ZhongChi

ZhongChi / ChiLi is the slash ship between Tartaglia and Zhongli from the Genshin Impact fandom.

Canon
In Zhongli's Teaser, Childe and Zhongli can be seen eating together at Wanmin Restaurant. Zhongli buys Childe (with 128,000 mora) a pair of dragon-and-phoenix chopsticks as a gift. The description says "hopefully the Snezhnayan diplomat will practice using them." This is significant, because there is a difference between offering chopsticks for food, with a dragon-phoenix as a gift. In ancient China, there is a tradition to present to the newlyweds at the wedding, paired (for two persons) chopsticks in the form of a dragon-phoenix as a gift to them, this symbolize marital bliss and also a talisman that brings good luck to the family. For other relationships, the term is used with the gift of one pair of chopsticks with dragon-phoenix, which means auspicious and peaceful meaning, it is used to praise people and also to refer to other (platonic) relationships, including business relationships (symbolizing long-term cooperation, 合作). Zhongli is a 6000+ old Archon shown to have a wealth of knowledge on Liyue's traditions and keeping them alive. In Chinese media, allusions to ancient Chinese couple traditions are popular ways to avoid censorship in BL media, but not in this case.

As Childe is often shown in canon at Zhongli's aid for financial support (notably in Zhongli's teaser and Chapter I: Act II - Farewell, Archaic Lord - "Downtown"), the nickname "Zhongli's wallet" had been a running joke for Childe over fanon and the Mihoyo staff themselves (5:23) alike. The joke is also used in canon — in the Japanese version of Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III - A New Star Approaches - "Solitary Fragrance", the second-to-last dialogue branch of the quest, in which the player is given three options, each as a different nickname for Childe, has one of the nicknames "鍾離先生の財布" (translating to "Mr. Zhongli's wallet"). This nickname is exclusive to the JP version (in EN, the third choice to the dialogue branch is "Mr. More-Money-Than-Sense" instead).

Though Childe was initially upset with Zhongli for lying to him, they are still on good terms as they are shown still frequently going out for drinks and dinner together. In the Stone Harbor Treasure Journal event artworks, the two can be seen walking out of Liuli Pavilion together. They can be seen having dinner again in the ending illustration.

When Childe asks the Traveler how Zhongli is, the Traveler states that Zhongli had no problems acclimating to the mortal life, However, since Zhongli has fooled Childe, Childe stated that the only way to reconciliation is fierce combat. Albeit, the Traveler stops Childe telling that he's no match for him, to which Childe laughed.

Zhongli told the Traveler to tell him if Childe's giving them any trouble, stating that he will deal with the matter swiftly.

Archon Quest
In Act II of Liyue's Quest, the Traveler meets Childe at Liuli Pavilion. Childe offers to introduce them to Zhongli, and he mentions taking the liberty of setting up a business dinner, as per Liyue custom, implying he paid to book the dinner beforehand. Childe took the initiative to introduce Zhongli to the Traveler as they sit down at the table. During their conversation, Zhongli asks the Traveler to help him. After Zhongli leaves, Childe tells the Traveler to leave if they please and not to worry about him. Childe walks towards the Traveler and Zhongli when the Traveler was helping him. He says he's just passing by and says Zhongli was "the same as ever", referring to the fact that Zhongli does not understand the concepts of money. At the end of their conversation, Childe gave the Traveler a bag of Mora and says they probably won't want to let Zhongli do the bargaining.

In Act III of Liyue's Quest, after the Traveler defeats Osial, they are asked to meet Zhongli at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. However, Zhongli wasn't there and was said to be at Northland Bank instead. When they arrived at the bank, Zhongli was seen with Childe and Signora. Childe states that Signora and Zhongli had tricked him. After the encounter, the Traveler talks to Zhongli once more at the Yujing Terrace. They ask about the assassination of Rex Lapis, and Paimon says that the majority of people blamed Childe for what happened. Zhongli, however, claimed that they were all false accusations. Childe verbalized how offended he was when Zhongli seemed to not feel remorse for deceiving him, though it seems Childe harbors most of his resentment towards Signora and not Zhongli, refusing to return to the Tsaritsa on the same boat as her.

