‘City, not city’: How a viral phrase captures China’s urban zeitgeist

Drinking an iced latte with friends? That’s “city” (city啊). Visiting the Great Wall of China? Not “city” (不city). Riding a bike down Shanghai’s Anfu Road? Extremely “city” (非常city呀). Confused? Here’s an explainer: “city, not city” (city不city啊) is a new trend taking Chinese social media by storm. Used to describe whether someone, or something is urban, on-trend, and sophisticated –or not –the hashtag has racked up over 43 million views on Xiaohongshu to date. The mixed English-language and Mandarin term first came to light in May, when it was coined by Shanghai-based American content creator Paul Mike Ashton (@bao_bao_xiong_). Following an initial video posted online of Ashton asking his sister whether Shanghai is “city, or not city,” the hashtag has exploded online – so much so that China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stepped in to share their appreciation for the trend during a press conference on July 4. In short, “city不city啊” evaluates whether an activity aligns with China’s urban trends. Creator Ashton elaborated in a video, posted on June 30, defining “very city” as activities and places emblematic of urban life, like Shanghai’s trendy Anfu Road, iced coffees, and city walks. Meanwhile, “not city” covers activities less typical of inner-city environments, such as China’s current vanlife trend, or visiting historical sites like the Great Wall of China. All in all, it’s a playful vernacular way of capturing the evolving dynamics of contemporary city living versus traditional experiences. Netizens cite Ashton’s punchy and addictive pronunciation of the term as a key driver behind its online success, with many hopping on the trend to imitate the creator’s style of speaking. “The main reason for the popularity of the ‘city 不 city’ trend lies in its fun, spreadability, and topicality, which can attract the attention and participation of a large number of netizens,” Olivia Plotnick, Chinese social media expert and founder of Wai Social tells Jing Daily. That said, the term has evolved into more than just an Internet buzzword. Plotnick notes that, through the phrase’s various interpretations, the trend “has been imbued with meanings such as urbanization, chicness, novelty, and even ‘excitement.’ It can be applied to a variety of scenarios, such as travel check-ins, fashion, and daily life.” The colloquialism also paints a broad picture of China’s changing economic climate and the country’s current urban tourism boom. “With the rise of China’s economy and the acceleration of urbanization, more and more people are beginning to enjoy the conveniences and opportunities brought by modernization,” Plotnick says. “China’s social structure and cultural concepts are constantly evolving, and people’s pursuit of quality of life and happiness is also continuously improving. The popularity of ‘city 不 city’ reflects the stages and impacts of China’s modernization and development.” In the first five months of this year, it was reported that more than 14 million foreigners entered the mainland, including more than 8 million visa-free entries. The uptick in visitors arrives in line with China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy, which was last year extended to allow citizens of 54 countries and regions to enter China without a visa for a period of up to 144 hours. During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday last month, the number of foreign arrivals and departures increased by 57 percent year on year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed during a recent press conference. As a result, the “city不city啊” catchphrase has found particular favor among foreigners, who are tapping the meme as a means of expressing their appreciation for China’s major cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing. Plotnick also believes that the trend is emblematic of Gen Z consumers’ growing acceptance of diverse lifestyle trends. The demographic, Plotnick notes, tends to “focus more on personalized and diverse lifestyles and have a higher sensitivity and acceptance of new things and trendy culture. They’re also highly skilled at using content editing tools to replicate, or create new and creative content on social media.” To engage with China’s younger, digitally-savvy consumers, brands need to be well-versed in emerging online trends and incorporate these into their marketing strategies. Integrating elements of popular internet culture allows brands to connect authentically with this hyper-connected audience. While domestic influencers and celebrities are already tapping the trend to “better interact with netizens and create resonance,” says Plotnick, brands need to be acting with similar swiftness to stay relevant in the mainland.

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‘City, not city’: How a viral phrase captures China’s urban zeitgeist