'd give myself a day off, and to be honest, that was a slow day for jobs too," he noted.
At the bookstore, he happened upon writer Chen Xingjia's book signing event. Though Liu sat in a corner, trying to stay in the shadow away from the spotlight, an editor from Chen's publishing team noticed the man in worn out clothes right from the construction sites. "He [Chen] embraced me, and gave me his phone number and a signed book. I was overwhelmed standing there," he told the Global Times.
What overwhelmed him even more was seeing himself become an online celebrity across the internet, with his reading story earning more than 30 million views in just a few days.
The torrential surge of online attention transformed Liu's and even his family's lives. As media calls flooded in, his son stepped up to act as his de facto agent, while his wife, Han Yuzhu, was initially at a complete loss.
"I racked my brains but couldn't figure out why he had become an online sensation," she told the Global Times. In contrast, Liu himself remained poised. He said that the reason for the attention he had gained was that his "grassroots appearance" didn't match people's image of a reader at all. "This is why I'm an example that shows how reading can be a virtue for all," he remarked.
"Perhaps there was the vanity, but actually, I don't mind being called an 'online celebrity' at all, because only when I'm seen can I better fulfill my mission."
Liu's mission is simple: to use his visibility to bring more people, especially grassroots workers into the world of books.
In January, he returned to the day-labor market in Majuqiao, a town on the outskirts of Beijing, to give out books to his fellow workers. A "Spark of Light Reading Room" has also been established at the market under Liu's influence, embracing more grassroots readers.
Zhu Qiang, a 42-year-old worker, was among them. He first went to the reading room just to rest, then picked up a historical novel out of curiosity and gradually got hooked. "Without this place, I might never have discovered that I love reading," said Zhu.
Lifetime commitment
Including the "Shili Study" that he inspired, Liu, now a reading icon, has been participating in public reading events nationwide and publishing articles in newspapers.
He has even received offers from organizations inviting him to put down his hoe and wrench for a new job as a librarian.
Facing the opportunity to go from a drifting migrant worker to doing a nine-to-five white-collar job, Liu felt fortunate for the offer but did not accept it. He was unsure about entrusting his farmland to others and was reluctant to trade his current life - despite the little income it brought - for routine office work. After all, as he put it: "Reading is a lifetime commitment, not a career shift."
Now, Liu's commitment to reading is evident in his daily routine. No matter if the day will bring farm work or odd jobs, he gets up in the early hours to read. Before gaining public attention, he would ride a bicycle or e-scooter to a bookstore 35 kilometers away. With just a bottle of water and some steamed buns as breakfast, he would stay there until his wife called him home with mild impatience.
He also reads a wide range of books, driven by his evolving interests and practical needs. As opportunities for public signings have increased, Liu has recently begun delving into calligraphy, developing a particular interest in the origins of different scripts.
Simultaneously, he has started exploring books on the art of public speaking and writing skills.
As he is often surrounded by crops like peanuts and wheat in the fields, books on agricultural cultivation are part of Liu's essential daily study. Technical manuals on construction, meanwhile, have taught him new techniques in welding and bricklaying, boosting his confidence when seeking odd jobs during the off-season for farming.
Occasionally, he also reads poetry, with the poem "The Two Verses of Liangzhou" by Wang Han, a Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet, being a particular favorite of his.
Liu's versatile reading habits finds their roots back in 1985, when he was a teacher at a private rural school in his hometown. At that time, he taught Chinese language and ethics. Many young people in the village today were once his students.
If not for the need to support his family, Liu said he would have kept the teaching job forever to stay close to books and knowledge. Yet he added that, if not for the pressure of life, he would never had learned that "reading can make one's heart brighter in any situation."
In an age of information overload, reading remains a necessary channel to invigorate the mind, provide inspiration and cultivate virtue. Whether it is childhood enlightenment or the pursuits of adulthood, everyone's reading journey carries unique emotions and life experiences. The Global Times has specially launched the "100 Avid Readers" series, inviting guests from various fields to share their connections with books, stories of growth and sparks of thought.
In this second installment, we meet grassroots migrant worker turned reading icon Liu Shili. With his passion for books, Liu became an internet sensation in 2025. Yet going beyond the fame, Liu shows us that reading can be a virtue for all that surpasses social boundaries.
