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China Trends 2024 // Douyin & Bilibili Popular Dances, Hashtags, and Memes

Looking for new original content to use in China? Want to see the latest trends and dances going viral on Douyin and Bilibili? Look no further!

The list below is curated and updated by Groove Dynasty staff on a regular basis. Bookmark this post and check back for updates. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Last Updated: December 2024

Kitchen DJ

This trend is assumedly a play on the words of a DJ "cooking". This trend involved a DJ set up in the kitchen, in front of the stove where they are playing music, sometimes actually cooking something on the stove top or just playing music in the kitchen.

First Seen: December 2024

Platforms: Douyin

Snowman Dance

This is a trending couples dance, which involves a ballroom style dance. Usually, the background scenery is full of snow, or in some cases it's even snowing.

This dance is only performed to Snowman by Sia

First Seen: November 2024 (Annually reoccuring)

Platforms: Douyin

#Hashtag: # 想和你一起看雪 # 双人舞  # 下雪🌨#snowman #下雪了一起跳个舞吧

APT. Dance

APT. is a song by Bruno Mars and ROSÉ from Blackpink which was recently released (November 2024). Since its release this song has received a lot of traction and gone viral. The dance to the song APT. has become a trend, viral on both Douyin and Tik Tok. 

This dance is only performed to APT. by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars

First Seen: November 2024

Platforms: Douyin and Tik Tok

Saxophone Rhythm Magic Dance

This is a viral Douyin dance that is done by a group of at least two or more people where each person involved will take turns being the focus of the video. Many of them are filmed at night with the flash on creating a spotlight effect for each of the people when it is their turn to dance.

This dance is performed exclusively to the song Lalala by Moái.

First Seen: November 2024

Platform: Douyin

Elevator Social Terrorism

This trend is a funny challenge that has gone viral on Douyin. In fact, it was so popular on Douyin that people began uploading Douyin reposts to Tik Tok. It involves a social experiment type set up where someone will set up a camera in an elevator and either sing really loudly, pretend to go on a call and talk about embarrassing things, or just do humiliating things in front of a full elevator. 

First Seen: September 2024

Platform: Douyin

Tearing Paper Transition (画画撕开转场)

This trend is a transition type video where the creator is seen in their "before" state scribbling a dark line onto a piece of paper then showing said paper to the camera. Then the paper splits in half, where the line was drawn, revealing the creator in their "after state".

The sound under this video is “别总是计划该出发了少年” by 赫凌川.

First Seen: September 2024

Platform: Douyin

Olympic Transitions

The olympics are going viral in many ways in China. This trend is about cleverly transitioning between doing an everyday task into an olympic clip. The intro is "Welcome team x", you can feel free to make that your country, with clips of athletes from your country also.

All videos should be on the phonk track Bemax - "Sea of Tranquility"

First Seen: August 2024

Platform: Douyin

Water Bottle Fireworks

This is a continuous edit of a person or people standing under a light source while squeezing a water bottle and letting out the water, imitating a firework. Any song can work, summer vibe.

First Seen: July 2024

Platform: Douyin

Travel Transition

Smooth, continuous switch between two or more locations, often with a creative transition.

First Seen: May 2024

Platform: Douyin

Hashtag: #旅行转场

Two Of Hearts Dance Challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w74kDQl9QIQ

First Seen: March 2024 (in China)

Platform: Douyin

Description: This dance trend started on TikTok in January amongst K-Pop fans. After a few months, now the dance challenge has been simplified and is becoming a trend on Douyin, and only one person is required to film it themselves.

Content Examples:

Zhurek Dance Challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56vK4MOcP6s

First Seen: Feb. 2024

Platform: Douyin

Hashtag: #Zhurek

Description: A specific dance to the song "Zhurek" by the artist Adam from Kazakhstan.

Content Examples:

A Scene For A Snowy Day

First Seen: Dec. 2023

Platform: Douyin

Description: Any beautiful outdoor scene, with a specific 'snowy filter' from Douyin

Music Video > Concert Transition

First Seen: Sept 2023

Platform: Douyin

Hashtag: #演唱会转场 (concert transition) #丝滑专场 (silky smooth performance)

Description: Videos that switch from a music video to a live concert in a continuous edit with the song. The fan side should be lively, and include strong reactions or fans singing along. Videos are often made by fans who have attended concerts, but many artists are using more professional footage that lines up for a smoother transition.

