People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever.

As extreme weather events and record-breaking heat become the norm, climate change has moved beyond future fears and become a present-day reality. On average, 57% of people worldwide report that climate change has already severely impacted where they live. Permanently changed, erratic weather patterns are col...

Navigating reality has become an almost constant shock to the system. With the ongoing cost of living crisis, wars, political polarisation, and global environmental issues, life’s stresses are becoming increasingly difficult to escape. With individuals and collectives in a perpetual state of disturbance, peop...

The oppressive ‘9-9-6’ work culture has seen some young people in China choose to ‘lie flat’ to avoid burning out. For others, however, a ‘45-degree life’ is more appealing – a pragmatic middle ground that revolves around the pursuit of personal and professional balance.

Struggling to deal with many of the pressures and quickening pace of modern city life, young Chinese urbanites are taking comfort in gardening projects. From growing vegetables to creating balcony gardens, they're looking for ways to integrate green-fingered leisure into their lives.

In order to offset burnout, young Chinese urbanites are turning to ‘punk health’ – a trend that sees traditional medicine used as a ‘quick fix’ for exhaustion. With many struggling to strike a healthy work-life balance, what does this approach to wellness tell us about the future of self-care in China?

Why are Gen Zers lying down instead of going to work? What’s making older adults feel disenfranchised? And why are Gen Yers seeking out green relief in their everyday lives? Our China Cultural Snapshot explores the key behaviours shaping the nation in 2022.