'City Bu City' Creator Paul Mike Ashton On Going Viral

By Yinmai O'Connor

Although you might not be sure what it means, if you've been in China during the last few weeks, it would be pretty difficult for you to have not heard or seen 'city bu city a' (city不city啊) floating around the internet. 

Translated as 'city or not city?' the phrase was first used by Shanghai-based American influencer Paul Mike Ashton – known as 'Bao Bao Xiong' – who runs a Chinese-language account on Douyin.

Ashton went viral after he posted a video of him asking his sister his now signature phrase on the Great Wall.

The original 'city bu city' video that went viral. Video via 保保熊/Douyin

'City or not city?' inquires whether or not a place is fashionable or has the pizazz of a major city.

The word 'city' itself has now taken on a new meaning as an adjective; Ashton himself says the simplest explanation is that it describes something that happens in the city, but it can also be "something that gives you enthusiasm for life."

Ashton grew up in rural Pennsylvania, before studying Chinese and Asian Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, encouraged by his interest in Asian culture and various scholarship opportunities.

He says that Chinese has always opened up doors for him that he was willing to go through – a statement that is now more true than ever. 

With over 750,000 followers on Douyin, over 250 million views, imitations by huge celebrities, and references by foreign ministers, Ashton and his 'city bu city' catchphrase have become a cultural phenomenon. 

We managed to capture him for a brief moment during his current whirlwind to find out how going viral has affected him.

Paul Mike Ashton. Photo courtesy of Paul Mike Ashton

How did the whole 'city bu city' concept start?

First, I did a video earlier before my sister came, where I was basically biking around, and I was feeling very exhilarated and happy, just really enjoying the skyline, the lights and the experience.

I did a video in a character that I'd been doing on my TikTok for a while. The video did okay, nothing near like what my sister and I did, but my friend Chong Chong – he's another social media creator – kind of encouraged me to make more. He said there was really a strong cadence to that.

The idea originally came from how a lot of Chinese people in business situations will oftentimes do some code switching. They'll switch around a Chinese word for an English one and I always thought that that was a really unique and interesting way to communicate.

I've always found language to be a really fun arena for comedy and everything else. Then, in addition to that, the term 'city walk' has become super popular over the last couple of years – I just thought the way that it sounded was really fun and playing with words that way.

So, all of that kind of came together in the video, but we really had no idea that it was going to be received so well. It still kind of surprises me at times.

Ashton and his family doing 'city or not city?' Image via 保保熊/Douyin 

Do you have a couple favorite imitations or references to it? Any celebrities you are particularly proud to have had use it?

The number of imitations has been so overwhelming and so exciting. It's tough for me sometimes to distinguish which ones are my favorites. I like it when people take their own spin on it.

I've seen like a couple that didn't actually get that much attention but are like video game characters that they've done that they've kind of played and tried to get them to do the same thing.

I've seen comic characters that represent me and my sister and just get a kick out it of because it's so far from the way that we act and look. To see these kinds of magnificent, glorious, beautiful, animated characters imitating us is so fun. 

I'm not super familiar with a lot of mainstream Chinese celebrities. I'm still kind of learning more about that world, especially as I get further into it.

For me, a lot of the celebrities that really shocked me were people that I had followed on social media – on TikTok specifically – for a very long time. When I started seeing them replicate my stuff – that was when I got really excited.

Somebody that I've always really enjoyed the content of is Chengdu Yihu, and seeing him do 'city bu city' or seeing Huizi Ni Biansha – who is also somebody that I've followed for ages on Douyin – do it was very cool. She actually did one and she reached out to me as well.

And then, Nina is somebody else from Beijing that I have followed for a long time. We recently did a video together. So, that's when I start to really feel star-struck, because those are content creators that I've followed for a long time.

Ashton's latest 'city bu city' video with Nina. Video via 保保熊/Douyin

How has your life changed since it went viral?

The interesting thing is when it first started really ramping up, I wasn't in China. So, it was really interesting to see how things were developing online without having any like real point of reference for what was going on. 

I'm just really busy right now. That is one of the big changes. It's all really good stuff, but just the number of people reaching out for collaborations and then balancing that with my current work and also trying to maintain my normal social interactions and the stuff that makes me happy on a daily basis has been… it's a very new frontier. 

Nowadays, I'm getting maybe like recognized once a day. There are lots of really exciting opportunities that are coming up, a lot more travel, a lot more opportunities to create, which I'm really excited about, but I also don't feel like I'm unable to walk around or do what I want to as well, which is totally fine with me.

I love being able to take pictures with people, but I would be very overwhelmed if I had to do that more than I already am right now.

Today, I saw a video posted about me that had been taken while I was filming a video that was kind of picked up by some news channel or something, which surprised me a little bit. I didn't think that that was going to happen.

Ashton being filmed while filming. Image via Luccy997/Douyin

I guess I have to be a little bit more careful if I do anything stupid when I'm walking around in public. I guess I have to make sure I'm not picking my nose at a weird time or something.

Government officials are even aware – how does that feel?

The thing about having foreign affairs and government officials recognize this silly little phrase – that particular recognition means a lot to me.

Since I started learning Chinese, I've always felt like more people should have the chance to go to China and experience Chinese people, Chinese culture, and what the country has to offer before they pass judgment on Chinese people and Chinese culture.

So having the foreign affairs office specifically recognize it and use it as a way to get more people to come and see China – that was incredibly validating and incredibly exciting to see it ratified and promoted by China's like, 'official entity.'

It's a little shocking – those people are typically quite distant from individuals like myself. But also, you know, very, very exciting.

A Chinese foreign affairs official recognizes Ashton's 'city bu city.' Video via CGTN News/Douyin

What's next for you? Has this brought any interesting new opportunities your way?

'City bu city' is not going to be around forever. I'm so excited for what it's brought me and for what it is bringing me currently. I'm excited that I've made this weird contribution to a period of time and the linguistic makeup of cultural phrases in China, but I don't expect it to last forever.

What I really want to do is leverage this opportunity to continue to move more into a creative space full time, and use my platform to encourage more engagement between foreigners and Chinese culture and different types of Chinese culture.

I really want to do a series exploring different sorts of traditional Chinese performing arts, or do an exploration travel series around China.

I want to expand in this area; creating content and entertaining people in a way that's also informative and really gives people new perspectives on what China has to offer and what Chinese people are like.

I hope to continue to find new ways to entertain people and also share what I love about things here in China with the rest of the world.

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[Cover photo is courtesy of Paul Mike Ashton]

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