Millennial
Culture
[Vox pop] Inside the craze: What people think about China’s blind box culture
In recent years, a wave led by Chinese brands like Pop Mart turned blind box culture from a niche Gen Z favourite in China into a global obsession. ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina speak with blind box collectors in Singapore to find out more about this blind box trend.
Lu Lingming, Yi Jina
20 Jun 2025
Economy
[Big read] Big business in little blind boxes
Lianhe Zaobao journalist Lee Kuo Ai takes a look at the trending blind box market, its appeal to Gen Z and millennials, and companies’ forays into the space. From elements of surprise to instant gratifications, even with those involving luxury brands, this lucrative consumer phenomenon seems to be here to stay.
Lee Kuo Ai
06 Jun 2024
Society
Rising hongbao rates are putting pressure on Chinese youths
As China's tradition of giving red packets or hongbaos during festive occasions puts young people under pressure, they are pushing back by giving fewer hongbaos or none at all, hoping that their refusal to conform will help to bring the focus back to the sentiment behind the giving.
China Desk, Lianhe Zaobao
21 Feb 2024
Cartoon
[Comic] AI: The people's new religion
As a member of the post-2000 generation, I would say the younger generation can arrogantly claim that artificial intelligence (AI) is not unfamiliar to us, and we are the natives of virtual reality. On the contrary, it is always those stubborn "old folks" who struggle to adapt and become restless, as if they were inside the palace when Puyi wore glasses. But the true enemy of humanity is never technology. Strengthening regulations, accelerating the implementation of corresponding policies, and mitigating the existential threats brought by AI should be our top priority. Because, regardless of how things unfold, our future lives will always be tied to AI. - Bai Yi (Created with the aid of AI, with thanks to Mathieu Borysevicz and Learning From Hangzhou, as well as other creators for visual material provided.)
Bai Yi
30 Jun 2023
Society
Rejecting their parents' lifestyles, more single Chinese youths are sharing their everyday lives through vlogs
As young Chinese leave their hometowns to work and live in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, single living vlogs are gaining popularity. Whether they are toughing it out or living it up, the Chinese youths of today seem to be rejecting their parents' lifestyles and yearning to chart a life of their own. Zaobao correspondent Wong Siew Fong speaks to some Chinese youths about the rise of single living vlogs.
Wong Siew Fong
23 Aug 2021
Society
Nationalistic and patriotic? Chinese youths are more than that.
Every day, scores of young people from small cities or farming villages make their way to big cities to find work. Inhabiting the space between their old and new worlds, they find kinship and cultural affinity in online groups, forming subcultures that have emerged as alternatives to the mainstream. While this widens their network beyond their usual social circles, it has also spawned a form of online tribalism. How does this affect their worldviews and interactions online and offline? Wu Guo explores the topic.
Wu Guo
12 May 2021
