How US Woman Found Her Long-Lost Friend in China

A US woman has reconnected with a long-lost friend in China after seven years, all thanks to Social media. Celia, a 21-year-old woman from the US turned to RedNote, a Chinese social media app similar to TikTok, seeking help from the Chinese community to find her former classmate, Simon.

In her emotional video, she explained that she attended a private Catholic school in Iowa in 2017-2018 where she became best friends with Simon, a Chinese exchange student. However, they lost touch after he returned home.

I need all the netizens on this app to help me find him, she said, adding, Simon, I miss you, I miss our friendship.

The Chinese community came together to help her. Celia shared an old photo of Simon, which was eventually noticed by someone who recognised him. They alerted him, and within a few hours, an online user commented under Celia's video, saying he was Simon.

“Hello, everyone, I am Simon. I never imagined I would reconnect with my good friend from years ago like this. Thank you so much to everyone on RedNote who helped,” he said.

Simon later posted a video, expressing gratitude. He said the two friends were deeply grateful for all the help and attention everyone gave them. "We never imagined that we would reconnect through RedNote. I am truly thankful," he said.

RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu in China, became the most downloaded free app in the US Apple App Store just before the TikTok ban, as users switched to alternative platforms.

As users flocked to RedNote, the platform became a bridge for people on both sides of a long-standing geopolitical divide. For the first time, they were interacting with each other through the power of social media.