Reference News Network, March 11 report: Spain's "As Diario" website published an article titled "How Can a Country Go Viral Across the Internet? The Rise of Chinese Culture on Social Platforms Is Like a Tsunami, and the Secret to Its Popularity Has Been Found" on March 9. The author is Anna Pérez. The following is a compilation of the article:
A bottle of Lao Gan Ma (Old Grandma) chili sauce has made countless overseas netizens crazy. In fact, this long-standing internet celebrity chili sauce is just a tip of the iceberg of the current global social platform "Chinese trend." Today, Chinese culture is creating an unstoppable phenomenon on overseas networks.
Like all online trends, no one can clearly say where this trend started. However, one thing is undeniable: online trends not only reflect reality but also shape it.
"I have always had a strong curiosity about Eastern culture, but it was actually the videos of the Chinese short video blogger 'Bālín Biǎozi' that truly opened the door for me. This blogger shows traditional cooking methods passed down through generations in rural China through his lens. I watch every one of his videos in full, and since then, the algorithm has started recommending various content related to China to me, from food and tourist attractions to various online trends," said Victor, a 26-year-old overseas netizen.
The 2026 Chinese New Year was undoubtedly one of the peaks of the spread of Chinese-related content on social platforms. Spring Festival lucky guides and folk customs interpretation videos flooded the entire network. Chinese culture is no longer a symbol of exoticism but a trend that everyone is chasing.
"As a 'Chinese Cool Girl,' you must be drinking hot water, right?" asked Zhu Xirui, an American-born Chinese content creator, in a video. This blogger shares health tips with her "Chinese Cool Girl" fans. In recent months, her traditional Chinese medicine health recipes and tips have gone viral across the network.
Not only online content, but many Chinese products have also become hits among overseas young people, such as the aforementioned Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, as well as WowWee, a toy brand that became popular worldwide through its La Bu Bu (Laba) IP.
Yuan Shaoyu, a soft power research expert at New York University, said: "This kind of trend makes things related to China feel familiar and approachable. Such a trend, viewed by the public as real and interesting, is an important support for building national soft power." The core logic is that when content is perceived as real and interesting, it is more likely to be loved and spread by the public, allowing culture to exert influence globally in a non-coercive and indirect way.
This cultural shift is significant, opening new windows for geopolitical games. In the context of the United States' damaged national image, political polarization, and frequent multiple crises, some people in the Western digital cultural circle are beginning to turn their attention to China. They are not focusing on political debates but on Chinese daily life, food, and culture, representing a new aesthetic and cultural imagination different from the mainstream Western one.
"You met me at a moment in my life that was very Chinese." This internet slang, adapted from the classic line in the movie "Fight Club," is widely spread on overseas social platforms, often paired with various videos related to Chinese cultural customs. Experts point out that this phenomenon reflects a new way of connection between overseas audiences and China on social platforms. (Translated by Zhang Weiyu)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7615899741108371974/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.