Young Chinese Adults Embrace Yangsheng
Amid Rising Health Anxiety

August 26, 2025: As work stress intensifies and health anxieties linger post-pandemic, China's younger generations are turning to traditional Yangsheng (养生) practices to reclaim wellness and control over their lives. Rooted in Taoist and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophies, Yangsheng — literally “nourishing life” — has re-emerged not just as a cultural inheritance, but as a wellness trend reshaping youth behavior, consumption, and even tourism.

In cities like Shanghai, stylish herbal cafes now serve concoctions meant to counterbalance long work hours and heat exhaustion, such as goji berry lattes and “all-nighter water.” State-run TCM brands like Tongrentang are tapping into this resurgence by opening boutique stores with aesthetic appeal. Meanwhile, influencers on platforms like Xiaohongshu promote daily Yangsheng hacks, from ginger juice tonics to sand baths in China’s deserts — believed to help expel internal “dampness.”

The movement is more than cosmetic. Behind it lies deep social anxiety: fears over declining fertility, burnout, and the toll of overwork. Office workers are buying “sudden death prevention packs,” and women are enrolling in classes to preserve reproductive health. The trend has become both a form of resistance to modern pressures and a symbol of self-investment.

Despite a slow economy and youth unemployment, health-related spending — especially supplements and herbal remedies — is growing among Gen Z and Millennials. Analysts say the wellness sector is one of few areas still thriving, fueled by both ancient wisdom and modern branding.

Yangsheng has become not just a health movement, but a social statement — blending old roots with new relevance.

Full article:  Hindustan Times – China's Young Adults Turn to Yangsheng