Thursday, June 6, 2024 When Marie Derien, a young woman from Marseille, France, first visited China as a middle school student, she stayed in a hotel at the foot of Jingshan Park in Beijing. “When I first looked out the window, I was stunned by an amazing sense of familiarity,” she recalled. “I didn’t know the city at all, but in my mind, I felt like I was home.
” When Derien ventured outside, she was immediately captivated by Chinese culture and the friendliness of the locals, who greeted her with warm waves on the street. Having learned Chinese since primary school, she understood their welcoming words and gestures, inspiring her to one day live there. Since 2021, Derien, known as Dai Mingxin, has been posting videos as “France’s Little Xin Xin.
” Her fluency in Chinese is so impressive that her French accent has nearly disappeared. the domestic video-sharing website bilibili.com.
Her content, which shares stories about France with Chinese audiences, has garnered her 310,000 followers and established her as a cultural bridge between the two nations. She has created 128 videos about China, France, and the connection between them. Derien secured second place in the fourth “100 Reasons to Love Beijing” short video contest, organized by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and hosted by China Daily, at the award ceremony held on May 23 at Beijing Library.
Upon accepting the award, Derien expressed her delight in promoting cultural exchange between Ch.
