"You met me in a very Chinese time in my life."

This phrase has recently appeared frequently on TikTok, with many non-Chinese creators filming themselves boiling apples, drinking hot water, and practicing Qigong (a traditional Chinese martial art), often accompanied by music played on traditional Chinese instruments or clips from the film *Mulan*.

“The first thing we do every morning is drink hot water,” says Miami-based TikTok user Simplysashanoel. “It helps relieve bloating and is good for the skin,” she adds in a video detailing her attempt to become a “Chinese baddie.”

“Our New Year begins on February 17th,” she says, referring to the first day of the Lunar New Year. “We wear slippers for the New Year.”

This video, uploaded in January, has garnered approximately 1.4 million views.

Besides drinking hot water and celebrating the Lunar New Year, some non-Chinese creators have also posted videos of eating porridge and following traditional Chinese medicine rituals. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, some non-Chinese TikTok users even posted videos sharing their adherence to Chinese tradition—not washing their hair—to avoid washing away good luck and wealth for the new year.

On the internet, this trend of emulating Chinese lifestyles and behaviors is known as "Chinamaxxing."

China’s Soft Power Is at Work

Experts say that "Chinamaxxing" indicates a significant shift in how young Americans perceive China.

Jacob Cooke, CEO of Beijing-based e-commerce consulting firm WPIC Marketing + Technologies, points out that the China Americans see on TikTok is no longer a static, traditional image, but a "modern, beautiful, and confident" new one.

Cooke says, "American influencers are visiting China, showcasing modern cities and lifestyles that are completely different from the China many Americans grew up with. This is a powerful correction."

Cooke further states that the core reason why trends like porridge, hot water, and slippers resonate with young Americans is that these behaviors are simple, intuitive, and easy to follow. He also mentions that China is gradually becoming a source of "food, aesthetics, fashion, and lifestyle content" for young Americans.

Allison Malmstein, public research director at Snowdrop, a strategic consulting firm focused on the Chinese market, stated that the emergence of the "Chinamaxxing" trend stemmed in part from the influx of TikTok users to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) last year when TikTok was about to be banned in the US.

She said this user flow gave American Gen Z the opportunity to learn about the daily lives of Chinese Gen Z. Furthermore, she mentioned that Chinese brands like Pop Mart further enhanced the appeal of Chinese culture.

"China's soft power is rising, similar to Japan in the 2000s, when everyone was watching anime like Pokémon or Dragon Ball Z, and playing Nintendo games like The Legend of Zelda and Mario. This coincides with millennials' fascination with Japanese culture," Malmstein said.

"Chinese culture is increasingly seen as a cool culture," she said.

Chinese Creators Have Mixed Feelings

This trend, which combines healthy experimentation with aesthetic role-playing, has not sparked controversy or public outrage; instead, it has received encouragement from many Chinese netizens in the US.

“You’re doing a great job staying hydrated, I’m so proud of you,” said EmmaPeng, a TikTok user living in San Francisco. “My culture can be your culture too.”

Lynn, a TikTok creator living in New York, said in a video she posted last month, “My mom and grandma would be so proud,” adding, “How come you took so long to realize this?”

Many commenters also quickly distinguished this trend from cultural appropriation.

“Appreciating a culture is completely different from appropriation,” commented one user under a viral “Chinese baddie” soup-making video by creator CeCe.

“As a Chinese-American woman, thank you for influencing me and making me more empathetic towards Chinese culture,” another commenter said.

Some non-Chinese-American creators believe that TikTok user sherry (who calls herself “Chinese baddie”) has promoted the spread of many China-related habits. She receives a variety of comments, ranging from questions like “What’s the benefit of drinking hot water? I’m a new Chinese person” to affectionate terms like “Chinese mom.”

Thanks to “Chinamaxxing,” drinking hot water in the morning has become a popular trend on TikTok.

However, for some Chinese people living in the United States, the feeling about this "Chinamaxxing" trend is different.

"Personally, I think it's all very wonderful," said Christina Young, a TikTok user living in New York City, but she added that her past experiences with racial discrimination make this trend "a little strange."

"It's surprising that being Chinese has become a trend, because just a few years ago, being Chinese on the street was a very dangerous thing," she said in a video she uploaded last month.

She added, "Please note that while some of you may choose to be Chinese for your health, real Chinese people still face racial discrimination against their culture and food every day."