Trending Now: China's Social Media Highlights #26May-1June#

Weibo

Dragon Boat Festival Travel Surge China expects 687 million passenger trips during the Dragon Boat holiday. This is a 7.7% increase from 2024. Self-driving trips will dominate, with over 98% of highway traffic from small vehicles. Most trips will be short-distance. A 6-million-kilometre transport network supports fast travel. Diverse travel scenes drive new consumption trends. Read more

“P-Trooper” Travel Trend Young people are choosing flexible travel. “P-trooper” trips replace fast-paced sightseeing. No strict planning is needed. Travellers adjust plans by mood and interest. Comfort and surprise matter more than speed. Read more

Image Source: Weibo

2025 New Tier-1 Cities Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou remain first-tier. The top 15 new tier-1 cities include Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Chongqing. These cities attract with culture and lifestyle. Read more

Skincare Trends for 618 Festival Consumers seek anti-ageing and repair products. Whitening, sun protection, and luxury skincare are also popular. Stockpiling tips are trending online. Read more

“Frugal Yet Generous” Mindset Young consumers spend wisely. They save where they can. They splurge on what matters. Read more

China Becomes Shopping Tourism Hub China eases visa and tax rules. Foreign tourists enjoy 240-hour visa-free stays. Instant tax refunds boost spending. Alipay shows 180% growth in foreign purchases. Pop Mart and Chinese IP go global. Read more

Douyin

Top Solo Travel Destinations Popular spots include Turkey, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Inner Mongolia. Read more

Image Source: Baidu

Jeju Air Skids Off Runway On 28 May, a Jeju Air flight slid off the runway. It carried 183 people. No injuries reported. Our China Travel Dashboard shows that an estimated 3,083,000 people are expected to travel outbound to South Korea over the next four months, marking a year-on-year increase of 271,000. Read more

Baidu

Dragon Boat and Children’s Day Boost Travel Family trips and short drives are booming. Dragon boat races and folk customs are popular. Cities like Moscow, Osaka, and London see outbound demand. Read more

Pre-Holiday Shopping Grows Dragon Boat is the last short holiday in H. Linyi received over 30 million tourists from Jan to Apr. Tourism revenue hit 31.9 billion yuan. Read more

Image Source: Baidu

Emotional Spending Rises Gen Z buys based on feelings. Blind boxes and nostalgic teas are hot. Emotion-driven purchases reshape the market. Read more

Chongqing Tops Consumption Ranking Its total reached 1.56 trillion yuan. It beat Shanghai for the first time. Read more