SHANGHAI: Popping supplements, drinking herbal teas and signing up for lifestyle classes, China’s youth are turning to the wellness industry as work stress and pandemic memories spur a growing interest in health.

These new habits are part of a global wellness boom, but the traditional concept of “yangsheng” — literally meaning “cultivating one’s life force” — has given the trend a unique cultural twist in China.

In Shanghai, Annie Huang sat in a trendy cafe-like establishment that sold traditional herbal teas, sipping a bitter concoction purported to protect the body against the summer heat.

“Young people today frequently pull all-nighters... so they want to drink something that they feel is good for their body,” Huang, in her thirties, said.

Rooted in Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine beliefs, the vast umbrella of “yangsheng” includes habits like avoiding foods thought to make the body cold, and targeted massages that purportedly treat a range of ailments.

Capitalising on the trend, state-run traditional Chinese medicine giants such as Beijing Tongrentang have opened fashionably decorated stores offering “all-nighter water” and goji berry lattes alongside traditional ingredients believed to promote health like bird’s nest and ginseng.

Thousands of “yangsheng” influencers have filled Chinese social media with posts that offer tips on “expelling body dampness”, how to incorporate ginger juice into daily meals, and finger exercises that allegedly improve blood circulation.

The passion for “yangsheng” has even spilled over into tourism, with youths flocking to desert areas to lay on sand in the belief that the practice rids the body of unhealthy dampness.

China, the world’s second largest economy is battling sluggish consumption against the backdrop of a property crisis and stubborn youth unemployment. But health and wellness spending, especially among millennials and Gen Z, remains a bright spot.

Wellness purchases are “definitely increasing more than other categories” despite many younger spenders tightening their belts overall, said Jason Yu, greater China managing director at consumer research firm Kantar Worldpanel.

“Nutrition supplement is one of the categories they really value and that they are willing to actually invest in,” Yu said.

Chinese start-ups are selling everything from vitamin gummies to probiotic powders, vying for attention with traditionally more trusted imported brands.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2024