Faced with a looming TikTok ban, users are fleeing to Chinese app Red Note
In fact, the app doesn’t even have a good English translation of its own name: Xiaohongshu is just the phonetic translation of its Chinese name. 小红书. While the literal translation “little red book” may remind English-speaking users of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s collection of speeches and propaganda slogans of the same name, it has a different connotation in China, where users interpret it as a source of reliable user-generated recommendations for everyday things , such as which restaurant you should visit or which cosmetic product you should buy.
The recent influx of American users has certainly caught the attention of Xiaohongshu’s existing user base. David Yang, a recent master’s graduate from China currently living in Paris, suddenly noticed on Sunday that his Xiaohongshu feed was full of American users. He had previously seen some non-Chinese YouTubers intentionally come to the platform to attract Chinese followers, but nothing on this scale.
When he now scrolls on his Xiaohongshu homepage, according to a screen recording he shared, around a quarter of the content comes from so-called TikTok refugees. “Some of them ask what Chinese people think about certain issues, such as the US, LGBT or other social issues. And some invite Chinese users to ask them questions. And some just use the app like TikTok and post whatever they find interesting,” Yang tells WIRED. The concentration of real personal content shared by regular people rather than seasoned influencers is refreshing, he added.
Chinese Xiaohongshu users are fascinated by the influx of new voices. Most of them, especially those who speak English, extend their hand in greeting, like the videos posted by TikTok refugees and follow their accounts. Some take the time to explain how the app works to people who have difficulty navigating the app due to the language barrier.
Sarah FotheringhamA TikTok user from Utah since 2021 tells WIRED that she is having a surprisingly enjoyable time in Xiaohongshu, despite relying on Google Translate to use the platform. In her first two days on the app, she spent a few hours on it each day and posted four videos, the last of which explaining U.S. school lunch to Chinese users. “People have asked us for help with everything from navigating the app to adding subtitles to videos to translation,” says Fotheringham. “One comment on my video came from a Chinese user. She said, ‘Wow, it’s like looking over the Great Wall of China.’ And for me it was the first time I saw it.
“Most (new Xiaohongshu users) are probably in the curiosity phase. I think there could be some cultural shock or controversy over time, but that would be part of the process so they can get to know each other on a deeper level,” says Yang.
