YouTube megastar IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., recently concluded his headline-making tour across eight major Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing and Shenzhen. As always, the 20-year-old influencer, with over 37 million YouTube followers, livestreamed for hours at each stop and each stream attracted tens of millions of views.

During his time in China, the U.S. influencer savored local cuisine and snacks, learned ancient history and culture, tested advanced gadgets and innovations, and interacted with local people from various walks of life. "Unlike the bleak and even grim pictures often painted by some Western media, IShowSpeed's unedited and unscripted shows reveal a China that is perky, diverse, hospitable and prosperous," according to Borneo Post Online.

During his streaming adventure, IShowSpeed explored a modern China with a long-standing culture. Through his visit, viewers can get a glimpse of a vibrant country. For example, IShowSpeed marveled at Shanghai's Bund area, with a skyline featuring the landmark Oriental Pearl Tower and modern skyscrapers. He took a high-speed bullet train and was surprised that smart devices had stable and smooth Internet connection even when the train entered a tunnel.

He also immersed himself in a variety of unique cultural elements. He visited time-honored iconic spots including the Great Wall and the Palace Museum in Beijing. He learned kung fu in central China's Henan province from a mentor who left a deep impression on him. And he enjoyed a traditional Sichuan Opera face-changing performance.

The highlight of his tour was experiencing some of China's cutting-edge technological innovations including Chinese cars. He was in shock while riding a BYD Yangwang U8 SUV which drove through a lake. He tested the pure electric supercar model Yangwang U9, which can rotate 360 degrees on command and "dance" to music, and even jump.

"With its impressive capabilities, the YangWang U9 pushes the boundaries of automotive innovation, offering a glimpse into the future of smart, interactive vehicles," according to Instagram account @technology with more than 4.8 million followers.

IShowSpeed also rode a "flying car," an electric vertical take off and landing (evToL) aircraft. Later he visited a Huawei store in Shenzhen and bought three Huawei Mate XTs, the world's first tri-fold smartphone.

Bloomberg reported that the streamer's experience wooed U.S. consumers with futuristic China tech. IShowSpeed's China tour will add fuel to the ongoing curiosity and demand for the country's products, Robert Kozinets, a University of Southern California marketing professor, told Bloomberg. "The idea that you can ban these things only creates desire, a forbidden fruit syndrome that history has shown increases demand."

IShowSpeed's unfiltered and authentic footage presents a real and multidimensional China, reversing decades of anti-Chinese propaganda promulgated in the West. "The comment sections of his videos are filled with viewers expressing surprise at China's modernity and the warmth of its people — perceptions that differ markedly from typical Western media portrayals," according to RADII.

With more facilitation measures for cross-border travel rolled out like the 240-hour visa-free transit policy for select countries, more foreign influencers like IShowSpeed are deciding to get a first-hand experience of China and take an on-a-whim trip. The cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries will help resolve misunderstandings and strengthen bilateral relations.