The imperceptible steps to 'becoming Chinese'

Mixed cultural content

Zhao Danyang, the 26-year-old co-founder of Lumiverse Media LLC in Shanghai, has worked with over 1,000 foreign influencers and links the growing interest to shifts in content production and distribution.

"In recent years, we can clearly feel that more foreign creators are actively engaging with and sharing Chinese culture. If we look at it on a timeline, there are two key phases," she said.

"The pandemic was an overlooked turning point, when many people began exploring other countries through the internet, and China produced a large amount of content."

From 2023, especially with the "TikTok refugee" phenomenon, the trend took hold, as foreign users not only watched but also began sharing Chinese culture.

A 2024 report by Tencent Research Institute and Newrank found that foreign content creators are gaining significant traction on Chinese short-video platforms. Fifteen overseas influencers each have more than 10 million followers, with combined followers of 290 million. More than 100 creators have over 1 million followers, while nearly 1,000 active foreign accounts have surpassed 10,000 followers.

Citing overseas data, Zhao noted that certain types of content perform better across cultures.

"Food is still the most effective entry point. Hotpot, street food, breakfast comparisons and snack tasting are among the easiest for foreign creators to share. The second is internet culture, such as high-speed rail, mobile payments, food delivery, as well as memes, short videos and livestream e-commerce," said Zhao.

She added that the third category is traditional crafts, such as Jingdezhen ceramics, which carry cultural meaning and are more attractive than industrial products.

Beyond content categories, Zhao sees a deeper shift. "Chinese cultural communication has moved from an 'official, institutional model' to a 'content ecosystem model'," she said. "Many creators start with content opportunities because they attract traffic. But after six months to a year, they begin to understand more subtle aspects like communication styles, humor and social norms."

In some cases, this leads to hybrid forms of expression.

"When creators stay in China for a longer period, they begin to produce 'mixed cultural content'. We often call them 'natural cultural translators' because they can connect audiences from both sides," said Zhao.

She said these changes in language and behavior are a sign of deeper cultural internalization, as creators gradually move beyond surface-level content production and begin to engage more meaningfully with Chinese culture.

She also highlighted the role of digital platforms. "Short-video platforms have completely changed the structure of cultural communication. Algorithms decentralize distribution, allowing content itself to determine reach. At the same time, short videos lower the threshold for understanding culture and create a two-way interaction, which leads to co-creation," she said.

Zhao said that in the future, cultural communication will become global co-creation."It may not be about 'exporting culture', but about letting it spread naturally through content ecosystems, with creators from different backgrounds participating together."

Data from the Ministry of Commerce indicates that China's cultural trade reached 1.4 trillion yuan ($206 billion) in 2024, with digitally driven sectors, including online audiovisual content, exceeding 370 billion yuan and accounting for more than a quarter of the total.

Sun Zhe, a sociologist at the Chinese Modernization Institute of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, described the trend as "a very positive phenomenon" and "another form of globalization in the high-tech era".

"It reflects a shift toward 'plural modernities', where development is no longer defined by a single model but allows for multiple paths, with China offering 'an alternative paradigm' that expands global choices," said Sun.

"We are moving from the television era to the short-video era. Traditional media was highly centralized, while today's platforms are shaped by the diverse technologies, enabling more decentralized and diverse cultural production," said Sun.

Short-video formats also lower the barriers to cultural understanding by making content more direct and easier to interpret. "Instead of grand narratives, foreigners now engage with China through everyday practices such as tea, food and daily routines, with bottom-up, life-based expression," he said.