A woman displays the Spring Festival decoration she made at a cultural experience event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. — Xinhua photo BEIJING (Jan 27): As TikTok’s future in the United States hangs in the balance, many American users who recently joined the Chinese social app rednote, also known as Xiaohongshu, are actively engaging with Chinese users on topics ranging from medical bills to homework, and more recently, the upcoming Spring Festival, with many even picking up snippets of the Chinese language. These developments come at a time when China has expanded its visa-free offerings, with tens of millions of travelers entering the country, and first-time visitors seen eagerly communicating on the streets, using translation apps, limited Mandarin, and a mix of English and body language when needed.
Such exchanges and interactions have become increasingly widespread. “The Little Apple,” a popular song beloved by Chinese seniors in their square dancing pursuits, was performed by a person living on the Mediterranean coast, while a Canadian boy staged a classical drama in Chinese. In fact, some Chinese girls now joke that their mother tongue is no longer “encrypted” abroad, as compliments or expressions of admiration for boys might unexpectedly elicit a xiexie — which means thank you — in return.
Suddenly, the Chinese language is gaining popularity “among people with various skin colors and hair hues.” What was once a playful moment in a 2007 Mandopop hip-hop .
