Trending Now: China’s Social Media Highlights (#19 January 2026 – 25 January 2026#)

Weibo | Yunnan Earthquake, Year-of-the-Horse Travel Perks, and “A China on the move” Narrative

Source: People's Daily

Yunnan 5.1 Earthquake Drives Safety Searches and Emergency Readiness Attention

A 5.1-magnitude shallow quake in Qiaojia (Zhaotong) triggered rapid online interest in seismic risk, early-warning effectiveness, and science-based evacuation guidance—typical of “earthquake update” and “safety tips” search spikes. Read more ->

Year-of-the-Horse Free-Entry Deals Lift CNY Trip Planning—and Cost-Transparency Debate

Over 20 scenic areas rolled out targeted free-entry offers for Horse-zodiac visitors, people surnamed “Ma”, or names containing “Ma” (incl. homophones), boosting “CNY travel deals” searches while prompting discussion around fine-print differences and hidden expenses. Read more ->

“A China on the Move” Content Strengthens Transport-Upgrading and Domestic-Demand SEO Themes

Traffic clusters around high-speed rail expansion, logistics efficiency and livelihood policies are reinforcing a macro storyline linking mobility infrastructure with consumption resilience and growth confidence. Read more ->

Douyin | 2025 Economic Wrap-Up, UN Reform Debate, and Extreme Cold Disruption Content

Source: HEBJJRB

2025 China Economy Wrap-Up Posts Drive “GDP + Jobs + FX Reserves” Searches

Data-focused summaries spotlight GDP +5.0%, urban surveyed unemployment averaging 5.2%, and FX reserves above US$3.3 trillion—supporting ongoing “China economy 2025” and “2026 outlook” search demand. Read more ->

UNSC Reform Clips Push Geopolitical Interest in “Japan Permanent Seat” Commentary

Diplomatic messaging around UN reform is lifting “UNSC reform” and related geopolitical keywords, showing how headline politics can quickly convert into mainstream short-video traffic. Read more ->

Jinan “Needle-Like Snow” and -18°C Lows Raise Winter Travel-Risk Attention

Unusual snow visuals combined with yellow cold-wave alerts through 22 January are amplifying searches for “extreme cold”, “road safety” and “weather-related travel disruption” planning. Read more ->

Xiaohongshu | Health-Alert Travel Caution, Earthquake Updates, and Brazil Visa-Free Buzz

Source: Baidu

India Regional Outbreak Content Triggers “Health Checks” and “Entry Screening” Travel Searches

Nipah-virus outbreak discussion is driving travel-health keyword demand—especially around airport monitoring, health declarations and cross-border prevention measures for inbound travellers. Read more ->

Yunnan Earthquake Updates Spread Fast, Reinforcing Real-Time Safety Information Sharing

User reposts of official measurements (5.1 magnitude, 10 km depth) and “felt reports” across nearby cities are strengthening Xiaohongshu’s role in rapid incident updates and practical safety tips. Read more ->

Brazil Visa-Free News Lifts “South America Travel Planning” Interest

Visa-free signals are pushing itinerary and flight-route discussion (including direct Beijing–São Paulo references), boosting searches for “Brazil visa-free for Chinese” and “South America travel tips”. Read more ->

Baidu | China–Brazil Signals, Ice-and-Snow Economy Growth, and Pre-CNY Beauty Bookings

China–Brazil Leader Call Strengthens “Global South Cooperation” Search Demand

High-level communication is reinforcing SEO angles such as “China–Brazil relations”, “Global South” and “global governance cooperation”. Read more ->

Ice-and-Snow Economy Heats Up as Winter Tourism Scales Nationwide

Forecast coverage spotlights growth expectations for the 2025–26 snow season (3.6bn visits; RMB 450bn revenue) and a potential industry scale exceeding RMB 1tn, boosting “ice and snow economy” and “winter tourism” searches. Read more ->

“New Year Three-Piece Set” Booking Rush Signals Pre-Holiday Service Consumption Peak

Hair, nails and lashes demand is entering appointment mode ahead of the Horse Year Spring Festival, with some salons reporting 50–60 daily customers and extended opening hours—pushing “CNY beauty booking” searches. Read more ->

Zhihu | Data Ownership Debate, Space Tourism Readiness, and Brazil Visa-Free Implications

Source: Zhihu

WeChat Chat Export Tool Takedowns Intensify “Data Ownership” and Portability Debate

Discussion focuses on backup rights, migration difficulty and platform governance, lifting SEO themes such as “data autonomy”, “user data rights” and “platform lock-in”. Read more ->

Commercial Space Tourism Sparks “Safety and Reliability” as the Core Consumer Question

High-price presales (RMB 3m per ticket) are amplifying debate around technical readiness, risk management and market prospects—anchored by “safety first” sentiment. Read more ->

Brazil Visa-Free for Chinese Citizens: Tourism Upside vs Implementation Uncertainty

The announcement is driving interest in outbound policy impact and people-to-people exchange, while search demand rises for “Brazil visa-free for Chinese” and “South America travel planning”. Read more ->