Foreign influencers arrive to turn focus on culture, creativity

Visa bonus points

The extension of China's visa-free transit policy — especially moving from 72 hours and 144 hours to 240 hours — is contributing to more Western influencers visiting China.

The visa extension is useful for influencers looking to diversify their content in China and connect with a vast, young audience, said Xu Ke, who heads the lifestyle section on Bilibili.

"Since the implementation of the 144-hour visa-free policy, we have observed a significant increase in China-themed content created by overseas influencers on the platform," said Xu, adding that these videos have received great feedback from both domestic and international audiences.

International viewers favor "first-time experience" content, while Chinese viewers enjoy interactions, such as offering travel tips and explaining cultural details. These positive exchanges showcase the cultural confidence and openness of contemporary Chinese society.

As China's online community becomes increasingly globalized, platforms like Bilibili are playing an important role in fostering cultural exchanges. The shift toward digital platforms has allowed influencers to connect with audiences on a more personal level, and transcend borders.

"The two types of content creators we collaborate with are both distinctive — top YouTube influencers bring a fresh perspective on first impressions of China, while foreigners living in China are able to uncover in-depth content," said Xu.

YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, made his Bilibili debut in 2023. His first video on the platform gained more than 8 million views within 24 hours.

"In terms of content creation, creators always hold the power over their content, and this is particularly evident among foreign bloggers," Xu said. "They place great emphasis on the uniqueness of their personal brand and have a strong sense of control over their topics and presentation styles."

International content creators love focusing on topics, such as Chinese-language learning, and enjoy documenting their progress in mastering the language. Other popular topics include traditional Chinese medicine experiences, such as acupuncture and cupping; local customs and culture, ranging from exploring urban landscapes to regional delicacies; and opining on intangible cultural heritage skills such as calligraphy and tea ceremonies.

"This content not only satisfies overseas audiences' curiosity about China, but also presents Chinese traditional culture in a more vibrant and engaging way to the world. Our platform will continue to support such cultural exchanges," said Xu, adding that Bilibili is using technology to make cross-cultural dialogue more inclusive and impactful, and breaking down language and cultural barriers.

One example is the introduction of real-time comment translation features, which enable seamless interaction between Chinese fans and foreign creators.

"This means that, regardless of language barriers, fans can communicate directly with content creators, and vice versa. The goal is to continue exploring ways to overcome these language barriers to facilitate smoother and more meaningful cultural exchanges," he said.