They have a specific name for the book “select quotations of Mao Zedong”. They just don’t use the term xiaohongshu. The meaning itself could be translated as “little red book” but the cultural idea behind the phrase of “little red book” doesn’t exist in the same way.
This is what I gathered from conversation with them about it. I may have misunderstood them but they’re not an apolitical person like many Chinese people and they still didn’t understand in such a way. They’d definitely see that connection if it was one that existed I mean.
I remember 3 years ago when I first learned about this app having to explain to my Chinese friend why I laughed at it.
It’s so far removed from the “little red book” it doesn’t even register as a potential pun to Chinese people.
I love how you can just go print lies and have a massive audience.
What does the name mean then? I see lots of “it doesn’t mean that” but nobody explains what it means.
They have a specific name for the book “select quotations of Mao Zedong”. They just don’t use the term xiaohongshu. The meaning itself could be translated as “little red book” but the cultural idea behind the phrase of “little red book” doesn’t exist in the same way.
This is what I gathered from conversation with them about it. I may have misunderstood them but they’re not an apolitical person like many Chinese people and they still didn’t understand in such a way. They’d definitely see that connection if it was one that existed I mean.