Senegalese-Italian TikTok star Khaby Lame has kicked off a headline-grabbing trip to China, sparking excitement from Beijing to Guangzhou. Known for his silent, hilarious reactions to overcomplicated life hacks, Khaby turns heads with every shrug, showing how humor can bridge continents and cultures. Arriving from Beijing, Khaby is set to tour Tianjin, Chongqing, and Guangzhou, where he’ll dive into China’s intangible cultural heritage, try local delicacies, and explore kung fu and traditional arts. While he’s visiting some of the country’s most iconic sites, his real draw is the livestreams and the way he makes global audiences pay attention to everyday life, minus the words.
Fans call this trip a cultural moment, noting how perfectly his quiet style blends with the visually rich landscapes of Chinese cities. The quiet guy who became TikTok’s most-followed creator (with over 160 million followers) is building global bridges one silent video at a time.
Khaby said he’s looking forward to “seeing China beyond Chinatown”, a promise that seems to be coming true as he wades into street food stalls, local dance exhibitions, and traditional manufacturing sites, showing audiences back home that Africa’s coolest export might be a shoulder shrug.