Video-makers connect with real people, tell genuine stories, open markets

Senegalese-Italian influencer Khaby Lame — the "Silent Comedy King" — has over 162 million followers on his TikTok account. The 25-year-old, whose real name is Seringe Khabane Lame, shot to fame with his expressive mute reactions to overly complicated life hacks.

He is one of the world's most popular online personalities, but it's in China, a country known for its vibrant digital culture, that his rise has been especially meteoric.

His Chinese fans call him wuyu ge, or speechless brother.

On July 31, Lame officially joined Weibo, one of the most popular social media platforms in China.

"You might not know my name, but I'm guessing you've definitely used my reaction memes," he posted on Weibo. "I am super excited to be officially here on Weibo! I've heard Chinese netizens are the masters of creativity and humor, so let's have some fun!"

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Within 24 hours, he garnered more than 100,000 followers on Weibo. Lame also launched accounts on other Chinese social media platforms, including RedNote and Kuaishou, which received warm feedback from his local fans.

Lame's popularity in China derives from his iconic facial expressions, which have been absorbed into Chinese digital culture. One deadpan expression, often paired with an open palm gesture, perfectly encapsulates the feeling of "Why complicate things?" — a sentiment that resonates deeply in Chinese online communities.

Immersive trip

Recognizing his huge popularity in China, Shanghai-headquartered ShootsWorks announced Lame's upcoming trip to the country, which was met with great excitement.

In mid-September, he will visit Changsha, Hunan province, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

The company has set goals for Lame's trip, such as making 100 friends, tasting street food and engaging with his fans — all designed to solidify his presence in the rapidly growing Chinese digital landscape.

"We plan to take him to experience Chinese culture in several profound and immersive ways," said Yuan Yiqing, ShootsWorks' overseas IP content director.

The international, relaxed atmosphere of Shanghai will introduce Lame to the more cosmopolitan side of Chinese culture, the promoters said. The "spicy culture and fiery spirit" of Chongqing will expose him to China's more traditional, vibrant, and lively side, and likely trigger humorous content.

In Changsha, Lame will witness China's role in addressing global collaboration. In June, the city held the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The interaction of Chinese and African people will give Lame a glimpse into how travel, exploration, and cross-cultural exchanges foster business innovation. He will visit the Yuelu Academy, one of the four most prestigious academies in the country, which has nurtured generations of intellectuals since its founding in the early Song Dynasty (960-1279).

"During this journey, he will also learn about Chinese humor, and develop new gestures, movements, expressions, and viral internet memes. He will deepen his understanding of Chinese culture, lifestyle, and the business environment," said Yuan. "In China, just like him, grassroots heroes are everywhere. The spirit of entertainment and humor is ingrained in the daily lives of ordinary people."

Chinese people use humor as a tool for connection, social commentary, and entertainment — something Lame can relate to and learn from, Yuan noted.

ShootsWorks said they approached the influencer early this year, and after three to four months of discussions he confirmed his commitment to the trip.

"He and his team showed great interest in this China trip," said Zhu Liping, ShootsWorks' head of IP monetization for the Chinese market. "China's dynamic market, growing digital presence, and the increasing influence of Chinese social media platforms have all created a thriving environment for global influencers."

Yuan said many of Lame's ideas surprised them.

"He has watched a lot of Hong Kong movies and is a big fan of Bruce Lee. This year, he watched Nezha 2 and wants to create his own adaptations of Chinese movie scenes in his unique style," Yuan said. "He is also very interested in exploring the high-tech development of Chinese cities and delving into real-life cultural stories."

Stretching a friendship

It will not be the first time the Chinese company has brought a Western influencer to China.

ShootsWorks has had a successful collaboration with Pamela Reif, a German workout lifestyle influencer, whose fitness content has a massive global following.

The collaboration with Reif began in early 2023 when Zhu recognized her growing popularity in China, particularly during the pandemic. Zhu, who was living in Germany at the time, reached out to Reif who was seeking to grow her presence in China.

In 2023, Zhu took on the role of managing Reif's Chinese social media accounts, helping her navigate platforms like Weibo and Red-Note. The goal was to introduce Reif's positive and healthy lifestyle message to China's massive audience, offering her fans not just workout routines, but also a connection to a role model.

In October 2023, Reif visited major Chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing, and Changsha. Zhu planned the trip, and Reif engaged with her Chinese fans by hosting live workout sessions and fan events.

"Despite the language barrier, the energy and enthusiasm of the events showed that fitness and fun are universal languages," Zhu recalled.

In addition to a massive 9.68 million followers on YouTube, Reif has established a presence on Chinese social media — including the video-sharing platform Bilibili — and has more than 11.6 million followers.

Reif's first whirlwind trip to China was a success. On the streets of Shanghai, she was frequently stopped for photos by fans who were thrilled to meet the fitness icon in person. Her events in Beijing and Changsha featured cultural immersion, including trying the traditional Chinese exercises baduanjin and wuqinxi.

Reif's visit also incorporated Chinese culture, including visits to landmarks like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, which offered her followers around the world a look at China's rich history.

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.

Visa bonus points

The extension of China's visa-free transit policy — especially moving from 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours — is contributing to more Western influencers visiting China.

The visa extension is useful for influencers looking to diversify their content in China and connect with a vast, young audience, said Xu Ke, who heads the lifestyle section on Bilibili.

"Since the implementation of the 144-hour visa-free policy, we have observed a significant increase in China-themed content created by overseas influencers on the platform," said Xu, adding that these videos have received great feedback from both domestic and international audiences.

International viewers favor "first-time experience" content, while Chinese viewers enjoy interactions, such as offering travel tips and explaining cultural details. These positive exchanges showcase the cultural confidence and openness of contemporary Chinese society.

As China's online community becomes increasingly globalized, platforms like Bilibili are playing an important role in fostering cultural exchanges. The shift toward digital platforms has allowed influencers to connect with audiences on a more personal level, and transcend borders.

"The two types of content creators we collaborate with are both distinctive — top YouTube influencers bring a fresh perspective on first impressions of China, while foreigners living in China are able to uncover in-depth content," said Xu.

YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, made his Bilibili debut in 2023. His first video on the platform gained more than 8 million views within 24 hours.

"In terms of content creation, creators always hold the power over their content, and this is particularly evident among foreign bloggers," Xu said. "They place great emphasis on the uniqueness of their personal brand and have a strong sense of control over their topics and presentation styles."

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International content creators love focusing on topics, such as Chinese-language learning, and enjoy documenting their progress in mastering the language. Other popular topics include traditional Chinese medicine experiences, such as acupuncture and cupping; local customs and culture, ranging from exploring urban landscapes to regional delicacies; and opining on intangible cultural heritage skills such as calligraphy and tea ceremonies.

"This content not only satisfies overseas audiences' curiosity about China, but also presents Chinese traditional culture in a more vibrant and engaging way to the world. Our platform will continue to support such cultural exchanges," said Xu, adding that Bilibili is using technology to make cross-cultural dialogue more inclusive and impactful, and breaking down language and cultural barriers.

One example is the introduction of real-time comment translation features, which enable seamless interaction between Chinese fans and foreign creators.

"This means that, regardless of language barriers, fans can communicate directly with content creators, and vice versa. The goal is to continue exploring ways to overcome these language barriers to facilitate smoother and more meaningful cultural exchanges," he said.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn