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, told AFP. 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. .