In a remarkable turn of events, the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu “Little Red Book”, has been the surprise recipient of a mass migration of American TikTok users over the last week. The movement represents the largest unfiltered cultural exchange since China established its Great Digital Firewall.

As this is the inaugural blog post for My China Link, it is fitting that it coincides with the start of the Chinese New Year 2025. In China the new year, or Spring Festival, is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, which is marked by the first new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20 each year.