Yu Shi led the white horse Spydar along Seven Mile Beach in New South Wales, Australia. Courtesy of Tourism Australia
As Prime Minister Albanese wraps up his six-day visit to China, the public may have noticed a young Chinese male star who is once again representing Tourism Australia.
On July 12, the first day of his trip, Albanese arrived in Shanghai, spruiking that Australia has more to offer than tariff-free beef and lobster. The next day, Tourism Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese travel giant Trip.com to promote Australia as a must-visit destination.
“Our message here in Shanghai and throughout China is come and say g’day to us Down Under,” the prime minister told reporters in Shanghai, the headquarters of Trip.com.
The deal was announced alongside the launch of a new tourism ad campaign featuring Ruby the Roo, a Mandarin-speaking kangaroo and Yu Shi, a popular actor in China.
Who Is This Guy?
Yu, also known by his Mongolian name Ashan, is a Chinese actor and singer-songwriter born in 1996 in the northeastern Liaoning Province.
The young man gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of historical figure Ji Fa in the 2023 epic fantasy film “Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” adapted from the classic 16th-century novel “The Investiture of the Gods.”
The role also earned him the Best Newcomer award at the 37th Hundred Flowers Awards.
The first collaboration between Yu and Tourism Australia began in 2024, when he was selected to represent the organisation.
In June 2024, Yu visited Tasmania, where he tasted the classic flat white, ate lobsters, rode a white horse at the beach, played with local wild animals, and learned to say “Good day.”
“This is the end of the world, peaceful and beautiful, giving people the power of tranquillity,” he said. “Every corner of Tasmania felt like an unfinished story, inspiring me to move forward and discover more beauty and emotional moments in this world.”
