Some Americans want to be Chinese now. China isn’t sure how to feel about that.
On TikTok, non-Chinese American creators are filming themselves boiling apples, practicing tai chi at sunrise, and drinking hot water — all soundtracked to traditional Chinese instrumentals or clips from Mulan. They call it “Chinamaxxing,” and the videos are pulling in millions of views.
Part self-care, part aesthetic role-play, the trend taps into what creators portray as a calmer, healthier Chinese way of life.
Experts told Business Insider “Chinamaxxing” may reflect a shift in how younger Americans view China, and could signal Chinese soft power at play.
On the Chinese social media platform RedNote, users have been watching closely. Their reactions range from amused pride to bewilderment — and, at times, outright cringe.
“At first, I was happy to see more and more people willing to learn about Chinese culture,” RedNote user Jiang Jiang wrote in a post in January.
After scrolling further, she reconsidered.
“These videos of drinking hot water with lemon slices and wearing red clothes really make me uncomfortable,” she said, calling them “too bizarre.”
“It’s like a Chinese person eating a meal at McDonald’s, wearing an ugly sweater for Christmas, and then announcing themselves as ‘last diagnosed American,'” she added.
Others suggested parts of the trend may misrepresent Chinese traditions, particularly around Lunar New Year. RedNote user Jia Simin wrote that some of the content on TikTok had “caused dissatisfaction among Chinese communities.”
Cultural exchange shouldn’t be driven by “superficial imitation,” she added.
Jacob Cooke, the CEO of Beijing-based e-commerce consulting firm WPIC Marketing + Technologies, said the Chinese mostly see “Chinamaxxing” as a positive reflection of Chinese culture and an expression of curiosity about it.
But he added, “The negative charge of cultural appropriation comes more from Chinese Americans and younger Chinese who have spent time abroad.”
‘I suddenly feel so proud’
Not everyone is cringing. Some Chinese users framed the trend as a cultural win for China.
One RedNote user who goes by Lie Hu said watching the “bizarre behavior” on TikTok had them “laughing like crazy.”
“This is the most impressive cultural export,” they wrote in January. “I suddenly feel so proud.”
Others said the trend shows non-Chinese people finally seeing the “warmth and wisdom in Chinese life.”
“The wisdom of our ancestors is just so captivating,” wrote a RedNote user who goes by CO2.
Some Chinese users also saw the trend as less about China and more about America’s anxieties.
“The reason they want to become Chinese is simply because they dislike their current situation and their self-identity,” wrote one RedNote user who goes by “I don’t like braised food.”
“It’s actually a way for American youth to express their extreme disappointment with the current state of America through a mix of satire and admiration, along with a projected envy for China’s development,” another user wrote.
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