A wave of social media trends is reshaping how China is being viewed by younger audiences around the world, as foreign tourists bypass traditional news outlets to share unfiltered experiences of daily life across the country.
Under hashtags such as #China-Travel, #ChinaShopping, #ChinaCool and #Chinamaxxing, young creators on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram are documenting immersive visits to Chinese cities. The trends reflect a broader shift toward firsthand cultural exploration among travelers from Generation Z, which was born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s.
The term “Chinamaxxing” blends “China” with the Gen Z internet slang “maxxing”, a word meaning to fully embrace and optimize a lifestyle around a certain culture. It gained traction globally after online creators shared clips featuring everyday Chinese lifestyles: drinking warm water, practicing baduanjin, a traditional Chinese aerobic exercise, wearing traditional Chinese style outfits and watching Chinese short dramas.
“ChinaTravel” documents immersive city trips beyond iconic landmarks. “ChinaShopping” highlights booming purchases of guochao (China chic) electronics, beauty goods and daily consumer products. “China-Cool” carries dual meanings — both refreshing summer getaways in China’s mountainous regions and admiration for its sleek digital infrastructure, convenient public transport and vibrant urban culture.
Deng Ning, a professor and vice-dean at the School of Tourism Sciences at Beijing International Studies University, said that there is a fundamental difference between today’s inbound tourism and that in earlier eras.
Decades ago, foreign tourists visited China with the preset stereotypes of an “ancient Eastern nation” and merely visited symbolic landmarks such as the Great Wall and the Palace Museum, Deng said, adding that today’s “Chinamaxxing” phenomenon represents a filter-free revolution powered by social media algorithms.
“Foreign visitors no longer chase the scenic spots we assume they want to see; they dive into tangible and modern local life — wandering through wet markets, buying bubble tea via mobile QR codes and watching square dances in community parks,” Deng added.
“China has transformed from an object to be interpreted by outsiders into a subject experienced, discussed and redefined through real personal encounters,” he said.
When foreign tourists develop a favorable impression of China from simple experiences such as scanning QR codes to pay, sipping bubble tea, or receiving small acts of kindness on the subway, this kind of “grassroots soft power” carries far more persuasive power than any official promotional video, he added.
Authentic experiences
Chen Hong, director of the Institute of Area Studies at East China Normal University’s School of Foreign Languages, said that Western mainstream media and political elites monopolized narratives about China for a long time, reducing the country to one-dimensional labels such as “security threat” or “geopolitical rivalry”.
Now, these trending hashtags center on Chinese daily routines, urban spaces, consumption habits and social dynamics rather than political headlines, Chen said. “While the ‘China threat’ narrative has not vanished, its once-exclusive interpretive power is being steadily diluted by authentic travel experiences.”
He added that distrust of traditional mainstream media and discontent with their own societies’ high living costs, social fragmentation and loneliness are fueling curiosity about China among Western members of Gen Z.
Peer-generated tourist content delivers powerful authenticity. Even occasional mild complaints from visitors make their positive observations far more persuasive, a unique advantage no official campaign can replicate, he said. The most compelling China stories are those told by international visitors themselves after immersive stays, Chen added.
Gina Lynn Dijkstra, 19, a Leiden University undergraduate from the Netherlands, said Western propaganda filled her with biased preconceptions before she arrived in Beijing in late July.
“Paradoxically, I felt more free in China than ever in Europe. Beijing ensured freedom to go out at night, and freedom to safely visit public places like lush parks and bustling places in the city at all times,” Dijkstra said.
She was deeply moved by the sincere kindness shown by strangers and volunteers, and quoted a line from The Analects of Confucius to sum up her journey: “Is it not a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?” Though unfamiliar with the “Chinamaxxing” online trend, she has taken a new daily habit home: wandering city streets with bubble tea and snacks as a casual way to socialize.
Roxy Ye, 20, who is also from the Netherlands and has Chinese family roots, said she visited Beijing as a tourist for the first time earlier this month. She was stunned by the city’s unmatched sense of security.
“I took a taxi alone at around 1 am to Tian’anmen Square to see the flag-raising ceremony, yet I did not hesitate to get into a taxi by myself in the middle of the night. Looking back, I realized that I probably would not have done the same thing even in my hometown in the Netherlands,” Ye said.
zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn