Wang Haonan goes viral playing Tang dynasty cultural icon, providing poetic solace to those who consult him about their problems
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenFran Luin BeijingPublished: 8:59am, 5 Jul 2026A young Chinese man is reviving China’s most famous poet Li Bai at a tourist site, and has become millions of visitors’ emotional outlet for burnout.
Wang Haonan, 24, amasses more than a million followers online after he went viral playing the role of Li Bai at Hetou Old Street, a Tang dynasty-themed tourist district in Tangshan in northern China’s Hebei province.
The Tang dynasty (618–907) is recognised as the golden age of Chinese poetry, and Li Bai (c. 701–762) is widely honoured as the most famous poet of the period and throughout Chinese history.
Also known as “Poet Immortal”, Li is known for his carefree, untamed character, and his love for drinking. He has 1,000 extant poems, many of which were said to be created while drunk, including the famous Bring in the Wine.
Wang became a non-player character at the tourist site last year as a fresh music major graduate from college. He started playing an ordinary blacksmith, and was later given the role of Li Bai.