Quotes
"There's far more to that man than meets the eye. As for the extent of his power... lots to look forward to, I think."

- Childe's Voiceline about Zhongli: Pondering

"Tell me, how has Mr. Zhongli been lately? Not bad, you say? Seems he's had no problem acclimating to "mortal" life. Hmph, he sure had me fooled. Such a fiasco mustn't be so easily forgiven! The only way to reconciliation is fierce combat! What do you mean I'm no match for him? Hahaha..."

- Childe's Voiceline about Zhongli: Challenge

"That rascal from Snezhnaya has yet to depart from Liyue? Heh, no matter, just let me know if he gives you any trouble. I shall deal with the matter swiftly."

- Zhongli's Voiceline about Childe: Composed

"It's said that Childe and his reputation have yet again stirred up waves among the inner-ranks of the Fatui. Knowing his type, he will be sure to swiftly depose anyone who dares to challenge his actions. Hm... Come to think of it, there will be a lot of interesting news to be heard the next time we gather for drinks. Care to join me when the time comes, Traveler?"

- Zhongli's Voiceline about Childe: Drinks

"I see Mr. Zhongli's the same as ever. When paying— Well, when getting others to pay for him, he neither looks at the price tag nor his wallet. He knows a great deal about money, and about the trials of the common man. He just doesn't consider poverty to be something that could ever happen to him. Or perhaps you could say that he cannot imagine himself lacking money. [...] Oh, by the way, Traveler, take this bag of money. You probably won't want to let Zhongli do the bargaining, if you know what I mean."

- Childe talking about Zhongli in Chapter I, Act II: Farewell, Archaic Lord - "Downtown"

"Anyway, Mr.Zhongli. You're one of Childe's close associates. Please understand that your actions will reflect on us. Don't let anyone catch you off-guard."

- Voiceline of Felix, a Fatui diplomat in Chapter I, Act III: A New Star Approaches

Fanon
ChiLi is the most popular slash ship and overall is the most popular ship within the Genshin Impact fandom due to their frequent interactions and their voice lines about each other.

Childe calls Zhongli "Zhongli-sensei" in the Japanese version of the game due to the fact that Zhongli was the one who taught Childe how to hold chopsticks properly.

In AO3, ChiLi is also the most written ship for the Genshin Impact fandom with 10,000+ works currently. There are about 5000+ works in the #Zhongli/Tartaglia tag in Pixiv.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

