Chinese Expat Shares How Singapore Feels Like Home with Familiar Chinese Brands Everywhere

A woman from Dalian, China, living in Singapore for the past eight years, recently shared on the social media platform Xiaohongshu that being in Singapore often doesn’t feel like being abroad, thanks to the abundance of familiar Chinese brands. From dining spots to lifestyle stores, she noted how many Chinese brands have become prominent across the Lion City, making her feel close to home despite being thousands of kilometers away.

In a video she created over several months, she highlighted popular brands she frequently encounters in Singapore, such as Haidilao, Mixue, and Juewei, as well as lifestyle brands Yishion and Miniso. Her intention, she explained, was simply to “share about life in Singapore” with her followers.

The Growing Presence of Chinese Businesses in Singapore

This trend is hardly surprising. Over recent years, many of China’s leading tech giants, including Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance (parent company of TikTok), have established regional offices in Singapore. Additionally, according to a 2023 report by Financial Times, the number of Chinese family funds in Singapore has risen significantly, from just a few to around 600 today. Similarly, the past year has seen about 500 Chinese companies register in the city-state, contributing to Singapore’s increasingly diverse retail and business landscape.