Iraqi man becomes famous food vlogger in China

Ahmed Mohammed Jaber, a post-90s man from Iraq, is leading a peaceful life and enjoying a fulfilling career in China as a popular food vlogger with a combined total of more than 15 million followers on Chinese social media platforms.

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Jaber is better known among his Chinese followers by his Chinese name Wang Lixuan. He always greets his online followers with an enthusiastic opening line: “Hello buddies, I’m your good brother old Wang.”

With a big smile on his face, Jaber describes the taste of the food he tries in slightly accented but witty Mandarin as he makes gourmet tours of different Chinese cities, capturing hearts across China due to his infectious love for the country’s diverse culinary delights.

Born in 1994 in Iraq, the jovial food blogger’s past was marred by the brutalities of war. He witnessed its horrors firsthand after the outbreak of the Iraq War in 2003, and moved to Syria with his family in search of a more secure life.

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video at a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

However, just as life was getting better for the family, civil war broke out in Syria. Jaber got caught up in crossfire and was shot through the body.

War has left him with indelible mental scars. The lingering trauma caused a visceral reaction when he heard the sudden crackle of firecrackers during the Chinese New Year holiday in 2024. His eyes filled with terror as he was reminded of the sounds of explosions.

“I thought it was a bomb blast,” Jaber said with a bitter laugh, shaking his head before resuming his meal.

A trip to China in 2014 marked a pivotal turning point in his life. Encouraged by the warm response he got the first time trying to say hello in Chinese, Jaber seized every opportunity in life to learn the Chinese language, and was finally able to communicate freely in less than a year.

Today, he is able to use Chinese for daily communication and reading. Although he has not fully mastered the skills for writing Chinese characters, he can write the three characters meaning "love" and "peace".

Jaber has tried multiple careers in China. He has worked as an Arabic teacher, model, and actor, and has gradually embarked on a new journey of food vlogging since a serendipitous video of beef noodles he enjoyed during a trip gained widespread online attention.

"After experiencing the anguish of separation between loved ones in life and death, I cherish the hard-won stability of living in China. I love the food here, and I love the landscapes," Jaber wrote on his social media account.

At the beginning of this year, Jaber returned to his hometown and was surprised to find the ruins of the past are being replaced by more and more buildings in Iraq, including new schools, hospitals and roads built with assistance from China.

"I deeply feel that China is pulling Iraq forward with a warm hand," he said.

Iraqi food vlogger Ahmed Mohammed Jaber records a video in the kitchen of a local restaurant in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Determined to enhance mutual understanding between his homeland and China, Jaber is currently crafting a screenplay for a film celebrating peace, with plans to involve friends from Iraq and China.

Jaber also wants to take his parents to China and open an Iraqi restaurant for them in the country, not for profit but to share the local delicacies of his hometown and allow his parents to feel the hospitality and cross-cultural friendship he has been enjoying in China.

Living with his parents in a place of peace is the best life, said Jaber, noting that peace brings a sense of security to people.

"I'm willing to try my best to help the world understand China through my work," he said.