Chinese fascination

A US woman known on RedNote as "StressedBigJess" understands Thomas' reaction to Chinese social media.

"The RedNote community is very friendly. Most of the time on American apps, the vibes are rancid," she said. "I like RedNote because there are a lot less ads, and people are extremely kind and wholesome."

Her first post on RedNote was about paying her "cat tax" by posting cat photos and videos to gain permission as a foreigner to join the app. Jess shared a photo of her cat Tino and Cardamom, a British Shorthair, a cat breed she later learned is rare in the United States but extremely common in China.

One comment from a Chinese user moved her. The person had recently lost their own British Shorthair and said Jess' photo reminded them of their late pet. "It made me want to treasure mine even more," Jess said.

Through pet content, she learned that "Chinese cats are very round, while American cats are very pointy".Small-sized pets are popular in China, in part due to apartment living, she found out through exchanges.

These everyday glimpses sparked her curiosity about China. Although immigration restrictions make living in China unlikely for her, Jess now dreams of visiting one day — especially cities like Beijing and Chongqing, a place she envisions as a maze she'd love to explore.

Jess is fascinated by space-maximized apartments, bright lofts with large windows, and clever interior designs posted on RedNote, which are unlike anything she's seen in the US. She adores many aspects of the Chinese lifestyle, including three-wheel cars and the prevalence of vegetable gardens.

RedNote not only connected her to animal lovers across the world, but awakened a genuine interest in Chinese culture and its landscapes. By posting her own life as an average American, she hopes to return the favor — offering others the same kind of candid view she loved discovering in their posts.

"I think people can bond easily over pets. It's human nature to care for cute little animals. Anytime I want to bond with someone I don't know, I bring up my cats and it always works," she said. "I hope one day the world can bond together over pets instead of having conflicts."