Content examples:

Itzy Cake Dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bIRwBpBcZQ

First Seen: August 2023 

Platform: Douyin

Hashtag: #itzy, #cake

Description: Itzy is a well-known K-pop girl group with five members. This year at the end of July, they released a new song called "Cake", which went viral on Douyin and attracted dancers and K-pop lovers learn their moves. The hook “cake, cake, cake, cake, cake” was brainwashing and the dance moves can be easily remembered. Vides are of the specific dance in the Douyin trend, or of people making cake.

Content examples:

Music link:

https://open.spotify.com/track/3syxwxJqX5jpgjNYmvzdW6?si=69796ea594734f9f

I Can Only Leave / 我只能离开

First seen: July 2023

Platform: Douyin

Description: Sad situations with a sad song to accompany. "I Can Only Leave" is for a time when you're so upset, the only thing you can do is walk away. Videos usually have someone running, from a loved one or rough situation, or even just photos of someone looking down. Don't be afraid to meme it.

Content examples:

Bombastic Side Eye

First Seen: June 2023

Platform: Douyin

Description: This trend initially started in the West, but has been picked up by Chinese users on Douyin. As the name suggests, the consists of giving a fierce side-eye look. Videos usually start with a smile, and with either a situation change or camera angle change, switch to a side eye and a frown. The song used is not an official release, but a mashup popularized by this trend with an in-app sound.

Content examples:

Apple Cat

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EenqxvEeF6c

First Seen: May 2023

Platform: Bilibili

Description:

  • This is a genre of video seemingly exclusively found on Bilibili, where some weird song and visual combo takes off and is memed by other users to massive reach, but with little awareness off-platform. 'Apple Cat' is literally a video of fruit with cat faces photoshopped onto them. In the background "My Ordinary Life" by The Living Tombstone plays. That's it, don't ask me to explain its popularity. Users are creating new videos on the theme, or remixing the song for added effect.

Hashtag:

Content Examples

Music:

  • https://open.spotify.com/track/59MS3Yfgt2vHJeWMY1vElf

Fast & Furious 10 Layout Challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47g7WtMmqtQ

First Seen: May 2023

Platform: Douyin

Description:

  • The Fast & Furious movies are always a hit in China, and movie number ten this year was no different. This trend uses the layout from an iconic scene, where the camera zooms out through several cars. User videos are added in the final scene. Artists can use this trend (a) to show off their car or (b) to make a joke, i.e. being on a bicycle, horse, etc.

Hashtag:

Content Examples:

Look At My Motorcycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lswG0KpWnLs

First seen:

  • May 2023

Platform

  • Douyin

Description

  • The music is reworked from an Indian song, meant to be funny, not serious. Video should show people dancing on a (parked) motorbike. Content is often done as a ‘duet’ with the original video.

Hashtag

Content Examples

Music Link

JISOO - Flower Dance Challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNGrAB5kraI

First seen:

  • April 2023

Platform

  • Douyin

Hashtag

Description

  • JISOO from KPOP group BLACKPINK had her first solo release called ‘Flower’, this campaign has an official dance challenge that's quite popular both on TikTok and Douyin.

Content Examples

Music Link

Clap Spot Relay

First seen:

  • April 2023

Platform

  • Douyin

Hashtag

Description

  • Dance where people move past the camera one by one, tagging each other. You can dance or do something silly as you pass the camera.

Content Examples

Music Link

Oiiaioooooiai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2exgod2F84

First seen:

  • March 2023

Platform

  • Bilibili

Description

  • The video is a rotating cat in a white space, with a strange vocal melody in the background "Oiiaioooooiai". This has been sampled, remixed, and changed in many many ways.

Content Examples

Ai Ru Huo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl_62l8v6Uk

First Seen:

  • February 2023

Description

  • This is a ‘square dance’ style song released in 2022 and went viral recently. The song is being used to do a lot of covers, dance challenges or creative videos.

  • Artists can get creative with the track. (E.g. Do dance challenges as below, do an EDM remix or use this song to a live performance video etc.)

Content Examples: 

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