Iraqi food vlogger gains millions of fans in China

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food tasting vlog. Ahmed, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq though it is the food vlogger’s tenth year in China.

Born in 1994, Ahmed’s childhood memories were filled with the agonies of war and displacement. In 2014, he moved to China.

In 2018, Ahmed took part in a video training competition and learned basic video editing and content managing skills. Later, during a trip, he recorded himself as he enjoyed the local food while making comments. He uploaded the video online, where it attracted a large number of viewers.

Encouraged by this success, Ahmed went on to produce more food tasting videos, which received positive feedback. The Mandarin-speaking Iraqi food vlogger’s popularity gradually grew among Chinese internet users.

“I’m a foreigner, but not an outsider,” says Ahmed. “I love peaceful life and peaceful people.”

In the future, Ahmed hopes to expand his video subjects to cover more aspects of China and to help the world better understand the country he treats as a second home. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video in the kitchen of a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food tasting vlog. Ahmed, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq though it is the food vlogger’s tenth year in China. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber enjoys food at a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food tasting vlog. Ahmed, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq though it is the food vlogger’s tenth year in China. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video at a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food tasting vlog. Ahmed, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq though it is the food vlogger’s tenth year in China. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber (L) shakes hands with a fan in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food tasting vlog. Ahmed, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq though it is the food vlogger’s tenth year in China.(Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks with his sister Aya about social media content performance in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food tasting vlog. Ahmed, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq though it is the food vlogger’s tenth year in China. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber (R) works with a video producer in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. Dressed in a smart suit, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber talks to the camera in Mandarin with an accent, commencing his latest food tasting vlog. Ahmed, also known by the Chinese name Wang Lixuan, hails from Iraq though it is the food vlogger’s tenth year in China.(Xinhua/Xue Chen)