Why Malaysia is winning praise from RedNote’s Chinese influencers
Besides Malaysia’s education system, the influencers say the widespread use of Mandarin in the country is a big draw for Chinese visitors
On the Chinese lifestyle app, mainland creators living in Malaysia are pitching the country as a softer landing for family life. They highlight international schools, Mandarin-speaking clinics, familiar food and lower living costs in Malaysia, speaking directly to compatriots anxious about schooling and affordability – and about leaving China without surrendering linguistic or cultural comforts.
That lifestyle pitch overlaps neatly with Malaysia’s own effort to sell itself to Chinese travellers as more than a holiday destination.
Zhi Zhi, a Malaysia-based parent and content creator with 19,500 followers, is one of those making the case through the language of family life.
In a widely seen video posted on Wednesday, she said children in Malaysia’s international schools seemed more relaxed than those caught in “involution”, a term widely used in China to describe the exhausting competition pervading schools and workplaces.