Li Yuyan, an 11-year-old fifth-grade student at Ningbo Fushan Zhengda Foreign Language School, has garnered a remarkable following of over 300,000 fans under the moniker “Little Fabre”. His nickname comes from the famous French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre (1823-1915). A profound fascination with insects since childhood propelled Li to avidly self-educate through books and online resources, enthusiastically sharing his knowledge with classmates. In late 2022, he embarked on creating educational videos about insects on short-video platforms, and within just over a year, his online presence swelled to exceed 300,000 followers.
今年11岁的李於言，是宁波福山正达外国语学校五年级的一名学生，也是拥有30万粉丝的“小法布尔”。从小，他就对昆虫情有独钟，通过书籍、互联网自学昆虫知识，并热衷给同学们讲解。2022年底，他开始录制昆虫科普视频，通过短视频平台深入浅出地科普昆虫知识。短短一年多的时间，全网粉丝就增长至30多万。
Contrary to most children who shy away from bugs, Li exhibited a strong interest in insects even at the tender age of 2. Despite his stumbling steps, he could spend hours observing an ant colony and often brought insects home from his outings. In his kindergarten days, he had already commenced introducing his peers to common insects and frequently engaged in passionate conversations about them.
不同于普通孩子对虫子避之唯恐不及的态度，2岁时，走路还跌跌撞撞的李於言就展露出了对昆虫浓厚的兴趣，发现一个蚂蚁窝能趴上好几个小时，甚至每每出门都要带几只小昆虫回家。等上了幼儿园，他开始跟身边的小伙伴介绍身边常见的昆虫，讲解起来滔滔不绝。
As early as at the age of four, Li began to read enlightening works like Fabre’s Souvenirs Entomologiques and later moved on to specialized books such as Chinese Insects Illustrated. Leveraging both books and online resources, he acquired a wealth of knowledge about insects, diligently consulting dictionaries or search engines for unfamiliar terms. Fueled by his passion and diligence, Li’s understanding of insects flourished, prompting him to regularly venture into the wilderness to collect and study local species.
4岁时，李於言开始接触法布尔《昆虫记》等启蒙书籍，后来阅读《中国昆虫生态大图鉴》等专业书。通过书籍、互联网，李於言学习了不少昆虫知识，不懂的字词就翻字典、查百度。一方面是兴趣使然，另一方面是自身的勤学善思，渐渐地，他掌握的昆虫知识越来越多，也经常到野外采集、学习、认识身边的物种。
While immersing himself in entomology, Li’s enthusiasm for science communication remained steadfast. Since 2022, he delved into producing educational videos and launched the “Yuyan’s Classroom” (yù yán tóng xué in Chinese pinyin) channel on platforms like Douyin (Chinese TikTok) and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), where he explained the origins, anatomy, and habits of insects in an accessible manner. Within a year, his online following surpassed 300,000, with individual videos receiving over 13 million views. Fans affectionately call him “Little Fabre.”
在努力探究昆虫的同时，李於言从小爱科普的劲头也没有削减。2022年起，他开始录制科普小视频，并在抖音、小红书等多个网络平台上开设了“寓言同学”的账号，用视频方式深入浅出地解说昆虫名字的由来、身体构造和生活习性。短短一年左右的时间，全网粉丝增长至30多万，单条视频最高播放量突破1300万，网友们亲切地称他为“小法布尔”。
This true believer in experiential learning has always been drawn to nature and developed a love for hiking under his father’s guidance. Almost every weekend he visits ancient villages and mountainous regions in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, where insects are gathered and footage is captured for his videos.
读万卷书，行万里路。研究昆虫绝不能只是“纸上谈兵”。这几年，本就向往大自然的李於言在父亲的带领下，爱上了徒步，基本每个周末都会前往江浙沪周边的古村和山区采集昆虫、拍摄视频。
In his pursuit of insect knowledge, Li Yuyan demonstrates unwavering dedication to his academic studies. He independently creates study plans and diligently adheres to them, striving to maximize his learning efficiency. His early role as an “insect lecturer” has honed his communication and writing skills, setting him apart from his peers. Li also actively engages in essay competitions, public speaking events, and cello practices. Self-discipline, according to this primary school student, has afforded him the freedom to pursue multiple hobbies.
在钻研昆虫知识的同时，李於言对待课业学习也没有丝毫懈怠。他自主制定学习计划，并严格执行，努力将学习效率最大化。而从小扮演“昆虫讲解员”，使得他的表达能力与写作水平都遥遥领先于同龄人。征文比赛总是榜上有名，主持与演讲少不了他的身影，练习大提琴狠下苦功，李於言说，是自律给了他追求更多爱好的自由。
As for his aspirations, Li hopes to ignite a broader interest in entomology and environmental conservation through both online and offline educational initiatives. He plans to study diligently with the goal of attending an agricultural university to deepen his knowledge of insects. Should he ever discover a new species, he dreams of naming it after himself—a meaningful endeavor indeed.
谈到自己的愿望，李於言说，希望通过线上、线下的科普，让更多人对昆虫产生兴趣，并注重对生态环境和生物多样性的保护。同时，自己会努力学习，争取考上农业大学，去学习更多的昆虫知识。如果未来能发现新物种，他想用自己的名字来命名，那一定是一件十分有意义的事。