Mike Chen
Chen Xing | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Xi'an, China |
| Other names | Mike "Mikey" Xing Chen |
| Occupation(s) | YouTuber, food vlogger |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Strictly Dumpling, Cook With Mikey, Eat With Mikey, Beyond Science, Mike Chen, The Chen Dynasty, The CheNews |
Chen Xing (born 1980 or 1981), also recognized as Mike "Mikey" Xing Chen, is a Chinese-American YouTuber. Originally affiliated with New Tang Dynasty Television's YouTube channel Off the Great Wall, Chen gained prominence through his channel Strictly Dumpling, which showcases food and travel content. Beyond Strictly Dumpling, he operates several additional channels such as Cook With Mikey (previously Pho the Love of Food),[1] Eat With Mikey,[1] Beyond Science,[2] Mike Chen,[3] The Chen Dynasty (formerly The Double Chen Show), and The CheNews (formerly The Double Chen News). Together, these channels have attracted over 5 million subscribers.[1]
Early life
Born in Xi'an, China, Chen relocated to the United States when he was eight years old. He was raised in the American Midwest, where he gained experience working in his family’s Chinese buffet restaurants. In a Reddit AMA, Chen disclosed that he attended Truman State University, studying accounting with aspirations to join the FBI. While at university, he took on the role of a resident assistant. After completing his degree, he spent one year at Morgan Stanley as a financial analyst before departing in 2006.
Career
Following his departure from Morgan Stanley, Chen took on the position of head of digital strategy at the non-profit media organization New Tang Dynasty Television. His involvement was driven by his practice of Falun Gong and a commitment to highlight human rights concerns in China. Concurrently, he supplemented his income by working part-time as a wedding videographer.
At New Tang Dynasty Television, Chen co-launched the YouTube channel Off the Great Wall, which centers on aspects of Chinese culture. In 2013, he began creating food-focused vlogs that eventually led to the development of multiple channels including Cook With Mikey (formerly Pho the Love of Food), Eat With Mikey, and Strictly Dumpling. Additionally, he produces Beyond Science, a series exploring mysterious phenomena, alongside his personal channel Mike Chen.
In 2015, due to creative disagreements, Chen and colleague Dan Chen departed from New Tang Dynasty Television and Off the Great Wall to establish The Double Chen Show. Together with Yi Yang, they moved from New York to San Francisco, broadening their content portfolio with sub-channels such as The Double Chen News (covering current events in China) and Awesome Toy Review! In 2016, Dan and Yang returned to New York while Chen remained in San Francisco, rebranding their channels as The Chen Dynasty and The CheNews based on audience feedback.
Chen received a nomination for Best in Food at the 11th Shorty Awards in 2019. That same year, he revealed plans to open Karne, a Korean steakhouse located in Dallas, Texas, marking an expansion into physical business ventures beyond online media.
Personal life
While collaborating with New Tang Dynasty Television, Chen resided in New York before relocating to San Francisco, California after his departure in 2015. After spending some time in Seattle, Washington, he moved to Allen, Texas in 2021. On July 12, 2021, Chen married Christine Ahn in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As a practitioner of Falun Gong, Chen attributes this practice as a motivating factor behind his non-profit efforts at New Tang Dynasty Television. He is an outspoken opponent of the Chinese Communist Party, denouncing human rights violations including those related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre and the persecution faced by Uyghurs, Christians, and Falun Gong adherents. His outspoken views led comedian Nigel Ng to remove their joint video collaboration and issue an apology on Weibo for failing to acknowledge Chen’s statements regarding China.