Also a translator with profound knowledge of Western culture and literature, Liu says American writer Jack Kerouac's 1958 novel The Dharma Bums was dedicated to Hanshan. The novel has also influenced many famous people including Bob Dylan.

A Sino-US work coproduced by China Intercontinental Communication Center and Discovery Channel, the six-episode Master Class is now available on streaming site Tencent Video, scoring 7.8 points out of 10 on popular online review platform Douban.

Director Wang Yu says the documentary was inspired from last year's documentary hit It's Bread, It's Air, It's a Miracle, in which viewers were able to experience Japanese lifestyle and cultural legacies through the eyes of Liu, Chen and actor Xia Yu, traveling around Japan eating local food and interviewing craftspeople.