Liu Shili Photo: Courtesy of Liu Shili
Though modest in size, the "Shili Study" in Puyang, Central China's Henan Province, is a public reading space housing a collection of 2,000 books. This cultural nook did not arise from a scholar's whim, nor a venture by commercial interests. As its name indicates, it was founded in direct tribute to a grassroots worker: Liu Shili.The 59-year-old Liu is a Puyang resident. Having worked as a farmer and a migrant worker for most of his life, he told the Global Times that without the "life-changing moment" that occurred in 2025, he would never have imagined his name being linked to a study.
In June 2025, a video of him interacting with writer Chen Xingjia went viral. That experience sparked a wide public discussion on reading, and also opened a new chapter in Liu's life. "With a study in my name, public events, and more, I can now contribute more to the reading endeavor," said Liu.
Beyond internet sensation
With his heavy frayed backpack, he walked into the Beijing Book Building to read on June 25, 2025. That reading day was especially precious for a migrant worker seeking construction jobs in Beijing's odd-jobber market. Spending a day not working meant no pay, yet for Liu, a day without reading meant not recharging for work at all. "I just thought I'd give myself a day off, and to be honest, that was a slow day for jobs too," he noted.
At the bookstore, he happened upon writer Chen Xingjia's book signing event. Though Liu sat in a corner, trying to stay in the shadow away from the spotlight, an editor from Chen's publishing team noticed the man in worn out clothes right from the construction sites. "He [Chen] embraced me, and gave me his phone number and a signed book. I was overwhelmed standing there," he told the Global Times.
What overwhelmed him even more was seeing himself become an online celebrity across the internet, with his reading story earning more than 30 million views in just a few days.
The torrential surge of online attention transformed Liu's and even his family's lives. As media calls flooded in, his son stepped up to act as his de facto agent, while his wife, Han Yuzhu, was initially at a complete loss.
"I racked my brains but couldn't figure out why he had become an online sensation," she told the Global Times. In contrast, Liu himself remained poised. He said that the reason for the attention he had gained was that his "grassroots appearance" didn't match people's image of a reader at all. "This is why I'm an example that shows how reading can be a virtue for all," he remarked.
"Perhaps there was the vanity, but actually, I don't mind being called an 'online celebrity' at all, because only when I'm seen can I better fulfill my mission."
Liu's mission is simple: to use his visibility to bring more people, especially grassroots workers into the world of books.
In January, he returned to the day-labor market in Majuqiao, a town on the outskirts of Beijing, to give out books to his fellow workers. A "Spark of Light Reading Room" has also been established at the market under Liu's influence, embracing more grassroots readers.
Zhu Qiang, a 42-year-old worker, was among them. He first went to the reading room just to rest, then picked up a historical novel out of curiosity and gradually got hooked. "Without this place, I might never have discovered that I love reading," said Zhu.
Lifetime commitment
Including the "Shili Study" that he inspired, Liu, now a reading icon, has been participating in public reading events nationwide and publishing articles in newspapers.
He has even received offers from organizations inviting him to put down his hoe and wrench for a new job as a librarian.
Facing the opportunity to go from a drifting migrant worker to doing a nine-to-five white-collar job, Liu felt fortunate for the offer but did not accept it. He was unsure about entrusting his farmland to others and was reluctant to trade his current life - despite the little income it brought - for routine office work. After all, as he put it: "Reading is a lifetime commitment, not a career shift."
Now, Liu's commitment to reading is evident in his daily routine. No matter if the day will bring farm work or odd jobs, he gets up in the early hours to read. Before gaining public attention, he would ride a bicycle or e-scooter to a bookstore 35 kilometers away. With just a bottle of water and some steamed buns as breakfast, he would stay there until his wife called him home with mild impatience.
He also reads a wide range of books, driven by his evolving interests and practical needs. As opportunities for public signings have increased, Liu has recently begun delving into calligraphy, developing a particular interest in the origins of different scripts.
Simultaneously, he has started exploring books on the art of public speaking and writing skills.
As he is often surrounded by crops like peanuts and wheat in the fields, books on agricultural cultivation are part of Liu's essential daily study. Technical manuals on construction, meanwhile, have taught him new techniques in welding and bricklaying, boosting his confidence when seeking odd jobs during the off-season for farming.
Occasionally, he also reads poetry, with the poem "The Two Verses of Liangzhou" by Wang Han, a Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet, being a particular favorite of his.
Liu's versatile reading habits finds their roots back in 1985, when he was a teacher at a private rural school in his hometown. At that time, he taught Chinese language and ethics. Many young people in the village today were once his students.
If not for the need to support his family, Liu said he would have kept the teaching job forever to stay close to books and knowledge. Yet he added that, if not for the pressure of life, he would never had learned that "reading can make one's heart brighter in any situation."
RELATED ARTICLES
