What happened
Where can you find Chinese youth on their work breaks or on the weekends? Probably at a park.
On Xiaohongshu, the hashtag “20-minute park effect” (#公园20分钟效应) has amassed over 131 million views as netizens seek rejuvenation and spiritual healing. This trend has been boosted by Xiaohongshu’s outdoors-related sub-account, which encourages users to post about their park experiences from April 17 to May 31 in exchange for prizes and traffic support.
Scrolling through the posts will reveal Chinese youth basking in the sun, listening to music, taking a stroll, or simply sharing their outdoorsy or sun-protective outfit of the day.
As part of the country’s efforts to expand green spaces, Century Park, Shanghai’s largest urban park, has created seven new entrances and extended its operation to 24 hours a day since the start of May. Shanghai currently has over 830 parks and plans to bring that number up to 1,000 by late next year.
Beijing, which currently boasts 1,065 parks, plans to add 15 leisure parks and urban forests, along with 50 pocket parks and small green areas, in 2024.
The Jing Take
While visiting parks might seem mundane, the trend aligns with Chinese youth’s desire for slower living amid intense working conditions.
“The industry I used to work in required me to leave early and come home late, and I was trapped in a small room on weekends,” writes Xiaohongshu user Ershixiong (@二师兄). “After getting exposed to the outdoors, I started to put away my computer on weekends, silence my phone, and walk from my room to the park and to the mountains.”
Netizens are also affirming the health benefits of being out in nature.
“This magical 20-minute park effect is not just about the wonderful feeling of sunshine and fresh air but also about how it can help us relax, improve our mood, enhance our physical energy, and even improve our sleep quality,” posts Xiaohongshu user Paidaxingxing (@派大星星).
In response, brands have started to organize activities at parks to directly interact with consumers. In March, Chinese fitness brand Keep hosted a marathon that started at Guangzhou Haizhu’s Lake Park, and in April, it launched a cycling festival at Shanghai Expo Park, which included activities like a spin class, treasure hunt, and band performance.
Similarly, Fila hosted a 5-kilometer run in April at Chengdu’s Xinglong Lake Park to promote its jogging shoes.
Even oral care brand Darlie jumped on the bandwagon by launching a relaxation-themed pop-up event at a park in Beijing in collaboration with the food delivery app Meituan, featuring food, photobooths, and toothpase.
Not only do parks provide large, cost-effective spaces to accommodate community events like classes and camping experiences, but they also offer a relaxed atmosphere that can positively influence perceptions of the brand.
For Chinese consumers, parks ultimately represent an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life; brands that speak to this desire to “reject emo,” recharge, and reconnect with nature will be the ones to hit it out of the park.
The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.