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Instead of wallowing in misery about potentially losing access to their favorite short-form video app, many TikTokers are flocking to RedNote<\/a>, a Chinese social media platform also called Xiaohongshu. I\u2019ve decided to spend some time on the platform myself, and it looks like so-called \u201cTikTok refugees\u201d are excited about interacting with a community mainly comprised of Chinese-speaking users \u2014 and vice versa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Launched in 2013 as a shopping platform, RedNote has grown into one of China\u2019s most popular social apps featuring photos, videos, and written content. Now it\u2019s seeing another spike in users from another part of the globe, with more than 700,000 users joining RedNote in just two days, according to a report from Reuters<\/em><\/a>. The number is still small, at just a fraction of the 150 million Americans TikTok<\/a> reported were already using the app in early 2023.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As noted by CNN,<\/a> the name Xiaohongshu translates to \u201clittle red book,\u201d which \u201ccould be seen as a tongue-in-cheek reference to a red-covered book of quotations from the founding father of Communist China, Mao Zedong.\u201d Many US users seem to be using the Chinese platform out of spite of the US government\u2019s plan to ban TikTok \u2014 but in a deeply unserious way<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Amongst all the Chinese-language posts depicting sleek fit checks, mouthwatering food videos, and memes I don\u2019t quite understand yet, is content from TikTok expats. Many joke about their sudden appearance on the app, with one user<\/a> wondering what Chinese users might think after seeing an influx of US-based users and another showing<\/a> their gradual transformation from a gun-wielding, Buc-ee\u2019s merch-wearing American into a Chinese-speaking RedNote user. Others are simply saying \u201chello\u201d<\/a> to their new community \u2014 some of whom have written captions in what I\u2019d assume is machine-translated Chinese.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Even more interesting though, are all the RedNote users welcoming TikTokers with open arms. Several RedNote users are eager to introduce the app while also sharing some tips and tricks on how to navigate it. One creator says, \u201cnow\u2019s the perfect time to dive into Chinese culture\u201d through RedNote with the Chinese New Year coming up, adding that users on the platform are \u201cobsessed with Luigi, Trump, and Squid Game<\/em>.\u201d Some even offer to teach their new community members Chinese.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But many TikTokers are equally curious about RedNote users in China, too. \u201cChinese friends, post pictures of your meal or snacks for today! Curious to see what you typically eat,\u201d one user writes. Another asks, \u201cI\u2019m American. Do y\u2019all like us? We know y\u2019all not the enemy. Can we all be friends?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The trend is actually kind of wholesome, and I\u2019m here for it, but I\u2019m not confident it will actually last. If these apps grow in popularity, they could potentially face a ban, too. But the migration to RedNote is likely just a trend \u2014 and trends only last as long as it takes for another to replace it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n