"Bridging cultural gaps": Chinese embassy in the U.S. praises IShowSpeed's China tour, shares viral IRL clips

IShowSpeed, also known as Speed, is currently in China. This tour is part of the YouTuber's series of international tours. On March 26, 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. took to their X (formerly Twitter) to post a few clips of Speed touring China.

They captioned it saying:

The 20-year-old popular American YouTuber #IShowSpeed @ishowspeedsuii has kicked off a journey in #China that has already garnered massive global attention, which indicates a broader trend of digital influencers bridging cultural gaps and creating alternative channels for foreign audiences to understand a vibrant China.

IShowSpeed, with over 37 million followers on YouTube, went viral and created a buzz on social media as he live-streamed his visits to Beijing and Shanghai, two major cities in China.

IShowSpeed's China tour

IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., began his China tour on March 24, 2025. He visited the Forbidden City in Beijing, tried Chinese street food, including squid, Tanghulu, and Genki Forest, interacted with locals, and did a backflip on the Great Wall of China. He live-streamed all of these activities, garnering around 10 million views in total.

In the clips shared by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., Speed is seen taking a photograph of a newly married couple, vibing with a street performer, and exploring China on a local bus.

He began his tour on March 24 by exploring Shanghai, China's biggest city. He was accompanied by a tour guide, and together they discovered the vibrant streets of China and took a ride in a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, a battery-electric sedan that debuted in Beijing in March 2024. Speed live-streamed these experiences for over six hours for his followers.

In a clip posted by Speedy HQ on X, Speed is seen in a moving underground train, shocked at how good the Wi-Fi facility is. His other activities included trying a Chinese egg tart, getting himself sketched by a street artist, spotting a fan doing a handstand in the middle of the street, and taking pictures with him.

He also visited a hair salon in China, where he was told that his hair was raggedy and hence could not be cut. While he was casually streaming in Shanghai, he hinted that there could be a collaboration with martial arts legend Jackie Chan.

The 20-year-old’s tour of China has been appreciated by Chinese officials and media. His visits to Chinese cities, interactions with locals, and experiences with the culture and food are seen as signs of good relations and understanding between Americans and the Chinese.

Other than China, countries like India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America are also on IShowSpeed's travel list.