Chongqing - A travel video of Chongqing, created by 26-year-old Italian girl Yasmin  Von Roon, has become a sensation on TikTok, capturing the attention of millions of viewers worldwide. Within a day of posting the video on the international version of TikTok, it garnered nearly 10 million views, leaving netizens amazed by the city's architectural designs. Currently, the video has surpassed 12 million views on TikTok alone.

During this year's May Day holiday, Yasmin, who had returned to China from Italy, chose Chongqing as her first destination. She expressed her eagerness to see the city firsthand, having seen numerous videos and pictures of Chongqing on social media abroad. 

Yasmin, who has been studying in China since 2018 and has visited several cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangxi, Guangdong, Shaanxi, and more, stated that Chongqing stood out from all the cities she had been to. The city's unique mountainous terrain and modern urban landscapes left a deep impression on her. Yasmin remarked, "Chongqing is unlike any other city I have visited. It's a city built on mountains and surrounded by rivers. If you were an architect here, it would be challenging."

On May 27th, Yasmin shared several videos she had filmed in Chongqing on TikTok, which quickly went viral, surpassing 10 million views in a single day. Yasmin herself was astonished by the video's popularity, saying, "I was also shocked by how popular this video became." As of May 28th, the video has now exceeded 12 million views and received over 500,000 likes. Collectively, her videos showcasing Chongqing have garnered over 15 million views, and she has gained over 100,000 followers.

The video captured scenes from Kuixinglou Square, which appeared to be on the first floor but was actually on the 22nd floor, astonishing foreign netizens. They commented, "The scene looking down from the 22nd floor truly shocked me," and "I had to go back and watch the scene on the 22nd floor again."

Yasmin's videos highlighted the monorail train passing through residential buildings, Chongqing's Raffles City, Hongyadong, Bayi Road Food Street, and more. The layered signage and towering skyscrapers amazed foreign netizens, leading to comments like "Cyberpunk 2077(a role-playing video game) must have drawn inspiration from here" and "It looks like the city in Blade Runner (a famous science fiction film)" and "This is the origin of Coruscant (a technologically advanced planet in the Star Wars movie)."

Yasmin praised Chongqing as a prosperous city with a rich historical heritage, vibrant nightlife, and 24-hour shops everywhere. She also mentioned that Chongqing is safe for female solo travelers without harassment or unwanted attention. Many foreign netizens were greatly impressed, referring to Chongqing as the "Dream City."

"I have made many friends in Chongqing, and they are all very welcoming. They introduced me to the development of Chongqing over the years," Yasmin said. "I have also added many people on WeChat. After my video went viral, almost everyone started messaging me on WeChat."

Yasmin said she studied Chinese at Tsinghua University and Tianjin University before pursuing her master's degree in International Affairs and Global Governance at Zhejiang University. According to information from Zhejiang University, Yasmin enrolled in 2021 and is set to graduate in December of this year.

Her fascination with China began at four years old when she watched the Disney animated film "Mulan." Yasmin shared, "It sounds funny, but I fell in love with China because when I was four years old, I watched the animated film 'Mulan,' and I admired Mulan so much. I even cosplayed as Mulan and developed a fascination with China."

Yasmin further explained that the Italian traveler Marco Polo influenced her decision to study at Zhejiang University. Over 700 years ago, when Marco Polo arrived in Hangzhou, he described it as the "most beautiful and elegant city in the world."

Yasmin mentioned that she was born in France, her father is German, and her mother is an Indian living in Italy. Her name, Yasmin, means "jasmine" in Arabic and Persian. Growing up in a multilingual and multicultural environment, she gained a broader perspective on life.

While Yasmin spent a few years of her childhood in Brazil, most of her life and education took place in Italy. Currently, she holds dual citizenship from France and Italy. After completing high school, she spent three years studying at a school in Nice, France. It was during this time that she began learning Chinese. Subsequently, she spent a year in China and three years in Turkey before returning to China for further studies. She is proficient in Italian, French, and English and also has some knowledge of German, Arabic, and Mandarin.

Throughout her travels in China, Yasmin found great joy in talking to strangers. She said, "Learning Mandarin has truly shown me how kind and curious Chinese people are. They always want to introduce their hometown to you and treat you to traditional meals, and they are also interested in knowing where you come from and how it differs from China."

Yasmin doesn't shy away from expressing her love for China on social media. She confidently stated, "I love China and am now China's number one fan. Who knows, maybe I was a Chinese person in my past life."