Sri Lanka products promotion in Chinese TikTok Douyin draws over 1 mn views

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing, in association with the China – Sri Lanka Association for Trade and Economic Cooperation and the Douyin (TikTok) Social Media Platform, launched the Sri Lanka National Pavilion on 30 August 2022.

This event took place during the Embassy’s celebration of the Kandy Esala Perahera and Sri Lanka culture and food. The Kandy Esala Perahera, with all its glamour and historical glory, was presented to the Chinese audience through Douyin.

 Sri Lankan products were also showcased and marketed through Douyin, which has an audience of over 600 million viewers. (2 billion worldwide on TikTok). The new Sri Lanka National Pavilion on Douyin attracted more than one million viewers online immediately and added more than 27,000 new followers. During the five-hour live broadcast, more than 16,000 Sri Lankan products were purchased online, making it a huge success.

Addressing the selected audience, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, Dr Palitha Kohona said that the national pavilion will assist Sri Lankan exporters to showcase and market their products in China while opening up opportunities for Chinese consumers to buy Sri Lankan products. He invited Sri Lankan exporters to grab this opportunity.

Ambassador Kohona demonstrated the method of preparation of a cup of Ceylon Black Tea, ‘Hong Cha’, and a spicy Sri Lankan Crab dish. Crabs and other sea foods are immensely popular in China. 

More than 10 Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) from Douyin participated, adding glamour to the event, which was live streamed. 

Colombo, Sigiriya, Galle, Matale, Kandy, the Temple of the Tooth Relic and the Perahera, Yala, Nuwara Eliya, and Ratnapura were highlighted on a large map of Sri Lanka by the Ambassador. He further explained the potential for trade, investment, and tourism in these cities and their cultural background.

The Ambassador explained the historical significance of the Kandy Perahera, focusing on the Chinese Buddhist Monk, Fa’Xian, who visited Sri Lanka in the early 5th Century and wrote of the Esala Perahera in detail. He invited the Chinese people to visit Sri Lanka to see the Kandy Perahera in all its glory. 

The invitees were served, a traditional Sri Lankan Dinner including the Ambassador›s crab dish.