“Tomorrow you’re turning Chinese… and it’s gonna be so fun,” announced Chinese-American TikToker @sherryxiiruii in a video that currently stands at over 500k likes. “The minute you turn Chinese… you’re coming with us to hotpot. We’re eating the xiaolongbao.”
The trend of non-Chinese people adopting Chinese cultural practices extends far beyond where they choose to eat out. There is so much involved that the process of “becoming Chinese” is now a certified meme. Many online are repeating the catchphrase, “You met me at a very Chinese time in my life” (parodying a quote from Fight Club (1999)). Despite the jokes, those following the trend are serious in their practice. A lot of it is about doing things to be kind to your health, while looking and feeling better in the process.
One of the earliest Chinese trends related to this was Gua Sha, the use of a blunt tool on the face and body to promote lymphatic drainage and other purported benefits. This likely helped make way for Qigong, a gentle, no-equipment fitness routine said to balance “qi,” or life force, as well as help with posture and general relaxation.
Advice taken from traditional Chinese medicine is one of the foundational parts of this phenomenon. In the TikToker’s speech, Sherry mentions wearing house slippers (a hygiene-based custom, but also crucial to preventing a deficiency of “yang,” warming energy through cold feet) and drinking hot water (necessary for digestion, circulation, and to avoid internal “dampness” that is supposedly brought on by iced drinks).
Those who are really into the concept may even take note of how they are affected by the Chinese Zodiac, especially with this year’sFire Horse sign. From the internal to the spiritual, there is no end of ways that you, too, can choose to enter a very Chinese time in your life.
Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Western culture began to promote the interests of Sinophiles. It’s no secret that China has had an increasing amount of influence on the world stage in the 21st century. The country accounts for nearly 30% of the world’s manufacturing output, and is the second-largest economy in the world behind the US. It brought us the platform that would eventually become TikTok, and that is not the only taste of its social media that Western users have enjoyed. When the threat of a TikTok ban loomed last year, many American users tried out RedNote, a popular Chinese alternative to the app.
China’s contemporary reputation as hyper-consumerist and technologically focused seems at odds with the traditions that have been popularized recently. All the dietary tweaks and massage routines promote a way of life that focuses less on being glued to our screens and more on being aware of taking care of our bodies. Unlike many online phenomena, it focuses on an intentional and slow way of living that suggests a certain maturity. For example, Qigong workouts are often advertised as the kind of thing that Chinese grandmas do to stay fit and mobile. Much of the advice that has been given exposure by this trend emphasizes feeling good just as much as looking good.
At the same time, the Chinese lifestyle changes are generally easy enough that anybody can try them without expending too much effort, a spin on the prolific genre of “life hack” content. The unique selling point of adding some roleplay into the mix only encourages people to actually stick to the advice.
“Jin Sheng Yuan,” which translates to “Affinity of This Life,” is the song that accompanies the majority of TikToks where people joke about their Chinese proclivities. Its lyrics promote supporting each other through the inevitable struggles of existence, offering comfort much like the rituals followed by those who are “becoming Chinese.” It’s grown into an anthem that represents a tongue-in-cheek form of the very “brotherhood” that it celebrates.
While making herbal soups and swinging your arms around to prevent back pain may not be the most aesthetic of practices, they are something that the meme has romanticized all the same. Despite the elaborate logic behind some of these habits, they emphasize getting out of your head and in tune with your body without thinking about it too much. This somewhat ridiculous yet simple brief is enough to motivate even the laziest.
Not long before the Chinese wellness craze took off, another Chinese-centric joke went viral. A skit of a guy pleasantly exploring heaven and saying, “No, it's fine. I just… didn't think it'd be Chinese.” It turned out to be as predictive as it was entertaining. Those pursuing a very Chinese time in their lives are dedicated to a belief that a few uncomplicated habits have changed them for the better. More than cultural appreciation, the novelty of embracing everything China has encouraged people to be conscientious of taking care of themselves, and as a result, they have a greater awareness of the importance of life outside their phones. It is an attempt at self-improvement disguised as internet humor. It’s absolutely great that everybody is getting healthy, I just didn’t know it would be Chinese.
