If you have scrolled through TikTok or Instagram lately, you have probably spotted the viral new trend taking over Gen Z feeds: Chinamaxxing. Blending the internet slang suffix “maxxing”—meaning maximizing and perfecting a lifestyle—with China, this lighthearted global craze is redefining how young Western audiences see modern China, and it is way more fun than your average cultural trend.

The soaring popularity of Chinese elements among young TikTok and Instagram users follows a clear and traceable trajectory. The trend can be largely traced back to a pivotal policy misstep by the Trump administration. In early 2025, the administration ordered TikTok to shut down its services in the United States. Stranded without their go-to social platform, massive American users flocked to Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese lifestyle and sharing app. These “TikTok refugees” were warmly welcomed by local users. Breaking through geographical barriers, mobile internet has unfolded a real, vivid portrait of modern China before American audiences, especially the younger generation.

By the end of 2025, the hashtag “becoming Chinese” had gone viral on TikTok, while “ChinaTravel”, encouraging people to visit and explore China, evolved into an even bigger mainstream trend. Fueled by this nationwide enthusiasm for China, official data shows that inbound foreign visitor arrivals in China reached 22.914 million in the first half of 2026, marking a year-on-year increase of 20.4 percent.

From “Becoming Chinese” last year to “Chinamaxxing” this year, how has the Chinese-style lifestyle gone viral among Gen Z?

如果你最近刷过TikTok或者Instagram，你大概率会发现一条席卷Z世代首页的爆红新趋势：Chinamaxxing（极致中国风）。这个网络热词，将代表“极致优化、精进生活”的网络后缀词，与中国相结合。这股风靡外国年轻人的热潮，正在重塑他们对现代中国的认知。

中国元素在外国年轻人中的流行，其实有迹可循。这一切，或许要从特朗普的一个错误决定说起。2025 年初，他要求 Tiktok 关闭在美服务，许多美国用户为了寻求新的社交网络平台，涌进中国App小红书，这群TK难民收获了小红书网友的热情欢迎，移动互联网打破了地理隔阂，将一个真实鲜活的中国展现在美国人特别是年轻人的面前。到 2025 年底，becoming Chinese 成为TikTok热门标签，“去中国看一看” 的 ChinaTravel 标签更成为外国游客付诸的现实：2026 年上半年，全中国入境外国人达 2291.4 万人次，同比增长了 20.4%。

从去年的Becoming Chinese到今年的Chinamaxxing，为什么中式生活方式一直在火？

统筹|蒋铮策划|赵鹏文案、出镜|付怡剪辑|黎杰文