After Becoming a Viral Superstar, Chinese Noodle Master Returns to Humble Beginnings

May 5, 2017

The noodle pulling master from China, who once captured the attention of netizens worldwide with his unique and entertaining way of preparing longevity noodles, has now returned to his roots.

Today, the 31-year-old noodle master named Tian Bo says he wants to do away with all the fame and prefers to simply return to a normal job of pulling noodles, reports Chengdu Commercial Daily (via Shanghaiist).

Videos of him gracefully swaying his body while pulling and tossing the lengthy noodle strands immediately went viral in February this year, making him an overnight internet sensation. His original shop, located in the ancient town of Huanglongxi near Chengdu, became a favorite destination for people who wanted to watch him do his signature dance moves and facial expressions.

His instant popularity resulted in an influx of various offers from companies from all over China which want to use his fame for marketing purposes.

At one point, Tian decided to ask his boss for a raise, but his attempt did not go well. The shop owner reportedly felt that fame had changed Tian, saying that the noodle pulling maestro “was not the noodle master that he once was.”

The resulting friction between him and his boss caused Tian to quit his job merely 20 days after his instant rise to social media stardom.

After that, he went solo, performing his crowd-pleasing dance routines in front of paying customers. In one event, he received 4,000 yuan ($580) in two days of performing his noodle pulling dance. He started receiving calls from around the country, most of which were offering good money for his performances. However, he turned them down after realizing that it wasn’t the life he wanted to pursue.

“I just want to be an ordinary noodle chef, I don’t want to be a viral star,” he suddenly realized.

After some soul-searching, Tian then went on to start working at his new shop called “Huanglongxi Longevity Noodles” with some help from his cousin.

At his new shop, which is located near the noodle shop he used to work for, he is back doing his fancy dance steps, again throwing the crowd some of the entertaining glances he is known for.

In an interview with the Chengdu Commercial Daily, Tian says that he is now able to see clearly after overcoming the overwhelming feeling he had when he instantly became super famous. Now, he says that he is no longer focusing on getting more money and is simply content on passing on the tradition of making noodles to others.

Share this Article