Trending Now: China's Social Media Highlights #6October-12October#

Weibo

The Hardest Part of Travelling Alone: Eating For solo travellers, dining remains the biggest challenge — from large portions to awkward seating. Many opt for fast food over local cuisine. Yet, single-friendly eateries and takeaway combos are changing that. Only 9% choose solo trips. Read more

The National Day Rush to South Korea South Korea’s temporary visa-free policy drew crowds, but many were met with high costs and crowded sights. Still, 86% of visitors went for Hallyu culture, generating $2.4 billion in tourism. Beauty treatments and “ID photo makeovers” keep Korea’s soft power strong. Read more

Amap Drove 100 Million Diners to Restaurants During Golden Week, Amap’s “Street-Food List” brought over 100 million customers to offline eateries. The app reached 360 million DAU, showing how “food + travel” drives China’s holiday economy. Read more

Douyin

China’s Golden Week Spending Boom The 8-day super holiday saw national spending rise 10% from Labour Day. County-level cities led the surge, while Chongqing topped WeChat Pay spending and transaction volumes nationwide. Read more

Xiaohongshu

The Return Rush Arrives Early Golden Week’s return peaks hit early on 5–6 October, with over 70 million vehicles on highways, including 14 million EVs. Shanghai and Beijing led in charging-station density, with usage peaking at midday. Read more

Baidu

Generation X Becomes the World’s Top Spenders The World Economic Forum reports Gen X will contribute over $15.2 trillion in global consumption by 2025. In China, their spending power doubles total consumer expenditure, defining them as key market drivers. Read more

Gen Z Leads the 2025 “Super Golden Week” The post-95 generation made up nearly 25% of travellers. “Lazy tourism” trends boosted hotel and takeaway orders 15-fold, while long-distance and overseas trips, including Maldives stays, surged. Read more

Where Did Everyone Go This Holiday? Short trips dominated, with national travel up 6% year-on-year. Family, culture, and camping trips thrived, especially to Qinghai Lake and Hulunbuir, led by the 30–40 age group. Read more

Zhihu

Should You Travel While You’re Young? Zhihu users say yes — youth is the best time for exploration. China Trading Desk’s latest survey shows 70% of outbound travellers are aged 18–34, driving China’s new travel mindset. Read more