张同学 (ZhāngTóngxué): Zhang Tongxue (Douyin rural-lif…

Real name Zhang Kai (张凯), from Yingkou, Liaoning. In autumn 2021 his Douyin videos — silent, fast-cut daily routines of life in a Northeast Chinese village, scored to Bô Bêng Siâⁿ (Once Upon a Time by Oneself) — went viral. He gained over ten million followers in weeks. Often compared to Li Ziqi (李子柒) but with a raw, unpolished aesthetic rather than a picturesque one.

usage

同学 literally means 'classmate/fellow student' and is used informally to address someone without knowing their name. His stage name plays on this — he's just 'that guy Zhang.'

In Pop Culture

张同学 Zhāng Tóngxué

Zhang Tongxue

Douyin vlogger from rural Liaoning who went viral in late 2021 with wordless, densely-cut daily life videos set in a Northeast Chinese village. Briefly the most-followed new creator on the platform. Represents the mid-2020s shift in Chinese short-video taste toward 'unfiltered' rural authenticity.