A lighthearted TikTok video by Chinese American creator Sherry Xiiruii has unexpectedly ignited a global social media trend, with millions of users jokingly declaring they are "becoming Chinese" by adopting elements of everyday Chinese life.

"Tomorrow, you're turning Chinese," Sherry says with mock solemnity in the video. "I know it sounds intimidating, but there's no point fighting it now." The clip's playful blend of humor and "Eastern mystique" struck a chord overseas, quickly amassing millions of views and spawning a flood of comments proclaiming, "I'm becoming Chinese."

Soon, social platforms were filled with videos of users showcasing what they described as "Chinese daily life": drinking warm water, cooking soups and porridge, wearing slippers at home, soaking goji berries and red dates in insulated bottles and practicing Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese fitness routine, at dawn.

Despite the phrasing, the trend has nothing to do with changing nationality. Instead, it reflects an enthusiastic embrace of Chinese lifestyle habits. Some users even launched livestream challenges to see "whose daily routine is the most Chinese," turning the phenomenon into a form of cultural participation rather than imitation.

A lifestyle that resonates globally

The appeal has been particularly strong among health-focused content creators in the United States. Several influencers have begun promoting "drink more hot water"- a phrase famously repeated by Chinese parents and grandparents - as a new wellness mantra. One American woman shared that regular hot water and ginger tea consumption eased stomach problems she had suffered from for years. Others have taken up Baduanjin, praising it as a gentle yet effective way to build strength and improve circulation.

As the trend gained traction overseas, related hashtags such as "Americans embrace Chinese lifestyles" surged on China's social media platform Weibo, almost in real time. Many Chinese users commented that the phenomenon reflects a universal human desire for health, balance and a better quality of life.

Observers note that participants have gravitated toward highly recognizable symbols of Chinese daily living rather than superficial stereotypes. Drinking hot water has been reinterpreted by foreign users as a symbol of "slow living," standing in contrast to the fast-paced, ice-water-centric culture common in the West. Carrying goji berries in insulated bottles is seen as embodying an Eastern philosophy of prevention over treatment, a low-cost, self-directed approach to wellness that appears increasingly attractive as Western healthcare systems face mounting pressure. Even the simple habit of changing into slippers at home has been framed as a ritual that separates public stress from private comfort.

"All cultures have amazing things we can learn from and incorporate as we learn how to be healthier," wrote U.S. netizen Megan Gray in a comment under a post about Chinese lifestyles. "Our society has taught us to attack each other for doing other cultures' things to keep us separated. We should be cheering each other on like this always."

Rising Chinese soft power

Many Chinese netizens also see the trend as a sign of China's expanding cultural influence. One netizen shared in a comment that China has long possessed rich and practical lifestyle traditions, but these were rarely seen as worth exporting when the country lacked global confidence. "Now, with stronger cultural self-assurance, Chinese people genuinely believe these traditions are valuable and that confidence is shaping how foreigners view Chinese culture," the user wrote.

For decades, international images of China largely revolved around symbols such as pandas, the Great Wall, calligraphy and kung fu. The global popularity of Chinese lifestyles is broadening that picture. Beyond tai chi and brushwork, foreign audiences are encountering a living, contemporary China - one defined by electric vehicles, smart home appliances, seamless digital payments and a quiet accumulation of practical wisdom embedded in daily routines.

This shift is also reflected in global rankings. According to the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025, China achieved a historic breakthrough by surpassing the United Kingdom for the first time to rank second worldwide in national soft power.

David Haigh, chairman of Brand Finance, attributed China's rise to factors including the Belt and Road Initiative and increasingly streamlined transit visa-free policies. He noted that foreign travelers are sharing their China experiences through social media and other digital platforms, creating multidimensional word-of-mouth effects that enhance cross-cultural understanding and significantly boost China's international image.

More than culture: a shared pursuit of a better life

In recent years, China's global presence has expanded far beyond traditional cultural symbols. From animated blockbusters and designer toys to cutting-edge artificial intelligence and humanoid robots performing acrobatic flips on concert stages, the scope of what the world associates with China continues to expand.

In 2025, the animated film Ne Zha 2 entered the top five of global box office history and topped the worldwide animation box office chart. A Spanish newspaper described the film as a major leap for Chinese animation toward the world's top tier.

Designer toy Labubu, with its distinctive "ugly-cute" look and nine sharp teeth, offered a different form of cultural export. In 2025, it sparked a global buying frenzy, with opening-day sales in Bangkok exceeding 10 million yuan (about $1.4 million), while young consumers lined up overnight outside stores in New York - propelling Chinese design into the global mainstream.

Earlier that year, hundreds of thousands of U.S. users "migrated" to the Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest against a potential U.S. ban on TikTok. The sudden influx exposed many American users to unfiltered glimpses of everyday life in China and sparked growing interest in learning Chinese mandarin and exploring Chinese culture firsthand.

Later in 2025, a concert featuring six silver-clad robots performing perfectly synchronized, high-difficulty flips drew tens of millions of views overseas. This moment echoed the global attention generated earlier in the year by DeepSeek. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index 2025, China entered the world's top 10 most innovative economies for the first time and ranked first globally for the number of top-100 science and technology clusters.

Taken together, these moments point to more than cultural visibility or technological spectacle. What increasingly resonates with global audiences is the practical values behind them - a vision of life that is healthy, convenient, creative and ultimately more livable.

In 2023, China proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, calling for respect for civilizational diversity, greater emphasis on cultural inheritance and innovation and deeper people-to-people exchanges, advocating dialogue over division.

The global enthusiasm for Chinese lifestyles reflects precisely this spirit. At its core, the trend resonates because it speaks to universal aspirations for comfort, health and warmth in everyday life. The pursuit of a better life transcends borders, and through mutual learning among civilizations, that pursuit continues to evolve - quietly, organically and with renewed vitality.