Being 164 centimeters tall and weighing 85 kilos, Man Li is much-sought-after as a model. In fact, she's a product of a phenomenon that's relatively new to China – the plus-size model.

A major part of her job involves showcasing various outfits on live streams. Users watching her can buy the clothes in real time from the online store linked to the live stream account. It's a fairly new business model in China, but one that is catching on fast.

As one of the country's most successful plus-size models, a live stream featuring Man Li can rack up as many as 140,000 views. It's a result she has achieved after just a year. Still, it's a high-pressure job, and it's not hard to see that it's both mentally and physically exhausting.

But Man Li thinks it's worth it. Apart from the financial rewards of the job, she is also gaining confidence.

Because of her large figure, she was bullied as a child, especially in high school. For years, she struggled to keep her weight down, starving herself in a desperate attempt to fit preconceived notions of the perfect figure. Eventually, however, she decided that the misery she was inflicting on herself was too much and she accepted that she would never naturally be slim.

Now she is not only happy with her fuller figure, but also proud of it.

Rediscovering China is a 30-minute feature program offering in-depth reports on the major issues facing China today. It airs on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. BJT (02:30 GMT), with a rebroadcast at 11:30 p.m. (15:30 GMT), as well as on Mondays at 8:30 a.m. (00:30 GMT) and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. (10:30 GMT).

(Cover image: Man Li prepares for her online store live stream. /CGTN Photo)