Social media influencers ‘seek treasure’ in Macau

At the Macau Grand Prix Museum, Patrick Koellmer, a German man well-known on Chinese social media, immersed himself in the VR experience of motorcycle racing.

He exclaimed, “it’s so exciting! We Germans love car racing. This museum reminds me of the BMW Museum in Munich.”

Koellmer and several other social media influencers are taking part in an event organized by media groups on the Chinese mainland. They will visit six major cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and experience the region’s vitality and innovative charm. They have spent a weekend in Macau.

Having lived in China for over a decade, Koellmer graduated from Xiamen University in southeast China’s Fujian Province and now works in Zhuhai, a city in south China’s Guangdong Province that borders Macau. He loves sharing Chinese food, scenery and culture on social media.

“I’ve been to Macau before, but I didn’t know the car racing culture here is so rich,” he said, promising to share his interesting experiences on the internet.

Xiong Suwan, whose social media account focuses on food and culture in Hong Kong, said she was most impressed by the famous tourist sights of Macau such as the Ruins of St. Paul’s and local delicacies.

“It’s very easy to get to Macau or Zhuhai from Hong Kong,” said Xiong, who moved to Hong Kong after getting married five years ago.

“Some of my family in Hong Kong have never visited Zhuhai. I took them there a while ago. They had real experience of the conveniences of living in the Greater Bay Area,” Xiong said.

Wang Yun-ting, an internet celebrity from Taiwan who now lives in Shanghai, said she was amazed by the convenient transport between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

Wang plans to recommend to her followers a weekend trip to Hong Kong and Macau to experience the charms of the two cities, particularly the nightlife in Macau.

“Saturday in Hong Kong and Sunday in Macau, then you can return home for work on Monday,” she said.

Karyna Kovalevska, a Ukrainian who married a Chinese man in 2021 and came to live in China, described Macau as a “developed city with many beautiful buildings and friendly people.”

Now working together with her husband as e-commerce streamers selling fruit, Karyna said she looked forward to this trip to the Greater Bay Area and hoped to make more friends here.

“I hope my followers on the internet, particularly foreigners, can learn more about this area through my videos and better understand China’s development,” she added. Xinhua reporter, Xinhua