What does "becoming Chinese" mean on TikTok?

The meaning of becoming Chinese and Chinamaxxing, where the phrase came from, the Mandarin words behind it and how the hashtags are used.

Updated 2026-10-11

On TikTok, "becoming Chinese" means adopting everyday habits associated with Chinese family life, such as drinking hot water, wearing slippers indoors and eating congee, and posting about it as a kind of light-hearted personal journey. It does not mean changing nationality or claiming an ethnicity. It is a meme that is partly ironic and partly sincere: Know Your Meme describes participants and commentators treating it both ways, and NBC News called it an intentionally absurd joke that also highlights traditional Chinese wellness habits. It is also known as Chinamaxxing.

For the wider picture, including costs and criticism, see the becoming Chinese hub.

The short meaning

When someone says they are "becoming Chinese", they usually mean one or more of these:

• They have swapped iced drinks for hot water or tea.
• They wear house slippers at home and keep their feet warm.
• They eat warm, simple food such as congee and soup.
• They have started a gentle routine like tai chi or going to bed earlier.
• They are joking about how much of their life now resembles a Chinese grandparent's advice.

The habits themselves are covered in becoming Chinese habits explained.

Where the phrase came from

"A very Chinese time in my life"

The catchphrase that travels with the trend is "you met me at a very Chinese time in my life". It parodies a line from the 1999 film Fight Club. Know Your Meme and Wikipedia trace the first known version to a post by X user @girl__virus in April 2025. NBC reports that the phrase is often paired with "Yi Jian Mei", a 1983 song by Fei Yu-ching.

Sherry Zhu's "how to become Chinese" videos

The phrase "becoming Chinese" as a how-to took off with Sherry Zhu (@sherryxiiruii), a 23-year-old Chinese-American creator from New Jersey. In December 2025 she posted tongue-in-cheek videos telling viewers to drink hot water instead of cold and to wear slippers indoors. Know Your Meme lists those two videos at 5.5 million and 6.3 million views. NBC credits her with helping the joke go mainstream, and she told NBC that she sees the humour as reflecting real curiosity about Chinese culture.

Earlier sparks

Several outlets point to earlier moments that primed the audience:

• Complex mentions a 2022 TikTok by Papist Dalton joking that heaven turned out to be Chinese.
• GoEast Mandarin and Wikipedia cite streamer IShowSpeed's China trip in March 2025.
• Wikipedia says streamer Hasan Piker used the word "Chinamaxxing" during his own China trip in 2025.
• NBC and GoEast both mention the January 2025 move of American TikTok users to Xiaohongshu (RedNote).

Key terms and slang

Know Your Meme lists "siu tim, siu bing" (less sugar, less ice) as a drink-ordering phrase used in "Chinese baddie" videos. Wikipedia reports that The Economist found the trend often translated on Chinese social media as "sinicization".

Mandarin words behind the trend

GoEast Mandarin, a language school, published a vocabulary list for the trend. The most useful words are below, with characters and pinyin as given there.

The core idea

• 养生 (yǎngshēng): "nourishing life", a philosophy of preventive wellness and living in step with nature. Most of the habits sit under this heading.
• 中医 (Zhōngyī): traditional Chinese medicine
• 气 (qì): vital energy
• 阴阳 (yīnyáng): yin and yang, the balance of opposing forces
• 寒 (hán): cold energy
• 暖胃 (nuǎnwèi): warming the stomach

The habits

Phrases you can use

• 我越来越中国了。(Wǒ yuè lái yuè Zhōngguó le.) "I'm becoming more and more Chinese."
• 喝热水对身体好。(Hē rè shuǐ duì shēntǐ hǎo.) "Drinking hot water is good for the body."
• 冷饮对脾胃不好。(Lěngyǐn duì píwèi bù hǎo.) "Cold drinks are bad for the spleen and stomach."

The last two express traditional beliefs, not established medical facts. What official health bodies say is covered in the habits guide.

How people use the hashtags

The main tags reported by NBC, GoEast Mandarin and LBB Online are #becomingchinese, #chinesebaddie and #chinesesummer, with Chinamaxxing used as a caption or in commentary. Typical formats include:

• The instruction video. A Chinese or Chinese-diaspora creator tells viewers what they must do to "become Chinese", in a mock-serious tone.
• The convert update. A non-Chinese creator shows their thermos, slippers or congee and declares a day count.
• The welcome video. Creators in China respond warmly; Know Your Meme lists a welcoming video by Emma Peng at 5.6 million views.
• The routine vlog. A morning or evening routine built around hot water, stretching, a foot soak and an early night, as described by the South China Morning Post.
• Commentary. Diaspora creators and writers discussing what they like and dislike about the trend.

Is it meant seriously?

Both. The Conversation's analysis, republished by Southern Cross University, describes much of it as parody but notes many creators are sincerely trying the practices, and that most humorous videos do not mock Chinese people. Complex quotes the anthropology account AnthroDorphins suggesting the trend is less about becoming Chinese and more about imagining a less lonely, less burned-out way to live.

Not everyone reads it kindly. PureWow's Marissa Wu and NBC's interviewees describe mixed feelings, especially among Chinese Americans who were teased for the same habits as children. LBB Online warns that short videos flatten a complex culture. If you join in, crediting where the habits come from and listening to Chinese creators goes a long way.

Is it still going?

Know Your Meme describes the trend as peaking in early 2026. The meme may fade, but the habits it borrowed are everyday practice for many people in China: GoEast Mandarin notes that guests there are often offered hot water and slippers, and congee is a common food when someone is unwell. If you want to try it, the starter kit guide lists what you need.