Calgary-raised student's Mandarin ballads in Richmond, B.C. go viral

Kieran Michael MacNeill, a 22-year-old computer science student originally from Calgary now studying at Queen's University, spent the summer going door to door in Richmond, B.C., singing Mandarin and Cantonese songs to residents. The project began after Chinese Canadian friends urged him to try it once they heard him sing the 1980s Mando-pop ballad "A Spray of Plum Blossoms" in a car.

MacNeill learned the song in 2024 to pass time on a flight, using Google Translate and YouTube videos, but did not get the chance to perform it until he arrived in Richmond for a summer job in May. He and friend Jason Chen began filming the performances in June. Richmond has the highest proportion of residents of Chinese descent of any municipality in Canada, making up more than half its population.

Videos of the performances, including one for an 81-year-old woman that drew 1.8 million likes and nearly 14 million views on Instagram, have gained widespread attention online. MacNeill said the woman told him it was the first time a white person had sung to her in Chinese. Some residents have joined in singing, while others have offered food, including one who served MacNeill and Chen lamb chops instead of the granola bar they expected.

MacNeill estimated he visited 300 to 400 homes over the summer. Not every visit went well; some residents mistook him for a salesman and shut the door. He said the positive reactions he did receive, including from people initially shy or wary, motivated him to keep learning the language.