RedNote adds vibrancy to cultural exchanges

New users in U.S. embrace warm interactions, peek into different worlds

"TikTok refugees" who moved to RedNote share greeting videos on Jan 19. A planned U.S. ban on TikTok has been postponed by the Trump administration. (Photo provided to CHINA DAILY)

A 57-year-old United States woman known online as "Mary Jo", has quickly gained 105,000 followers on the increasingly popular Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform RedNote.

"When the TikTok ban was looming, the entire TikTok community was desperately searching for places to stay connected," said Mary Jo. "We have formed very deep bonds in recent years, many of us connecting while we were in quarantine during COVID. It felt crucial to stay together somehow."

Her embrace of RedNote has allowed her to experience the beauty and brilliance of Chinese culture, she said.

One of the videos she shared shows how moved she is by the connections and interactions she has formed with Chinese users on the platform. It received over 165,000 likes.

Mary Jo said she discovered RedNote when she saw a video on TikTok by a young man who spoke highly of the lifestyle platform. While TikTok is primarily a video-sharing platform, RedNote, or Xiaohongshu, founded in 2013, focuses more on lifestyle content generated from multiple sources and is predominantly in Chinese.

With TikTok Mary Jo's only active social media at the time, she decided to give Red-Note a try. The platform was witnessing a surge in interest from the United States, with hundreds of thousands of users creating videos praising its features and appeal.

She believes RedNote is designed to foster a sense of community, even within its marketplace, adding it provides her with feelings of warmth and inclusiveness.

A simple video she made about chickens, for example, sparked a flood of comments that featured scenic landscapes, pet photos, and family moments.

Mary Jo said she has many friends who are planning to become active on RedNote to enjoy a "truly fulfilling" social media experience. She said she would continue to use RedNote as long as she is allowed.