With the arrival of the new academic season, “International Students starting school in China” has recently trended on China’s social media platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote. Students from countries like the UK, Russia, South Korea and France have shared their student ID and enrollment photos, captioning them with lively phrases like “Mom and Dad, I’ve made it!”

These posts have drawn widespread attention from Chinese netizens. While marveling at the students’ impressively fluent Chinese, netizens have flooded the comment section with recommendations for local cuisine, travel routes and lifestyle tips for these foreign friends. Behind this phenomenon is China’s increasingly high level of educational openness. As “China travel” gains global popularity, more foreigners are ignited with enthusiasm for Chinese culture, making studying in China ever more appealing.

Antoine Portet, a 25-year-old legal student from France, told the Global Times on Thursday that in August he enrolled in the China University of Political Science and Law to pursue his master’s degree.

Portet’s passion for Chinese culture began with table tennis, spreading to the Chinese language, which he started self-learning in 2017. “Then I dived into Chinese culture. My interest grew to encompass various aspects, from its cuisine to rap music, and I even wrote my own Chinese rap songs,” he said.

“To me, Chinese people are enthusiastic, hardworking, and are deeply rooted in a rich and profound culture,” Portet said. Comparing China and France, he focuses on the similarities rather than the differences, such as both countries’ appreciation for food and its cultural significance, as well as their special bond rooted in history despite occasional complexities in international affairs.

With China’s recent relaxation of visa policies, Portet found a visible increase in foreigners in the country. He noted, in particular, that he believes more foreigners should try learning Chinese: “Language is more than a tool - it carries values, ways of thinking and a deeper connection to the culture. Without it, it’s harder to fully integrate and appreciate the richness of Chinese society,” he told the Global Times.

Yaguchi Aimi, a Japanese student majoring in international relations at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that her life of studying in China began with her family, as she grew up in an environment where Chinese and Japanese cultures are intertwined.

“During my time in China, my biggest takeaway is how reality differs so greatly from the portrayal of China in foreign media,” Aimi said. “The campus atmosphere is very open, and my classmates are so friendly, always taking me to experience various aspects of life like sharing meals and strolling through the streets. These experiences allowed me to truly immerse myself in Chinese society,” Aimi said.

Aimi said she has also noticed many interesting differences between Chinese and Japanese cultures. “For example, Chinese have a ‘hot water culture,’ while Japanese tend to drink icy beverages; the convenience of mobile payment in China is truly remarkable; and the way Chinese people express themselves often sounds more direct in a Japanese context.”

“Experiencing these differences sometimes lead to tiny misunderstandings, but also taught me to think from others’ perspectives, which has been a really valuable discovery for me,” Aimi said.

On Xiaohongshu, the most viral post comes from a British student whose Chinese name is An Yuqi. She posted a photo of her Tsinghua University student ID, with the caption, “Mom and Dad, I’ve made it!” - garnering more than 19,000 likes. In the comments section, she playfully engages with netizens using Chinese internet memes, like those from Empresses in the Palace featuring An Lingrong, prompting fans to exclaim, “Her Chinese is more fluent than mine!”

Yizhen, a university student from South Korea, has also captivated many on Xiaohongshu with her lively posts about life as an international student in Xi’an, an ancient city in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. Her profile bio reads, “Falling in love with everything Chinese.”

Two posts pinned at the top of her page highlight her journey to study at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, detailing how she took a two-year school break to work and saved up for her dream, and how she got her acceptance letter, captioned with excitement: “I fell in love with Xi’an at the Drum Tower during New Year, so this September, I’m here!”

Yizhen’s feed vividly captures her Xi’an adventures, from savoring spicy hotpot to snapping selfies in local accessory shops. In her photos and notes about exploring Xi’an’s bustling streets and historic alleys, netizens could appreciate her deep affection for her new home.

In recent years, as China advances its high-level openness, its educational influence and appeal have grown significantly. Data from a September 2024 press conference by the State Council Information Office revealed that 85 countries worldwide have incorporated Chinese into their national education systems, with over 200 million people learning or using Chinese globally outside of China. Students from 195 countries and regions are pursuing studies in China, with over 60 percent enrolled in degree programs.

On Wednesday, at a forum during the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services, two significant initiatives in Beijing’s two-way study abroad sector were launched - the “China study abroad industry-education cooperation platform” and the “full-process service for international students.” These initiatives inject new momentum into the global study abroad service system, with industry experts noting that academic advancement, cultural immersion and career development are the primary motivations for international students in China, Beijing Business Today reported.