Sounds like they want to get around region locks on their favorite content sites rather than a wish to remain censored.

Yeah I think they are conflating two things in the article.

The best place to get Chinese music or music videos is probably Chinese websites or apps.

Whether anyone really prefers a more censored news feed or something -- that is totally possible if it's what someone grew up with, but it is also completely different from wanting to access your old playlist.

Yeah I got this impression too. Very misleading

People have been doing this for years, e.g. here is one popular project: https://github.com/uku/Unblock-Youku

Chinese video sites carry Chinese-language (and English) content for which they hold only domestic licences.

clickbait article, really useless content. chinese people overseas can’t access their favourite apps and music. they use a vpn to regain that access. is this even worth an article, yet alone a topic on HN?

OP here. Yes, the article itself it somewhat vague but I found the implications relevant and thought others would also. We tend to view and focus on the use of cryptographic privacy tech like VPN's as a way to escape or bypass a more restrictive environment to a less restrictive one but the inverse is just as societally significant and necessary.