Ever since joining China’s fitness craze, Taiwanese singer and composer Liu Genghong (aka Will Liu) has done well for himself in terms of his social media following.
Best known as the father of Puff (his daughter’s nickname), who participated in the variety show Where Are We Going, Dad?, the buff celebrity makes his enthusiasm for fitness known by publicly flexing his muscles. He even trains his celebrity friends, such as megastar Jay Chou.
A mirror selfie of Will Liu and his wife Vivi Wang
In recent news, Liu’s workout livestream on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, has taken the internet by storm. Data shows that his Douyin account has gained more than 10 million followers in the past month, and the cumulative number of viewers of his livestreams has exceeded 74 million.
The main reason for this is Liu’s carefully curated playlist: Jay Chou songs often serve as his background music. Liu is good friends with the actor-musician and has even appeared in Chou’s movie Initial D.
One of his most-watched fitness routines is set to ‘Herbalist Manual’ (本草纲目) from Jay Chou’s Still Fantasy album. Although Liu’s dance moves look simple, they are often too intense for his audience to follow.
“It’s expensive to listen to Jay Chou singing ‘Herbalist Manual’ live, but Liu Genghong’s version almost cost me my life,” joked one netizen.
Another shared, “I want to slap my leg whenever I hear ‘Herbalist Manual’ now.”
To understand how intense Liu’s fitness videos can get, one needs simply to watch his wife Wang Wanfei (or Vivi Wang)’s reactions to his routines. Wang, who won Miss Universe Taipei in 1999 and appeared in Jay Chou’s music video for ‘Hair Like Snow,’ is no stranger to fitness but still gets breathless in the middle of her husband’s livestreams.
Will Liu trying to get his wife off the ground
“My wife said she was tired and wanted to take a break from our workouts tomorrow night. What should I do?” Liu posted jokingly on Weibo on April 13. This came after some netizens pointed out that Wang was slacking during Liu’s livestreams.
“Liu Genghong is trying to get rid of his wife,” bantered one netizen.
Vivi Wang doesn’t seem to be having the best time during this livestream
On April 6, a particular incident thrust the singer into the spotlight: His livestream was banned by Douyin. Evidently, his swole body was considered improper.
Taiwanese Star Liu Genghong’s Fitness Live Stream Banned Because His Outfit Showed Off How Big His Chest Is https://t.co/cnM19v27Sm pic.twitter.com/YyPDQTVmyc
— TODAY (@TODAYonline) April 14, 2022
Comically, to get around the censorship, the couple put on down jackets during their next livestream.
The outfits amused many netizens, and both celebrities’ social media numbers significantly increased again. Some netizens admitted to switching their loyalty from fitness icon Pamela Reif to Liu, with some even calling themselves ‘Liu Genghong girls.’
All images via Weibo
