American vlogger in China goes viral with ‘city or not city’ meme, imitated by celebrities

Paul Mike Ashton has attracted legions of fans across China with his quirky delivery and less than perfect Mandarin. Photo: Douyin

• US vlogger in Shanghai becomes online sensation with travel meme which ranks places by trendiness, thrills

An American vlogger in China has shot to fame on mainland social media - and attracted the interest of celebrities - with his invention of the "city or not city" meme.

Among the stars Shanghai resident Paul Mike Ashton has grabbed the interest of are Richie Jen Hsien-chi and Ada Choi Siu-fan.

Known as "Hug Hug Bear" or Bao Bao Xiong in Chinese, Ashton captured viral attention with a vlog during a visit to the Great Wall in Beijing with his sister, garnering more than 380,000 likes on Douyin, China's version of TikTok.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

In the video, Ashton, speaking in less-than-fluent Mandarin, asks his sister: "Is the Great Wall beautiful?" to which she replies: "Beautiful."

He followed this with: "City or not city? Ah," to which she responds: "Not city, ah."

"Not city in nature, right?" he continues, and she concludes: "Absolutely not city, ah!"

The video also featured them both holding a cup of Chinese milk tea and taking a synchronised sip after their quirky dialogue concluded.

How the conversation unfolded and the odd tone amused many people online.

"It seems his Chinese wasn't learned through conventional means," one online observer joked.

"Foreigners are amazing. They have moved from learning Chinese to creating Chinese memes," added a second.

Ashton continued to create videos using the "city or not city" format, featuring family outings across China.

Each segment begins with a call to his family members who respond in a humorous "Ah?" tone, followed by Ashton questioning whether an activity is "city or not city," and ending with a drink together.

The phrase "city or not city" queries whether a place is fashionable or has the flair of a major city.

Walking along Shanghai's Bund is "city", whereas sitting amidst mountains and sipping tea is not.

The videos have become wildly popular, with some videos receiving more than 1 million likes. Ashton now boasts 540,000 followers on Douyin.

He moved to Shanghai in 2017 after earning a Bachelor's degree in China-focused Asian Studies from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US.

He worked as a food tour guide, English tutor and translator and completed a Master's in Tourism Management from Shanghai's Donghua University in 2021.

A year earlier, he founded an arts and culture consulting firm, leading bilingual workshops and promoting art and drag events.

Ashton began posting videos in Chinese on Douyin in early 2021, and began gathering his initial following with his sense of humor.

Last year, he made a video teaching his American nephew Chinese, humorously tagging it with "Thai accent" to poke fun at both their accents, much to the delight of online viewers.

The inexplicably catchy "city or not city" meme quickly became popular in various fields such as travel, fashion styling, and everyday life.

When planning a trip, asking if a city is "city or not city" queries whether it is a modern, cosmopolitan place.

Asking if an outfit is "city or not city" questions its stylishness.

Complimenting a restaurant with fine decor and delicious food with "so city" praises its ambience and style.

The phrase also plays on the homophonic Chinese meaning of "is it thrilling or not". For example, saying "so city" during a rainy bike ride expresses the thrill.

Many celebrities also joined in the trend.

During a concert in Chengdu, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, Richie Jen was filmed asking fans: "Is Chengdu city or not city?" to which fans enthusiastically responded: "City, yeah!"

In a travel vlog, Hong Kong actress Ada Choi also posed the question "city or not city?"

Taiwan actress, Evonne Sie Yi-lin also posted a video eating pineapple cakes in an airplane cabin, joking it was quite "city".

More Articles from SCMP

Indonesia reels as crippling immigration ransomware breach sparks privacy crisis

Hong Kong centre may help fast-track medication approval in mainland China: minister

Taiwan: rare sighting of mainland Chinese helicopter points to test of island defences

Paris Olympics: badminton gold to Hong Kong? That is Lee Cheuk-yiu’s unapologetic target

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.