Since a year ago, my understanding of China and its people has improved. I have found close friends, seen more of the culture, gained more respect and discovered good places to visit.

　　It has been wonderful to see American and Chinese netizens interact in such a natural and friendly way. From what I"ve seen and experienced, both sides are learning more about each other and gaining humility. Though conversations and posts, it seems that Chinese netizens have learned that some people in the US are not doing as well as they thought and have to struggle with daily life. I think many American netizens are discovering that not everything they have learned about China has been correct. The Chinese people are just like us, living good and peaceful lives. I have seen that Chinese people have love for their home and country. We have different cultures and different ideas, but in the end, we are all the same.

　　I would like to tell my Chinese friends that it has been wonderful during this year, talking, sharing our lives and photos with each other. I hope to make more new friends, continue to talk and share my life with all of you.

　　Brecken Neumann, a resident of the US state of Mississippi

　　I was inspired to join Xiaohongshu during the TikTok ban, seeing everyone promote it as the new place to go. I have always enjoyed Chinese culture and wanted to learn more from people actually living there. At first, I downloaded the app simply out of curiosity - I never expected to receive such enthusiastic interactions from tens of thousands of Chinese netizens. From that moment, opening the app, translating conversations, and laughing with my Chinese friends became a daily routine. They were so sincere. Even casual, curious questions I asked would get many responses, some even with photos to illustrate their answers.