GUANGZHOU, China, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rachel Marie Rommeswinkel labeled herself as a German-American vlogger who speaks Mandarin with a Cantonese accent on her social media pages. She was known as "RachelR星星" on bilibili, weibo and other popular social media platforms in China, with over 1.5 million fans.
Rachel and her younger sister Andy began to post their daily life and beauty videos online while studying at Xiamen University several years ago and attracted many young fans.
They insisted on showing their real life in China, "I have always been the truest self. I would rather work harder instead of shooting videos for crafting a publicity stunt, and this is what I am most proud of," Rachel said in an interview with GDToday of Nanfang Media Group.
Rachel filmed videos in Mandarin with a Cantonese accent, which made many netizens feel interested. Her fluency in Chinese was making her famous among young Chinese.
She has dual citizenship of Germany and the United States, and grew up in China. She spent her childhood in Guangdong, learning Chinese in public schools like a local child.
Over her school life, Rachel learned to speak Mandarin in class and Cantonese from her peers. "I found that I needed to speak Chinese with confidence, and now I can speak Mandarin very well."
"What I like the most is that, (in Guangzhou) there is an expat community, and there is also a Chinese community that is very welcoming to foreigners." Rachel said.
She lives her life in the city quite like a local. One of the restaurants in her videos is Wing Waa Lau. It is on an old street and is one of the few remaining Cantonese opera teahouses in Guangzhou. It attracts many Guangzhou locals, who like to enjoy both Cantonese opera performances and morning tea.
"The biggest attraction of Guangdong for me is local food," she said, adding that she feels "homesick" because of the difference in food when she is on a business trip.
"Foreigners like me who have lived in China for 20 years at the age of 26 are relatively rare. I am actually a Cantonese, and Guangdong is my home." Rachel is already full of expectations for the future.
