A French tourist's Putonghua-language post about being warmly looked after by a Chinese family during a recent May Day holiday trip has gone viral on RedNote. Photo: Screenshot from Zabulle's RedNote account

A French tourist's Putonghua-language post about being warmly looked after by a Chinese family during a recent May Day holiday trip has gone viral on Rednote, a major Chinese social media platform, drawing more than 100,000 likes and nearly 10,000 comments, according to his RedNote account. 

In a post shared on RedNote, the French tourist, named Zabulle, described his experience in short, vivid sentences in Putonghua. He recalled observing a Chinese family traveling together at a scenic site, noting their coordinated pace and clear decision-making, which he said reflected a strong sense of mutual understanding.

"Five people in the family, only one person talks. 'Go,' the one said. 'Stop. This way. Hurry up.' The rest implement with no questions," he wrote.

As he followed the family for about 10 minutes and reached a third attraction, the mother in the family noticed him trailing behind, turned around, and handed him a bottle of water. " 'Thank you,' I said. 'Drink,' she said," the post wrote. Surprised by the gesture, he wrote that when you follow a Chinese family for a while, "they naturally start taking care of you as well."

"I was simply absorbed into the system," he added humorously. "A Frenchman walking along suddenly found himself part of a Chinese family."

The post quickly sparked discussion among Chinese netizens. One commenter suggested that the family may have assumed the foreign tourist was visiting China for the first time and decided to offer help. Others said they were touched by the story, with one writing, "This is Chinese-style care. Ordinary Chinese people are kind and inclusive."

According to Jimu News, as China continues to expand its visa-free travel policies, RedNote has increasingly become a useful platform for foreign visitors seeking travel advice and assistance.

According to a report by China News Weekly, posts by foreign users about traveling in China increased fivefold over the past year. Their travel footprints have now extended to nearly 500 cities across the country.

The survey also noted that in 2025, help-seeking posts by foreign tourists were 2.5 times higher than the previous year, with each post receiving an average of 19 responses. Within this highly interactive online community, China's culture of offering practical advice has naturally extended into cross-cultural exchanges.

"In this space, every enthusiastic Chinese netizen has become a reliable 'digital tour guide' for foreign visitors," the report said.

Global Times