Let me recommend a few other online platforms, just like Rednote, that will make you feel like you've discovered a whole new world
Hello，I'm a Chinese native.I’m really grateful to everyone from around the world who’s been sharing your stories and perspectives with us lately. Rednote is an online utopia created mainly by young women, which is why you’ll find the vibe here super friendly. We’re so glad you’re enjoying the app, and feel free to keep using it—just don’t forget to pay your pet tax on time.If you’re looking to explore more of China, beyond the utopia, here are some other Chinese platforms I recommend. Feel free to check them out!
豆瓣 Dou Ban ：豆瓣 (douban.com) If you're tired of short videos and looking for a community focused more on written content, I'd recommend Douban. It's kind of like a mix of IMDB (or Rotten Tomatoes)+Reddit+ Amazon reviews (or Goodreads). When Chinese people want to check the ratings of a movie, TV show, or novel, they usually go to Douban. The platform has tons of different groups in all kinds of areas, just like Reddit. You can join groups for cooking, movies, books, photography, gossip, trauma support, and more. Similar to rednote, most Douban users are women, and many of them are well-educated. Some women there have pretty good English. If you're a feminist, you’ll easily find your people there, and there’s content on Douban that you won’t find on Rednote.
bilibli：哔哩哔哩 (゜-゜)つロ 干杯~-bilibili This is like YouTube for Chinese people, mainly focused on long-form videos, although users can also upload short ones. A lot of Bilibili creators repurpose your TikTok videos and upload them to Bilibili to make money. Some foreigners even create accounts on Bilibili. While watching videos, viewers can send real-time comments (called "danmu"). The audience is mainly young, with a pretty even split between male and female users. The vibe is more authentic compared to platforms like Rednote which tends to be friendlier, but they are usually a bit more welcoming to foreigners. Personally, I like watching documentaries, movies, variety shows (which require a membership), and entertainment gossip on Bilibili.
WeiBo：微博 (weibo.cn) This is like China's version of X, filled with the latest breaking news and entertainment gossip. You can see how our media covers news about America on here. Of course, just like X, Weibo is full of angry arguments and debates every day. But it's also the closest thing Chinese internet users have to free speech.
However, just like Rednote, all of these platforms in China are subject to speech regulation.
My least favorite app is Douyin, which is the Chinese version of TikTok. It's really noisy, full of low-quality content, and the comment section is pretty unfriendly.
Enjoy~🐱
