France's Little Xin Xin makes Beijing home

BEIJING, June 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily:

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 she ventured outside, Derien said she immediately felt the appeal of Chinese culture and the enthusiasm of people who proffered friendly waves on the street. Having learned to speak Chinese since primary school, she could understand their welcoming words as well as their gestures, prompting her to decide to one day reside here.

Since 2021, with the adopted name Dai Mingxin and speaking Chinese so fluently that her French accent has all but disappeared, Derien has posted as "France's Little Xin Xin" on domestic video-sharing website bilibili.com. Her videos tell tales of France to Chinese audiences. Having produced 128 videos on China, France, and stories related to the two nations, she has attracted 310,000 followers while earning a reputation for linking the two nations culturally.

In the fourth "100 Reasons to Love Beijing" short video contest organized by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and hosted by China Daily for worldwide participants to share their love for the city, Derien won second prize at the May 23 award ceremony held at Beijing Library.

In accepting the award, Derien said she is pleased to promote cultural exchange between China and France by introducing each other through short videos that have been well-received by her audience. She added she was honored to win the prize and will take it as an encouragement to continue to produce videos telling stories about Beijing to the whole world.