Trending Now: China's Social Media Highlights #18August-24August#

Weibo

Travel as the Working Class Comfort The hashtag “Travel is how workers comfort themselves” is going viral. Netizens frame travel as emotional therapy — from 48-hour micro-trips to “rest-cations” that prioritise healing over sightseeing. Read more

Chinese Tourists in Singapore Spark Debate A queue dispute at Universal Studios Singapore triggered heated cultural debate online. Behind the story, data shows Chinese visitors spent USD 1.29 billion in Q1 2025, making up 16% of Singapore’s tourism revenue. Read more

Douyin

China’s Consumer Market Still #2 Globally Douyin highlights China’s consumer market holding firm as the world’s second largest, projected to surpass RMB 50 trillion in 2025. Users celebrate consumption as a driver of resilience and confidence. Read more

Xiaohongshu

“Let’s Watch the Snow Together” Goes Viral. With the snow season starting, outbound trips are booming. An estimated 19.39 million Chinese will travel abroad for snow tourism in the next four months, up 1.688 million from last year. Read more

Zhihu

From Special Forces to Healing Travel Zhihu users are debating “窝囊旅游” (Useless Tourism) — a new trend favouring comfort over intensity. From elevator hiking to shallow-water floating, young travellers are embracing slow, healing travel instead of checklist-driven tours. Read more

Consumer Guilt and Spending Downgrades Some netizens describe suffering from “spending shame”, feeling guilty when buying for themselves. Others argue that “consumption downgrading” isn’t just about frugality — it may also reflect dissatisfaction with low-quality products and poor service experiences. Read more