Chinese Man Chugs His Beer ‘Tornado’-Style and Twitter is All for It

A 33-year-old Chinese “peasant” has taken his drinking game to a whole new level by spinning the bottle and chugging the “tornado” of alcohol all the way down.

With his unique drinking style, Liu Shichao has amassed more than 127,000 followers on Twitter, despite only joining the platform in August.

I grew up in a rural villige. when I was a child, I did farm work like irragation, sewing seeds, ploughing (using cattle), harvest (by reaphook) with my parents and brother. It was hard, but I was happy. I played with my little friends，many many interesting things. I miss them. pic.twitter.com/J4NDyzFjLS

— Pangzai (@hebeipangzai) November 7, 2019

Liu, who goes by the moniker “Hebei Pangzai,” brands himself as an “ordinary peasant from China” and the “inventor of the ‘tornado’ beer-drinking style.”

The 33-year-old farmer lives with his family in Hebei, a coastal province in northern China, where he also runs an online meat store.

Tornado tutorial🌪🌪🌪🍺🍻🍺. Swirl the bottle clockwise or anticlockwise, not shake it back and forth, to make the beer spin like a tornado in the bottle🌪🌪🌪🌪🌪🌪. This is why I call it “Tornado”. Hope you can master it. #Pangzai #Tornado pic.twitter.com/V8VpNIkYGJ

— Pangzai (@hebeipangzai) November 16, 2019

Prior to his “invention,” Liu was already popular for posting drinking binges on Kuaishou, a local video-sharing platform.

His first video, uploaded three years ago, shows him downing seven bottles of lager in just 50 seconds.

The first video taken three years ago pic.twitter.com/5h4wI8lPUx

— Pangzai (@hebeipangzai) August 30, 2019

“One day I saw a video of people drinking beer,” Liu told the BBC from China. “I thought, I can do that too.”

Kuaishou eventually shut down his account for unhealthy content. However, he managed to cash in up to 10,000 yuan ($1,436) a month in donations.

Then, in August, one of Liu’s videos began making rounds on Twitter, marking the first time he went viral outside of his country.

“People were telling me I was popular on Twitter. I replied: ‘What’s Twitter?’ I had no idea,” he told the BBC.

This is the hardest man I’ve ever seen in my life pic.twitter.com/muRQGCDPF9

— kenjac (@JackKennedy) August 25, 2019

Twitter, like Facebook and Instagram, is banned in mainland China, so Liu’s videos are reportedly posted “remotely.”

He is also unable to communicate in English, so he uses a translator when posting and sharing content with foreign viewers.

I am a fat man. Thank you for your attention and tweets. pic.twitter.com/Ag8b4GiqdB

— Pangzai (@hebeipangzai) August 29, 2019

In an interview with Deadspin, Liu explained that the name “Hebei Pangzai” references his old restaurant, which went out of business three years ago.

“Well I’m from Hebei. And I’ve always been a little bit fat. ‘Pangzai’ was the name of my restaurant,” he told the outlet, which described “pangzai” as a cute pun on “pangzi” or “fatty.”

Any road is walked out on their own; Opportunites are created by yourself. Your dream will not end as long as you try your best. pic.twitter.com/nfnVQUu7sz

— Pangzai (@hebeipangzai) December 4, 2019

Liu never dreamed of becoming famous on a platform he had never heard of before.

“I was really surprised. I thought it was unbelievable. My heart was very affected,” he told Deadspin. “I really have to thank those people who shared my videos on Twitter.”

Liu, who is now being hailed “king,” also responds to his viewers — and even greets them on their birthdays — in English.

“A Turkish friend asked for my address so he can send me some liquor from his country. And there was that challenge to drink ten pints of beer. Also, a lot of people call me ‘king,'” he told the outlet.

Warriors with flaws are still warriors. Precious flies are just flies. A rose by any other name would still smell sweet. Let’s work hard to make better life!💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/Kzcdo8H71e

— Pangzai (@hebeipangzai) December 4, 2019

Aside from Twitter, Liu also runs a YouTube account. He is currently accepting donations through PayPal.

While he undoubtedly enjoys drinking, Liu denies being an alcoholic and acknowledges the dangers his stunts pose to his health.