Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

China's "72/144-hour visa-free transit" policy has made "China Travel" a trending keyword on multiple global social media platforms since its introduction, which now has been extended to 240 hours. 

Along with it, topics like "Chinese Rural Life" have increasingly drawn more and more foreign video bloggers and international fans as well, a phenomenon reflecting the charm, diversity, and cultural richness of rural China.

Adikin Rose Mary, a Ugandan social media influencer and livestreamer, lives in a village in Lishui, East China's Zhejiang Province. She relocated to China nearly a decade ago to live with her Chinese husband, Wu Jianyun, and his family. Over time, she has become fluent in Putonghua and mastered local Chinese cuisine, which has helped her gain popularity on social media platforms both in China and abroad.

Rose's journey into social media, selling goods online sourced from both China and Africa, began as a way to support her family. Her initial efforts, inspired by friends, quickly gained traction, allowing her to turn her online videos into a successful business. She has become known to Chinese audiences as the "African Li Ziqi," a reference to a famous Chinese food vlogger, as many of her videos are about how to cook Chinese food. She currently has 1.9 million followers on TikTok.

One of the most striking features of the current wave of rural-themed content on social media is its focus on "small stories." Food is not the only theme of Rose's videos. They also show the beautiful landscape of the Chinese villages, and her "Chinese rural life" where she embraces Chinese culture by cooking traditional dishes, speaking the local dialect and building a warm community around her. 

"I'm very happy. This year my daughter was born, and we built a new house. We've captured all of this in our videos - postpartum delicacies in Suichang, as well as the traditional customs of house building. It's all showcased in our videos. I just want to share the happiness of our rural life with everyone," Rose said during an interview with CZTV.com. 

"International metropolises such as Beijing, New York, Tokyo, and Paris share many similarities, with relatively minor differences. However, it is the rural areas that hold the unique characteristics of Chinese society. These include local customs and traditions, distinctive culinary offerings, and evolving governance concepts at the grassroots level," Zhou Yefan, founder of the China-Africa Youth Federation, told the Global Times.

Katherine, a video blogger from the US, runs a video channel on YouTube called Katherine's Journey to the East, with about 133,000 followers. Her videos explore her journey of discovering the endless stories of Chinese people, with a special focus on rural and small-town life. 

"The unique cultural heritage of China's rural areas is multidimensional, providing foreign bloggers with abundant material to capture and showcase the diversity and richness of rural China from different angles. This breaks the Western stereotype of China's countryside as 'underdeveloped,'" Du Hongjun, a deputy secretary-general of China Film and Literature Society, told the Global Times.

These videos by Katherine have captivated international audiences and gained a strong following on some Chinese social media platforms like Douyin and Bilibili. Interestingly, the charm of rural life she showcases is as refreshing to many Chinese urban viewers as it is to her overseas fans. The rural lifestyle portrayed in these videos, filled with warmth, simplicity and tradition, also poses a contrast to the fast-paced urban life.

Similar to Katherine, British vlogger Barrett, who has a channel on Bilibili, appeals to Chinese audiences with his explorations of rural life and remote regions. His visits to Zhejiang's Ningbo and the Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Northwest China's Qinghai Province, have enchanted lots of Chinese viewers with the unique beauty and cultural richness of Chinese rural life. 

The viral popularity of Li Ziqi's videos abroad highlights the growing international interest in Chinese rural culture. Even urban residents in China actively engage with rural culture through activities such as staying in rural homestays, participating in traditional customs, and weekend fruit-picking trips, explained Du.

"With the traction of short videos, the visualization of rural life has established a connection between rural China and the outside world. This connection includes the integration of rural and urban resources, such as the booming popularity of agricultural products and the development of rural tourism. With the support of government policies, the future of rural storytelling holds even greater potential," he said.

China has established full visa exemptions with 26 countries and implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries, including France and Germany. China has also implemented visa-free transit policies for 54 countries, and signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 157 countries and regions. These policies have made it increasingly convenient for foreign tourists to visit China. With the growing popularity of Chinese rural life on social media, these areas have the potential to become stops for international travelers as well.

"Cross-cultural video content carries a unique communicative capacity. Through authentic perspectives, real-life scenes, and compelling stories, these videos help foster cultural dialogue," said Du. 

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn