Tobias James

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The story of the meme “you met me at a very chinese time in my life” First emerged in 2025, when an X user posted the phrase and the post went on to reach over one million views. Over the course of 2025, the meme established itself and started being used in all kinds of China-related content — food, culture, lifestyle, and everything in between. Memes and trends like “become Chinese” and “Chinamaxxing” emerged from the same wave. Eventually, the first wave started to fade. Then, in mid-2026, the second wave began. The clothing brand Children of Khan dropped a sweater featuring the phrase: “you met me at a very chinese time in my life.” Their ambassador, influencer Luca Maxim, started creating AI-generated videos inspired by 2006 PSP-era vibes, featuring Dante as the main character. Not just one video. Several videos. Every single day. Since the beginning of August. By now, there are more than 350 videos. And the numbers are insane. The videos have generated over 1 billion views and more than 50 million likes. What initially looked like questionable marketing has turned into a marketing masterstroke. Children of Khan has already sold tens of thousands of “you met me at a very chinese time in my life” shirts, with sales accelerating exponentially over the past two weeks. But it goes beyond selling shirts. The meme has essentially been given a new face and a new life. Something that started as a simple phrase has become something you can literally wear. And now, the meme is evolving again. What started out as Chinese-themed videos by Luca Maxim is now branching out into completely new forms of “Chinese meme” content. And us? We’re right in the middle of it. Together with our team, we’re creating our own Chinese Times videos, cut around CT, packed with Chinese humor, references, and the chaos that makes the meme what it is. The third wave is beginning.