The past few years have seen a new soft power rising. It’s visible everywhere, from the lofty heights of fine art to the lowbrow world of online memes. As its culture gains ever more prominence, Christian Wan wonders how exactly China became so cool
Kung fu, ta keout, manufacturing labels. Until very recently, the Western world associated Mainland China with a quality that, if anything, was more negative than positive – and a great distance from what could be considered cool. But since 2024, Chinese culture has exploded on the global stage. Internet feeds are now dominated by tea drinkers and mahjong tables, the phrase “you met me in a very Chinese time of my life” truer with each passing day.
It goes without saying that China’s current status has only just been established. Of course, Chinese media has earned a fair share of acclaim. Yet, such considerations have always taken on a distinctly foreign context. Though successful, films like Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury generated more of a passing curiosity than immersion. American interpretations like Mulan and Kung Fu Panda are prime examples – portrayals that are comedic, frivolous and fetishised.
Plus, there’s the fact that jokes about factory locations, homemade lunchboxes and fresh-off-theboat accents are so incredibly normalised. It’s not uncommon to dismiss a broken appliance as simply “made in China”. Grade schoolers haven’t stopped gagging over their classmates’ stir-fry while chowing down on their Lunchables. Many still consider Covid-19 the “Wuhan virus”.
Even five years ago, it would have been impossible to imagine that the next cultural wave would be coming out of this nation. The definition is changing so rapidly, it’s almost disorienting – China has turned into a symbol of progressiveness. The movement is going East. It all points to a central mystery – how could a country that was so looked-down on rise in the global consciousness so quickly?
Potential reasons abound, but the beginnings can be traced back to the great migration from TikTok to RedNote. Ahead of an anticipated ban, over half a million users found refuge in the alternative platform. Suddenly, thousands of teenagers and young adults – whose only previous exposure to China was limited to the tiny lens of Hollywood portrayals, a couple kids in their high school class or their grandmother’s eponymous tableware – found themselves interacting with real people. They discovered Chinese humour, entertainment and heritage – and the seeds of a fascination.
Next were the Labubus. Whether or not you find the little monsters cute, they undeniably took the world by storm. Everyone from Blackpink’s Lisa to Kim Kardashian and David Beckham adopted the accessories. Brawls broke out and shelves emptied as soon as they were stocked. In an ironic twist, counterfeits flooded the secondhand market. China’s reputation for crude replicas was flipped on its head; now the rest of the planet was scrambling to copy the appeals of Chinese creativity.
That’s not all. Black Myth: Wukong – an action roleplaying game inspired by Journey to the West and released in August 2024 – won several of the most prestigious industry awards, selling 20 million copies in its first month of release. The 2025 World Aquatics Championships for artistic swimming saw a performance inspired by the aforementioned video game win gold. According to travel platform Tuliu, visits to its real-life settings in Shanxi rose by nearly 160%.
Which provides a perfect transition to the next part: China’s landscapes have become synonymous with beauty, both natural and manmade. No longer is it just about what colour of panda to see, but the mountains, cliffsides and historical architecture. High-speed trains, metropolitan skylines and technological marvels have no comparison.
China is advanced. The constant output in robotics and AI is proof. But more than technological innovation, imaginative voices within the country offer a host ofunique perspectives, each occupying different spots on a spectrum between heritage and experimentalism. Designers at Shanghai Fashion Week like Guo Pei, Shushu/Tong and Staffonly have brought overwhelming praise and attention to the city.
What’s happening now is that international youth aren’t limited to past singular modes of perception. Whereas before it was like peering into a separate universe through a miniscule keyhole, now the whole door is open for the first time. Discovering another people’s essence after centuries of obscurement offers an unmatched enchantment. The reality is that these artistic expressions, traditions and narratives have always been there and China has always been cool. What’s changed is that it can finally define itself beyond its borders on its own terms.
Also see: Indonesian artist Bagus Pandega on exploring progress and preservation
