A cleaning staff (员工) member at the Summer Palace in Beijing has been widely praised online after a video of him explaining cultural relics and exhibitions to visitors during the recent National Day holiday was posted on the Internet. He has been dubbed the most powerful cleaning monk (僧人) by netizens.

In the video, the worker, Zhang Xu, 40, explains the sites to several tourists. What made it special was his clear explanation of dozens of hard-to-pronounce sites. He spoke with such confidence that it seemed like he was performing a tongue twister (绕口令). People thought he must be a tour guide or expert, yet he was wearing a cleaner’s uniform. After his explanation, Zhang smiled and returned to his work as though nothing had happened.

The video was posted online on Oct 7 and immediately became a hot topic on social media. Netizens expressed amazement at how ordinary people can become experts in certain areas. “In Beijing, no matter what you do, you can have a deep understanding of history and culture. Sometimes ordinary people are willing to explain things to complete strangers in exchange for a simple thumbs-up,” said one netizen. Zhang is better than ordinary tour guides, and the palace should offer him a job as a docent (讲解员), another commented.

The cleaner, who lives in Beijing, said he was surprised he’d become famous online, as he only wanted to help the tourists who seemed confused. He told Beijing Daily that he had been interested in architecture since he was a child. His father works in the construction industry. He has been a security guard and construction worker and has always had a strong interest in traditional architecture. He often refers to books or finds information online in his spare time.

Zhang joined the cleaning staff at the palace in late 2021 and walks about 40,000 steps inside the palace every day, so he knows a lot about it. “The traditional architecture of the palace is not just bricks. They have deep history and know how to speak to people who understand them,” he said. They are historic wonders with unique Asian aesthetics (美学), he added.

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