00:00A scorching day didn't deter crowds of Chinese tourists from striking a post at the pedestrian crossing in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
00:10Now, one of the city's most unlikely photo attractions.
00:18To most Malaysians, it's just a busy road leading to a McDonald's outlet.
00:23But to Chinese visitors, it's a trending photo spot, proudly shared online.
00:27Similar to the viral Meibang branch in Kota Kinabalu, the Bukit Bintang Crossing has become a must-visit destination thanks to the power of social media,
00:36particularly on platforms like Xiaohongsu, or Red Note in English, and Douyin, China's version of TikTok.
00:43It's unclear how the trend started, but the photogenic crossing, with a splash of yellow lines on the road and red advertisements in the background,
00:51has gained traction among young Chinese travellers.
00:54Here's what some of them had to say, when we asked them why this spot was so popular.
00:59Because in the Chinese internet, a lot of people take pictures here and post it on the internet, different kinds of platforms.
01:09Yes, Xiaohongsu and Douyin, everyone post some pictures here.
01:13Because the red, the yellow, maybe it is bright and beautiful, maybe? I don't know.
01:20Others say they are just there to taka, a Mandarin slang term meaning punch card,
01:26used by Chinese netizens to describe checking in at a popular location for social media clout.
01:32The more viral the posts, the more curious tourists follow suit.
01:36One of them being 18-year-old student Susan Lee from Kunming, China.
01:40I think Malaysia is a very繁華 city, and this景點 is a very, very, very,具有代表性的景點.
01:50The colour is also very good, and the建築 is also very beautiful.
01:53I would like to enjoy the beauty of the Kilong Por, and the beauty of the建築.
01:58Lee added that she loved our national pride of a dish, the nasi lomak, describing it as very tasty.
02:04Aside from the iconic crossing, another Malaysian treat capturing attention online is the towering roti tissue,
02:11a crisp, cone-shaped flatbread that's as photogenic as it is delicious.
02:16TG's Bistro, a restaurant that's just a short walk from the Bukit Bintang Crossing,
02:20has seen a rise in Chinese customers ordering the roti tissue,
02:23often photographing it from every angle before digging in.
02:34As Chinese tourists continue to explore Malaysia guided by trending hashtags and influencer posts,
02:42places like Bukit Bintang's crosswalk and our towering roti tissue prove that even the simplest spots,
02:48when seen through the right lens, can become iconic.
02:51In the age of social media, Malaysia's vibrant streets, rich flavours and unexpected backdrops
02:56are no longer just part of daily life.
02:59They're becoming part of a global visual story, one photo at a time.
03:04оновonaisie.com
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