Blogger aims to bridge France, China links

Editor's note: China Daily presents the series Friends Afar to tell the stories of people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries. Through the vivid narration of the people in the stories, readers can get a better understanding of a country that is boosting openness.

For Mickael Zabulle, a French blogger whose poetic Chinese reflections have attracted more than 90,000 followers on social media, the most powerful experience of all is the encounter with Chinese people.

Born and raised in France, Zabulle studied communication at university. After graduating, he worked in the recruitment industry for several years. Yet, amid the routines of office life, he felt a growing urge to tell stories differently, not as a recruiter matching CVs, but as a wanderer capturing the texture of human life.

In late April this year, he acted on that intuition. He quit his job, packed a bag, and came to China for a two-week trip, visiting cities including Beijing, Xi'an and Chongqing.

In China, he often felt that "home is when someone understands you without needing explanations".

During his stay in Beijing in May, Zabulle began to share his experiences on Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, a popular lifestyle-sharing platform in China.

"I've been fascinated by China since childhood, and from the moment I arrived in Beijing, I was captivated by the city," he wrote.

"I wanted to record moments, so I wouldn't forget them. Scrolling through the platform, I noticed many people writing about China, but something was missing: the emotional warmth, the kind of vulnerability and depth that connects one soul to another," he said.

In his posts, he uses poetic language to portray the landscapes he encounters, savor the cuisine he samples, share his observations on the Chinese way of life, and reflect on cultural differences between China and the West.

"I let my heart speak. I wrote my first post about the trip in Beijing in the Chinese language, not as a performance, but as an honest expression of myself. To my surprise, my emotions resonated with readers. At that moment, I realized that although language may differ, sincere feelings are universal," he said.

"I write my texts first in French and then translate them into Chinese with the help of grammar tools. My Chinese is still limited, as I only began discovering China this year," Zabulle said, adding he is also making a strong effort to learn Chinese, hoping to deepen his understanding of the country's culture and people.

He prefers to observe Chinese cities on foot, aimlessly roaming without a fixed destination. He listens to sounds, jots down lines, and snaps candid photos without worrying about composition.

Fleeting moments

"When I portray everyday life and human warmth in China, what matters most is 'temperature'. It's not about the weather, but the feeling between people. The laughter of a shop owner, the sound of rain splashing on concrete, a spontaneous conversation on the subway. All these fragile and fleeting moments are where the real beauty lies," he said.

In one of his posts, he recounted a bicycle tour in Shanghai in early May. That night, he unlocked a shared bike for the first time and rode through the city under the glow of streetlights. The breeze on his face made him laugh, and in that moment of childlike freedom, he understood why so many people fall in love with this city.

He is now eagerly planning a return trip to China in December, hoping to explore more cities and further immerse himself in Chinese culture.

Zabulle described his Chinese readers as deeply perceptive. They understand the unspoken, feel the emotions he does not explicitly state. "They make me believe that poetry is not dead — it just speaks in another language," he said.

Sometimes the flood of comments is overwhelming. He joked that he had opened a little cafe, but suddenly a million people walked in to chat, and he was the only one "serving coffee".

"My Chinese language is not perfect, and artificial intelligence may help me fix grammar, but the heartbeat of my prose, that tremor of emotion, is all my own. Whenever I read the words of encouragement from Chinese readers, I am always deeply moved," he said.

After immersing himself in China's life and rhythms, he has come to feel the country in a new way. What once was a place on a map has turned into an experience, an emotion — something he doesn't always fully understand but feels continually drawn to.

Now he feels a responsibility bridging French and Chinese cultures, but not in a grand, mission-driven way. He hopes to build a space where two cultures can exist side by side without judgment, only curiosity.

Looking ahead, he envisions a cross-disciplinary project that weaves together writing, photography and music, a kind of poetic dialogue between China and France. Perhaps it will become a book, or even an exhibition, he said.