TWITTER

PIXIV

Trivia

 * Common symbols used for this ship on Twitter include: 🔶️💧, 💧🔶️,🐉🐳, 🐳🐉
 * On their official account in Hoyolab and on Twitter, MiHoYo/HoYoverse posted two Happy White Day (a holiday similar to Valentine's Day) illustrations that depicted Zhongli and Childe presenting a gift towards the camera. Though these two illustrations were separate, the setting appeared the same, and no other character illustrations were uploaded except for the two.
 * In the picture that Mihoyo's official Twitter account posted for Zhongli's birthday, Zhongli is depicted holding a bouquet of flowers, which is shown as being held together by a jeweled string with beads resembling 🔶💧/💧🔶️, the symbol often used for the ZhongChi and TartaLi ship. There is also a starconch among the flowers; the only character in-game at the time who used starconches as ascension material was Tartaglia.
 * In the official illustration for Genshin Radio's 24th thumbnail, Childe is staring from the balcony at Zhongli, who is talking with the Traveler.
 * In the official illustration for Genshin Radio's 44th thumbnail, a Mr. Cyclops plushie is seen on the table where Zhongli and the Traveler sat together. No other character-based object is shown on the table.
 * In the one million followers celebration art on Mihoyo's official Instagram account, Childe can be seen whispering to Zhongli in the back.
 * At timestamp 3:47, Zhongli can be seen walking in the background of Childe's rerun teaser, "Genshin Impact EP - A Warrior Far From Home."
 * On the New Year official art in one of Mihoyo's bilibili subaccounts, Childe and Zhongli can be seen eating together.
 * At the end of Zhongli’s Collected Miscellany, he and Childe walked past each other in slow motion.
 * Zhongli and Childe are seen eating Slow-Cooked Bamboo Shoot Soup, Zhongli's speciality dish, together in Zhongli's teaser. The last sentence in the in-game description to the dish says that "Such a 'particular' taste may only be shared with those who know how to appreciate it."
 * In the official Honkai Impact 3rd crossover manga, Childe brought back some souvenirs. He gave Zhongli Taru-Taru tortilla, stating that he had to give some to his friend too and that it is very tasty.
 * Zhongli and Childe can be seen walking out of Liuli Pavilion together in three of the Stone Harbor Treasure Journal event artworks. In one, Childe is winking at Zhongli.
 * In the Genshin Anthology, a licensed collection of Genshin Impact fan-made mangas officially approved and commissioned by Mihoyo, there are multiple scenes where Childe and Zhongli appear together. A few examples include how, in Chapter 1, they are shown as the judges to Xiangling's Cooking Hell Showdown, while in Chapter 7, they are shown joking together and trying out Liyue cuisines with the Traveler.
 * Childe's special dish is "A Prize Catch", a variation of Calla Lily Seafood soup. The main change is that Childe uses an octopus instead of a crab for the seafood portion (this references his fishing hobby back in Snezhnaya). It is also described as looking like a beast with tentacles, screaming as it drowns in an ocean of blood.
 * Ironically, Zhongli hates seafood due to him having to pest-exterminate hundreds of small, slimy octopi during the Archon War. The experience traumatized him, and he stays far away from any seafood that is slimy or squirms (he will only eat seafood if it is chopped up). Childe's signature dish, as many fans will say, is "Zhongli's worst nightmare".
 * On the other hand, Bamboo Shoot Soup is one of Childe's three favorite dishes in the Spices from the West event. Bamboo Shoot Soup is the original dish to Zhongli's special dish, Slow-Cooked Bamboo Shoot Soup.
 * The band around Zhongli's arm and the garter band around Childe's thigh have been found to be the same, if not very similar to each other. They also have matching rings — on the thumb for Childe, and on the pinkie for Zhongli.
 * In the Kichiboushi event, the local specialties displayed in Liyue are both Childe and Zhongli’s ascension materials.
 * Zhongli uses the Tusk of Monoceros Caeli, Childe's boss drop, as talent level-up material.
 * By comparing Childe's EP “He Who Wanders Untrammeled” and Zhongli's EP “The Divine Stone Sees the World”, there are direct parallels of them holding teacups, in which Childe is staring at his teacup affectionately. In the same two EPs, they are seen standing by trees where Childe is facing Liyue Harbor from Inazuma, and Zhongli facing Inazuma city from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, contrasting night and day.
