On December 4th, 2024, the Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional New Year, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition has sparked a worldwide interest in experiencing the customs and traditions of Spring Festival. Today, nearly 20 countries have made the Spring Festival a public holiday, and about one-fifth of the global population celebrates it in various ways. Traditional Spring Festival customs and activities have been introduced to nearly 200 countries and regions around the world.

As the Spring Festival approaches, a wave of foreign netizens has begun to engage with Chinese social platforms, diving headfirst into the festive spirit. Through these platforms, they are discovering a more authentic, diverse, and endearing side of China.

Among the many aspects of Chinese culture that have captivated foreign users, home-cooked dishes have emerged as a favorite. Foreigners, drawn to Chinese social media, have gained a deeper appreciation for Chinese culinary traditions. Many have marveled at the deliciousness of homemade meals shared by Chinese users, with many of the dishes appearing just as tempting in photos as they do in real life.

Some Chinese netizens, despite speaking imperfect English, have offered detailed "online cooking lessons" to their foreign followers. These tutorials cover simple dishes like Chinese steamed egg custard or stir-fried eggs with chives, with instructors demonstrating incredible patience and thoroughness—often more than they would when teaching their own children. These posts also provide insightful explanations about Chinese food customs, such as why dumplings are a staple of the Spring Festival, the differences between sweet and savory tofu pudding, and the variations between meat and date-filled sticky rice dumplings. The comment sections have become lively spaces for discussion, and Chinese netizens have enjoyed participating in these exchanges.

This authentic portrayal of Chinese life is resonating deeply with foreign netizens. Whenever they encounter something they don't understand, many ask questions using translation apps, which allows for direct communication in Chinese. These users engage with Chinese netizens on topics like Chinese aesthetics and intangible cultural heritage, even trying their hands at crafts such as paper-cutting, embroidery, pottery, and folk dance.

Foreign netizens have also shown an eagerness to learn about the everyday lives of ordinary Chinese people. They ask about healthcare, food prices, public transportation, celebrities, and music. Friendly Chinese netizens, proficient in English, provide thoughtful and detailed answers, while others, though they may not speak English fluently, show their support by leaving likes or red heart emojis. This massive online interaction has led foreign influencers—who typically receive only dozens or hundreds of likes—to see their posts garner tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of likes, leaving them astonished and saying, "So Chinese netizens really like me!"

According to data from a language learning platform, the number of Mandarin learners in the U.S. surged by nearly 216% from December 1st, 2024, to January 13th, 2025, compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, "China Travel" has become even more appealing. Data from a platform shows a significant increase in overseas users searching for information about traveling in China. Local cultural and tourism departments have been quick to release English-language posts and videos promoting China's abundant travel offerings, effectively turning them into practical guides for international travelers.

In a bid to attract visitors and boost local tourism, many cities and provinces have rolled out creative strategies. Harbin quickly embraced the "erbin" trend, while Sichuan captured hearts with its giant pandas and the catchy phrase "bashi" (sounding like "bus"). Meanwhile, Zhejiang encouraged "family members" to share the region's stunning landscapes. Countless Chinese netizens, brimming with pride for their beautiful country, have eagerly promoted these destinations online. This "cyber exchange" is breaking down cultural and geographic barriers, enabling people around the world to experience and understand China in new and exciting ways.

Source: Lingnan On the Cloud

第一批外国网友已经过上年了

去年12月4日，“春节——中国人庆祝传统新年的社会实践”入选联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录。春节申遗成功，激发了世界人民对体验中国传统春节文化的热情。近20个国家将春节作为法定节假日，全球约1/5的人口以不同形式庆祝春节，“欢乐春节”“四海同春”等春节民俗活动走进近200个国家和地区。

随着春节的来临，第一波涌入中国社交平台的外国网友已经开始有了过年的气氛。在这里，他们看到了更加真实、多元和可爱的中国。

老百姓的家常菜，把老外彻底“拿捏”了。在中文社交平台上，外国朋友对中国饮食文化的理解打开了新天地——突然发现中国网友晒的自家家常菜，也都那么诱人！

更有中国网友操着不太流利的英文“在线教学”，简单蒸个鸡蛋羹、炒个韭菜鸡蛋，比教自家孩子都细致耐心。还有人给老外“科普”，春节为什么要吃饺子？豆腐脑是咸的还是甜的？肉粽和枣粽有什么区别？评论区又是一番“混战”，那画面让中国网友也是乐在其中。

真实可爱的中国，让老外“上头”。他们“不懂就问”，用翻译软件直出中文，和中国网友热聊中式美学和非遗技艺，挑战剪纸、刺绣、陶艺、民族舞。

而且很愿意了解普通中国人的生活，关心医疗、菜价、地铁、明星、音乐……热情友善的中国网友会英文的就认真作答，不会的也愿意留个红心——庞大的网民规模让外国博主平时几十几百的点赞量突然暴增到几万几十万，让他们大呼“原来中国网友这么喜欢我！”

某语言学习平台数据显示，2024年12月1日至2025年1月13日，美国的汉语普通话学习者数量较上年同期增长近216%。

与此同时，“China Travel”的含金量还在上升。某平台数据显示，近期有大量海外用户搜索中国旅游相关信息。各地文旅纷纷发布英文宣传帖、英文宣传片展示中国丰富的旅游资源，把这里变成“China Travel”实用指南。

哈尔滨文旅迅速切换至“erbin”模式，四川文旅用大熊猫和“巴适”（bus）成功圈粉，浙江文旅发动“家人们”分享当地美景……无数中国用户带着对大好河山的自豪感，展开隔空“安利”。这场“赛博联谊”，正在克服文化差异和地域距离，让世界各地的人在互联网上看到中国、读懂中国。

（羊城晚报·羊城派综合自海客新闻、人民日报、央视新闻、新华社）

翻译丨麦芯羽
审校丨林佳岱