The power of Chinese app Xiaohongshu: Friends apart for 7 years reunited in just 22 hours
Katharina, an American TikTok user, posted a video asking for help in locating her long-lost middle school Chinese friend on Xiaohongshu.
When Katharina, an American TikTok user, discovered Xiaohongshu, she wasn't expecting to kick off an international hunt for her long-lost middle school Chinese friend named Simon. But that's exactly what happened.
Armed with nothing but a blurry memory, she joined the Chinese social media platform on January 15 and posted a video, saying: "I need all netizens on this app to find him. Simon, I miss you. I miss our friendship."
Katharina's story began in a private Catholic school in Iowa state, where, during her seventh grade, a Chinese exchange student named Simon showed up and became her best friend.
Chinese netizens, never ones to back down from a challenge, immediately rallied to Katharina's help.
With a blurry photo, Chinese netizens started helping, with one commenting, "Trust the speed of China".
A Chinese netizen joked, "Forget him, remember me."
Chinese netizens, never ones to back down from a challenge, immediately rallied to her help. Comments flooded in: "Do you have a photo of Simon?" Katharina confessed that her school had a strict no-phone policy back then, so she was hunting down old classmates to see if anyone had a picture.
Chinese netizens reassured her with the confidence of seasoned detectives: "Don't worry. If you have even one blurry photo, we'll find him," and, "Trust the speed of China!"
And they delivered. Just 22 hours later, Simon himself appeared in the comments section. "It's me, Simon. I never dreamed that today I could see my good friend from many years ago. Thank you all on Xiaohongshu for your help." he wrote, sparking an explosion of excitement.
Just 22 hours later, Simon himself appeared in the comments section.
Katharina posted another video, thanking the Xiaohongshu community.
Katharina was over the moon. She posted another video, thanking the Xiaohongshu community.
Of course, the internet couldn't resist having a little fun. Some users joked about uniting Katharina and Simon: "Marry him! This is destiny!" Others offered humorous distractions, like, "Forget him, remember me," while some dubbed the whole affair the "Simon saga", claiming this was yet another testament to the unstoppable detective skills of Chinese netizens.
"With Chinese netizens on the case, nothing is impossible!" one wrote in jest.
Katharina's video now boasts more than 24,000 likes and has been covered by many Chinese media outlets.
This tale is one more striking example of the "China speed". Whether finding a person, solving a mystery, or sparking a viral moment, one thing is clear: when Chinese netizens are on your side, miracles happen.
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