 * Zhongli stands on the balcony of Baiju Guesthouse in his EP “The Joys of Leisure and Pleasure” which is the same balcony that Childe stood in his own EP “A Warrior far from Home” and where Childe potentially resided during his time in Liyue.
 * In an official Genshin YouTube AD, both Childe and Zhongli are shown (and no other character can be seen except the two). At the beginning, we can hear their voice lines about each other, and at the end, they can be seen reunited.
 * When the two opened a chest, Zhongli was at the Northland Bank, a Snezhnayan bank, mostly used by the Fatui.
 * The AD was also similar to the “Crash Landing On You” K-drama opening.
 * Childe's English voice actor, Griffin Burns, has said in a TikTok Q&A that he ships Childe and Zhongli.
 * On his TikTok, he posted a video of himself using Childe's voice to say "hey girlie, hold still" to images of female characters, before whispering it last to Zhongli suggestively.
 * In one of his streams, he sang a song for Zhongli. In another, a fan requested him to draw Childe and Zhongli together but Childe in a whale body and Zhongli in a dragon body. Griffin then wrote “I’ll share Osmanthus wine together forever with Zhongli-sensei” and called Childe Zhongli’s prince.
 * In the Genshin Anime Impulse, he noticed a fanart of Childe and Zhongli hugging together with a bouquet of flowers and some balloons behind them and said that it was “true love.”
 * He also posted a cover of Nicki Minaj's "Chun-li" but with "Childe" instead of "Nicki" and "Zhongli" instead of "Chun-li."
 * He also supports mpreg Childe, and even made a video on how to draw it.
 * In a video he made for Christmas, he called Zhongli "daddy" and asked him to build a snowman with him.
 * On Zhongli's birthday, Keith Silverstein (Zhongli's ENG voice actor) made a post on twitter saying how happy voicing him made him happy... Griffin Burns commented " this message is Childe approved ".
 * After posting a picture of his new pillow, a fan photoshopped it and added Zhongli on it, to now make it as a dakimakura, Griffin quote retweeted and said " ahhh that’s better ".
 * Similarly, Keith Silverstein, follows Chili artist @Qing11502143 & @sinnamonbunpie on Twitter.
 * Lumine's Chinese voice actor, Geng "Baobao" Minglin, considers Zhongli to be gay.
 * She said while switching party members, "老友你也不看. 孩子你也不看. 美女你也不看. 男人……你开始了是吗……", which translates to "Old friends (Venti), you don't look at. Little kids (Qiqi), you don't look at. Pretty girls (Fischl), you don't look at. Men...(Childe)...you're suddenly interested…"
 * She later states that Childe and Zhongli are a pair with amazing chemistry.
 * According to Lumine's Chinese voice actor, art of 18+ and gender-bent versions of Zhongli are sent by Zhongli's Chinese voice actor (her director) into the Mihoyo voice actors group chat every day.
 * Additionally, she says that gender-bent Zhongli is a "大奶美女" (big-breasted beauty) and that she cannot look at him the same way after seeing that.
 * In June 2021, the Russian official account of Genshin Impact retweeted a ChiLi art as part of supporting fan community's creativity, calling the characters "sworn friends who made a stir in the community."
 * In an interview on Genshin Radio, Tomoaki Maeno (Zhongli's JP voice actor) explained how he likes tagging Childe and Zhongli in his team together and how strong their bonds are.
 * " Tartaglia... a character that has a deep relationship with Zhongli. Speaking of which, I am also using him a lot! ", " but Tartaglia y'know! I tag him with Zhongli pretty often so... ", "I pretend Tartaglia's true power can only be used when Zhongli's shield is there..." he said.
 * After watching Childe's character demo, he added something about his voice line when using his elemental burst: "This is the only moment I let my guard down!" (Official ENG ver: Shouldn't let your guard down!"). He began to make a theory about the fact that Childe was referring to Zhongli who let his guard down when Osial was summoned to destroy Liyue Habor. " I mean, I am just curious about who does he refer letting his guard down!"
 * Anne Yatco (Raiden Shogun’s Voice actor) followed the same ChiLi artist on twitter and even got a ChiLi art.

Variations

 * ChiLither refers to the ship between the two and Aether
 * ChiLime refers to the ship between the two and Lumine
 * ChiLiguang refers to the ship between the two and Ningguang
 * DCKZ refers to the ship between the two, Diluc Ragnvindr and Kaeya Alberich
 * ZhongChiluc refers to the ship between the two and Diluc Ragnvindr
 * ZhongChaeya refers to the ship between the two and Kaeya Alberich