Britain’s popularity among Chinese tourists is booming, fueled in part by social media influencers who showcase the country in all its quirks.
But how do visitors from the world’s most populous nation really experience the UK beyond the picture-perfect images of Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, and Paddington Bear?
A deep dive into Chinese platforms like RedNote and Douyin reveals plenty of surprises, laughs, and eyebrow-raising moments.
A Cultural Shock Over British Cuisine
One of the standout reactions comes from singer and influencer Tian BingBing, better known as TiBiBi, who has over 250,000 followers on Douyin.
On a visit from Xi’an, she was taken on an unexpected trip to Manze’s, a historic Cockney eel, pie, and mash shop near Tower Bridge.
Expecting a glamorous dinner in the Shard, she instead found herself faced with a centuries-old British classic.
The parsley sauce—fondly called “liquor”—prompted TiBiBi to dub it “Shrek soup.”
She described the menu’s offerings of eel, jellied or stewed, and pies as “famine escape food” and “the darkest cuisine over 100 years old in the UK.”
Even her boyfriend Damien’s careful potato barrier on the plate didn’t escape comment: she joked, “Are you afraid that the toilet will leak?” Ultimately, she made a beeline for a tofu dish at a nearby restaurant, declaring she would “never eat British crappy food again.”
British Youth, Fashion, and Life Through Chinese Eyes
Other influencers noticed Britain’s social contrasts. “Beijing Coco” documented street youths performing wheelies and compared British fashion to Peaky Blinders, noting how one can experience four seasons in a single day.
The British, she observed, are “cultured, sophisticated, and elegant,” but also, when drunk, behave like “uncontrollable video game NPCs.”
Visitors also noted the paradoxes: a rich and advanced country where people still queue at post offices, work slowly, and strike over minor issues.
Some found the 20mph speed limit baffling, while others were amused by the mixture of British accents and slang, including Multicultural London English.
Tube Tales and Pickpocket Warnings
Daily life on London’s Tube caught the attention of several visitors.
Dorisaaaaa marveled at a passenger reading Surrounded by Idiots, while others took selfies with her.
Comments ranged from amusement at fabric seats to cautionary tales about pickpocketing gangs, such as one near Jack’s Gelato in Cambridge.
Even idyllic locations had their unexpected moments—HiyaScotland noted Edinburgh’s Instagram-perfect streets contrasted with umbrellas turning inside out in gusty winds, warning not to trust everything social media portrays.
Exploring London’s Hidden Gems
Not all reactions were critical. UanKids highlighted the Thames Cruise as a convenient way to see London’s landmarks, while TiBiBi and others shared their discoveries of Little Venice, Paddington Station’s bear statue, and the Sky Garden at the Walkie-Talkie building.
Markets also proved popular: Spitalfields Market impressed for its variety, from Indian cheese naan to Chinese pancakes, often preferred by locals over the tourist-heavy Borough Market.
Even luxury and health stops featured in Chinese visitors’ itineraries.
Influencers recommended Whittard of Chelsea for hot chocolate, Harrods for discounted Burberry, and even Holland & Barrett for health supplements like grapeseed extract and cod liver oil, highlighting the mix of traditional sightseeing with modern wellness trends.
A Humorous and Honest Take on Britain
From fishy eel to striking Tube workers, the stream of content from Chinese influencers paints Britain as a country full of contrasts and surprises.
Their videos and posts capture a mix of delight, confusion, and humor, giving followers back home a quirky but candid look at life in the UK—a far cry from the Downton Abbey-perfect vision they may have imagined.
