“Hello new friends, I’m Amanda, an American TikTok refugee mom of three little humans. I occasionally post about my family, our adventures and thoughts on being a medical mom. I promise to be kind, respectful and open to learning,” wrote a US netizen named Amanda on January 18. She shared two photos of herself and her children on RedNote, China’s popular lifestyle app. The post quickly went viral, garnering over 12,000 likes and 8,700 comments.
By mid-January, speculation that the US Supreme Court would uphold a law banning TikTok left 170 million American users frustrated. In response, tens of thousands of self-proclaimed “TikTok refugees” sought refuge on RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu. According to media reports, over 70,000 new users registered on the platform from January 13 to 14. The influx of American users was met with warmth from Chinese netizens, sparking vibrant cross-cultural exchanges on topics ranging from food and travel to parenting, language learning and job markets.
Late on January 18, TikTok went dark in the US, with the ban offi cially taking effect at midnight on January 19. For 14 hours, the platform remained inaccessible, until US President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause on the ban, allowing TikTok to return. With the platform reinstated, the wave of digital migration gradually subsided.
Many Chinese netizens viewed this brief period of direct interaction as an opportunity for greater mutual understanding, helping to dispel stereotypes and bridge cultural divides. Many expressed how heartwarming it was to see people from both countries engage so openly and enthusiastically. By February 19, the hashtag “TikTokRefugee” had amassed 3.71 billion views and 43.4 million discussions on RedNote.
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