“Look, It Has a Baby”: Chinese Locals Fascinated by African Woman and Her Baby at a Beijing Mall

• A Botswana content creator went viral after Chinese locals in a Beijing mall crowded around to see her African baby
• The woman was carrying her baby on her back using traditional African methods, which amazed the locals who had rarely seen black people or African parenting styles in person
• The experience highlights what many African visitors face in China, where black people make up only 0.04% of the population and often attract fascination from curious locals

A Botswana content creator has given the world a glimpse into what it's like being an African person in China after Chinese locals became completely fascinated by her and her baby during a mall visit in Beijing.

The woman, who runs the TikTok page @gontlafetsembeha and regularly shares family content and village life videos, found herself at the centre of attention when she went shopping with her little one strapped to her back in traditional African style. The woman shared the heartwarming video on the 22 of June with the caption:

"When they say Chinese people in China are obsessed with black people! Especially babies 😍 Beijing was lovely 😍"

The video shows the mum looking at clothes on sale outside a shop when curious Chinese people began gathering around to see her baby. The locals were amazed by the sight, with many smiling, taking pictures, and even bringing their children over to meet the African baby. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, with people chatting amongst themselves and appearing genuinely delighted by the encounter.

SA reacts to the Beijing experience

The video struck a chord with viewers who found the interaction both sweet and telling about cultural differences and curiosity.

@doll wrote:

"'Look, it has a babyy' 😩😩"

@velizikode joked:

"The amount of money I would make..."

@Candylicious 🥰 said:

"Lol 😂My level of anger wouldn't allow them to even take pics yooo..."

@Agatha observed:

"I think they were surprised by how she put a baby in her back with a towel, I think so."

@armylele2 reflected:

"I am convinced, Chinese or Asian people in general know something about us black people that we might not know about ourselves."

The comments show how different people would react to such attention, with some finding it endearing and others feeling it might be too invasive.

Being African in China

According to Think China, the experience of being black in China is complex and filled with fascination from locals who rarely encounter African people. Before the pandemic, black people made up about 500,000 or just 0.04% of China's 1.4 billion population, with most living in Guangzhou. This means that for many Chinese people, seeing an African person, especially a baby, is genuinely fascinating and rare.

The fascination often extends to African hair, skin, height, and cultural practices like carrying babies on the back. Many Chinese locals are curious about these differences because they simply haven't had much exposure to African culture or people. This can lead to situations like the one in the video, where locals gather around to observe and appreciate something they find beautiful and interesting.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Other travel-related stories

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African influencer's eye-opening favela visit in Brazil, but what the locals revealed about their connection to Africa left her completely speechless.
• A Chinese woman saw braids for the first time, and her reaction was so intense that viewers started making jokes about what she might be thinking, with one warning taking an unexpected turn.
• A gent showed what happened when he decided to fly to Zimbabwe, but the reason he ended up as the only passenger on board had people questioning everything they thought they knew about the country.

Source: Briefly News