A fresh perspective

Zheng Huanzhao, vice-president of Jinan University's Chinese Language and Literature Department, said international influencers can create content that connects with the international community through their "credibility" and "charm".

When visiting, they are likely to seek fresh and distinctive ways to express themselves and explore Chinese cities for new content. "The spread of foreign influencers can highlight perspectives that are relatively overlooked in local communication about a city," he noted.

Early this year, Darren Watkins Jr, the 22-year-old US internet celebrity, better known to his 37 million You-Tube followers and those on other platforms as IShowSpeed, embarked on a marathon livestreaming tour across China.

From enjoying views of Shanghai's neon lights, and the Great Wall, learning martial arts at the Shaolin Temple, experiencing Chinese medicine in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and being amazed by cyberpunk in Chongqing, he exposed tens of millions of fans to the nation's wonders.

A video of him singing the pop song Super Idol with entertainer Tian Yiming went viral on Chinese social media, with more than 100 million views on Douyin.

"In addition to short videos, Speed also created a lot of highlight moments livestreaming in China," said Lin Chuxia, head of global marketing for 88 Rising, a record label and a mass media company headquartered in New York that managed the trip.

"Through him, viewers saw the real side of China for the first time, finding it cleaner, more modern, and more interesting than they had imagined. This changed many existing stereotypes," Lin said.

"His interactions with Chinese fans also increased the audience's curiosity and closeness to China, while his experience of China helped bridge cultural gaps.

"He experienced Chinese culture in his own way, and even without knowing Chinese, he was still able to have fun. As a result, many people began to feel that China isn't as distant as they once thought," Lin added.

Chinese audiences were more enthusiastic and interesting to him than the 20-year-old influencer had imagined, showcasing the international perspective and inclusiveness of the new generation of young viewers, Lin noted.

He said 88 Rising would continue to collaborate with content creators from different fields to enhance cultural exchanges to allow the world to see the real China and its people.

"Through their lenses, they bring the authentic China into a global context, turning culture from a diplomatic term into something that resonates and creates curiosity in everyday life," he said.