Chinamaxxing: Tiktok's Campaign To Make Being Chinese Cool

Some videos are tongue–in-cheek – akin to parody. But as Zhang and others note, many represent a genuine attempt to engage thoughtfully with Chinese culture. And in most cases, even the humorous videos aren't making fun at the expense of Chinese people or culture.

Global Times reporter Xu Liuliu suggests the trend signals a move from a surface-level fascination to a more reflective form of engagement with Chinese culture. For instance, many users point out how Chinese practices associated with moderation, balance and longevity can function as antidotes to burnout culture.

Viral memes such as“you've met me at a very Chinese time in my life” aren't just trivial; they can be viewed as cultural vehicles. Memes help condense complex cultural narratives and practices into an engaging and shareable format.

For example, a short TikTok video about refusing iced water stands in for a centuries-old medical philosophy tied to concepts of bodily balance and internal heat.

Through repetition, these kinds of visual narratives can become familiar, or even desirable, to audiences far removed from their original context.

It's an example of“soft power”, which refers to a country's ability to shape global perceptions of it through its portrayal of culture and values.

In the age of TikTok, Xiaohongsu (RedNote) and Instagram, soft power no longer flows only through film studios or state-sponsored media. It also moves through influencers' kitchens, aesthetic vlogs and comment sections.

This latest wave of content promoting Chinese culture feels intimate, domestic and desirable.

The Chinamaxxing trend has led many to ask an important question: are we seeing cultural appreciation, appropriation or something in between?

Many users adapt and remix the practices to fit their own lives, and may lose important context or histories in doing so. On TikTok and Instagram, traditional Chinese medicine may be reduced to a checklist of habits: avoid cold drinks, boil ginger, prioritize rest. These kinds of oversimplifications risk detaching practices from the important philosophies underpinning them.

At the same time, it would be reductive to dismiss the entire trend as mere appropriation. Many creators credit their sources, share family stories and collaborate across cultures. And many are themselves members of the Chinese diaspora living in the West.

Rather, we might view the trend as a kind of trans-cultural renaissance, mediated by algorithms.