15 Most Famous Chinese Influencers 

A young trendy person. Photo by Joshua Chun on Unsplash

15 Most Famous Chinese Influencers

*Originally published by Beatrice W on July 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R on June 2022

Over the last decade, we have seen social media grow rapidly in importance. More than 3.4 billion people actively use social media. That is 45% of the world’s population. 

You cannot afford to ignore social media in this day and age if you want to sell your product. This is where influencers come in.

Influencers in social media, also known as Key Opinion Leaders (KOL), are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic.

These people make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels. Because of this, many people follow and engage them paying close attention to their views.

Brands love social media influencers because they can create trends and encourage their large number of followers to buy the products that they are promoting. 

Here are the 15 most famous Chinese Influencers 

1. Zhang Dayi 

Zhang Dayi was born on 25th October 1988. She studied fashion and was a fashion model. Zhang is one of China’s most popular online celebrities. 

She is the founder of a multimillion-dollar beauty and fashion company. This young influencer has 20 million social media followers and has won the title of “China’s most beautiful face without make-up.” 

2. Liu Genghong (Will Liu) 

Liu Genghong, better known as Will Liu, is a Taiwanese musician and actor who has been in several dramas, films, and music albums.

Liu is a fitness specialist in addition to his employment in the entertainment industry. During the Covid breakout in Shanghai, Liu Genghong became an overnight internet sensation by live-streaming training regimens from his home.

He and his wife use the Xiaohongshu app and Douyin to stream fitness and dance videos five days a week. 

3. Li Jiaqi 

A person holding red lipstick. Photo by Juliana Malta on Unsplash

Li Jiaqi, sometimes known as the “King of Lipstick,” is China’s best lipstick seller and one of the most popular Chinese influencers today.

Li assesses and promotes lipsticks from a variety of brands, including details on each one’s texture, scent, packaging, and wearability. 

Li gained notoriety on social media in late 2017 after a two-hour Livestream event on Taobao in which he tried on 380 lipsticks.

He has about 40 million followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, where he live-streams his beauty and cosmetic suggestions. 

4. Tao Liang (Mrbags) 

Tao Liang, more commonly known as Mrbags, is one of the most popular Chinese influencers. On Weibo, a Chinese microblogging service, Tao Liang has about 5 million followers.

On Instagram, he’s got over 47 thousand followers and over 800 thousand followers on  WeChat. His social media popularity is massive.

Tao specializes in bags with new releases selling out in minutes. When he launched his limited-edition Mini Horizon bag with Givenchy, 80 of the candy pink bags sold out in 12 minutes.  Another of his capsule collection for Tod’s sold out 300 bags in one hour.

Having founded his candid-toned blog while studying at Columbia University, his Weibo and WeChat became the number one handbag shopping guide for the Chinese market. 

His e-commerce launched via WeChat in June and “bagfans” can expect a Jewellery and watch account by the end of the year. 

5. Becky Li 

An Orange Mini Cooper car. Photo by Devon on Unsplash

Becky has 3.2 million followers on Weibo, 2 million on WeChat, and over 40 thousand Instagram followers. She works with brands like Dior, Chanel, La Mer, Mini, Tasaki, and Guerlain.

The former journalist operates five WeChat accounts, two apparel brands, an e-commerce platform, and a new self-improvement online workshop.

Becky’s most notable influencer moment was when she sold 100 Mini Cooper cars on her WeChat in just five minutes. This fueled her title as the Chinese “Goddess of Shopping”.  

Collaborating with designer Rebecca Minkoff on accessories last year, she sold out 1,200 bags in two days.

Her fashion brand launched on WeChat with its first drop generating 1 million RMB revenue in seven minutes. The second drop matched it in less than 60 seconds. 

6. Chrison 

Unlike other Chinese influencers, Chrison takes the spotlight off himself by rarely appearing in photos on his Weibo account.

Instead, he posts news about and photos of runway shows for luxury brands like Chanel, Hermes, and Fendi, as well as commentaries about celebrities and their togs.

