When your culture becomes a meme: the ‘jarring’ effect of Chinamaxxing

The Chinamaxxing meme can be two things at once: rebellious and meaningless. ‘When people say they’re becoming Chinese, no one actually means that,’ says one content creator. Illustration: Rita Liu/The Guardian

I have been Chinese my whole life. Lately, many online have also found their Chinese roots, but not through traditional ancestry tests.

Creators are drinking hot water, wearing slippers around the house, using chopsticks, eating Chinese food and wearing red. Taking off in popularity from mid-2025, these videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views, finding virality first on TikTok, then Instagram and X. Put simply, “People are trying to be more Chinese regardless of what their heritage is,” says Michelle She, a London-based fashion label owner.