The “Turning Chinese” Trend Explained

Ajouté : 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Why was everybody suddenly turning Chinese?

[00:00:02]This phrase comes from a popular trend popularized by TikTok creator Sherry Zhu in 2025.

[00:00:08]This video has been viewed more than 1.5 million times and she joked that viewers are turning Chinese and should adopt habits like drinking hot water wearing house slippers indoors and making herbal teas. Soon thousands joined this trend posting under hashtags like #becomingChinese while trying Chinese inspired wellness habits or cooking Chinese dishes.

[00:00:27]But the trend didn't appear out of nowhere.

[00:00:30]Interest in China has been building for years.

[00:00:32]Over the last 20 years China has transformed dramatically and many people online are only seeing these changes for the first time.

[00:00:40]China now has the world's largest high speed rail network, and daily life is highly digital, with people paying for food transportation and shopping by scanning QR codes.

[00:00:50]Videos of these systems along with massive drone shows and futuristic skylines have gone viral and challenge many viewers assumptions about the country.

[00:00:58]A good example is when American streamer IShowSpeed visited China. During the stream, he explored cities tried local foods and reacted to China's technology and infrastructure.

[00:01:08]Because the trip was live streamed viewers can see everyday life through an unscripted lens rather than through traditional media.

[00:01:15]This shift is striking because just a few years ago the atmosphere was very different.

[00:01:20]For a very long time Chinese culture in the United States was often misunderstood or reduced to stereotypes.

[00:01:26]During the Covid 19 pandemic Chinese Americans faced a surge of harassment and racism. Yet interest in Chinese language and culture has quietly grown. By 2024, there were around 360 Mandarin immersion schools in the United States, up from only a few dozen in the early 2000s Some Chinese Americans see the recent trend as a sign that people are beginning to appreciate parts of their culture.

[00:01:49]But this trend also reveals something bigger.

[00:01:52]In the internet age a culture that was often overlooked is now becoming influential, shaping how people connect, create, and share everyday life across the world