By CGTN's Zhu Qinliang

Zhu Zhiwen, a farmer from Zhulou village in northeastern China's Shandong Province, has become an unlikely TV sensation.

He wowed audiences on the TV casting show “I Am Super Star” with his rendition of the song of “The Mighty River Rolls to the East”. 

He impressed viewers not only with his voice, but also because of the military topcoat he wore for his performance, earning him the nickname, "Brother Overcoat”.

Zhu Zhiwen performs on the hit TV show "I Am Super Star".  /CGTN Photo

Zhu was certainly a distinctive figure, with many web users delightfully surprised by the stark contrast between his unpolished appearance and his beautiful voice. He has become a hit online in China with many netizens praising him as a "real singer of a farmer". 

And it seems he didn't enter the competition for reasons of personal gain. Indifferent to fame and fortune, Zhu happily accepted when a TV variety show approached him with the idea of auctioning off his now famous coat to provide financial assistance to families living in poverty.  

Zhu working in the fields. /CGTN Photo

The overcoat ultimately sold for more than 510 thousand yuan (just over 75,000 US dollars). “Brother Overcoat” has since gone on to raise around 1.57 million yuan (more than 231,000 US dollars) for good causes since hitting the big time.