This is a deliberate move to allow his followers to focus on his content. Chrison’s Weibo account has 5 million followers and his WeChat has 300k followers.

Producing social media content like a professional, Chrison believes that his readers not only care about outfit and style but also aesthetics and ability to tell a story.

7. Papi 

Papi Jiang, who graduated from a drama academy, holds the record for the most expensive influencer.  She is not a typical fashion influencer. Papi found fame by making funny, short videos that went viral.

Her online image portrays her as low maintenance, which some netizens argue is precisely what makes her highly likable. That, plus her wit. 

She said her content is very close to life. Everyone can find their perception of it and is like an outlet for their lives and emotions.

8. Zola Zhang 

Models on a fashion runway. Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash

A former film writer, Zola Zhang counts among China’s leading fashion bloggers and top Chinese influencers. She has 3.5 million followers on Weibo, and in just a few years, she has collaborated with over 200 brands, including luxury brands like Chanel.

Zola manages to spark interest in both her event outings and stories. She says Chinese bloggers do more in-depth content than just selfies.

 Covering events from Cannes to couture, she creates “down-to-earth and practical content” with an “emotional touch”. 

9. Ann Fan 

Anny Fan from Shanghai is ranked as one of the top Chinese influencers in the country, with 5.5 million followers on Weibo.  

She represents luxury brands and fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Prada, and Miu Miu.  

On top of that, she also acts as a consultant for Western brands venturing into the highly competitive China market, tapping on her expertise in internet commerce. 

10. Kakakaoo 

Cosmetic products. Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash

As a Gen-Z Chinese influencer, the Chongqing-born, Shanghai-based Kakakaoo vlogs and blogs about her daily life, posts unboxing videos, and shares beauty product recommendations and reviews.  

She also publishes her newsletter to help her fans – a Weibo following of 13.3 million users – keep abreast of what she has been up to.  

Cosmetic brands like MAC have come to her to promote their products to fans across her multiple platforms.  This is because of her appeal and connection with her audience both on a local and global scale. 

 11. Liu Genghong (Will Liu)

A Taiwanese singer and actor under the stage name Will Liu, Liu Genghong has appeared in a number of dramas, movies, and music albums. Along with working in the entertainment sector, Liu is a fitness expert.

Liu Genghong, who was live-streaming his workouts from his house during the Covid breakout in Shanghai, quickly rose to internet fame. He streams dancing and fitness videos five days a week with his wife using the Xiaohongshu app and Douyin.

12. Li Jiaqi

One of today’s most well-known Chinese KOLs, Li Jiaqi, often known as the “King of Lipstick,” is China’s biggest lipstick seller. Li rates and recommends lipsticks from a range of brands, including information on each product’s texture, fragrance, packaging, and wearability.

After a two-hour Livestream event on Taobao in which he tried on 380 lipsticks, Li became well-known on social media in late 2017. On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, where he live-streams his beauty and cosmetic recommendations, he also has about 40 million followers.

13. Dipsy

Before being selected by Chanel to star in their 2018 Valentine’s Day ad for the Chinese market, Dipsy worked as a graphic designer, building the framework for his breakthrough in the fashion industry.

Throughout his career, he has had the chance to work with leading fashion houses like Prada and Jo Malone. He posts vlogs, live streams, and fashion criticism to his social media platforms, including Instagram (@dipdipdipsy).

14. Papi Jiang

Jiang Yilei, better known by his stage name Papi Jiang, graduated from the Beijing Central Academy of Theatre, and in 2015, he became well-known in China after sharing several of his own home movies on social media.

She gained such fame the next year that renowned Chinese talk show hosts invested 12 million yuan in her. Almost 30 million people follow Papi Jiang (@papi) on Weibo at this time.

15. Siva Shen

Siva Shen is a well-known Chinese fashion industry influencer. Before she became an influencer, she was a fashion editor for the women’s magazine Grazia China. Siva shares her extensive knowledge of everything related to fashion on her social media platforms. Shiva often starts unpopular trends.