RED 2023 trends
The top lifestyle trends in 2023, from local communities to drinking tea.
小红书 RED (Xiaohongshu 2023 lifestyle trends)
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01. Building community in neighbourhoods
#近邻升温
In 2022, people started getting closer to their neighbors. Due to COVID-19 epidemic control measures throughout the year, many people started joining community groups to organize group purchases, and through this process many met their neighbors living next door for the first time and realized the importance of community. By developing relationships after experiencing the warmth and mutual help from people in their neighborhoods, young people are increasingly looking for stops nearby, such as going to the supermarket in the neighborhood, ordering coffee at the cafe downstairs, and participating in community activities. Small community shops such as bakeries and coffee shops are booming, becoming a "third place" where young people come to socialize.
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02. Tasting local flavours
#吃地道风味
Amidst the rise of internet-famous restaurants and convenient packaged food, young Chinese consumers are increasingly hunting down small restaurants that are filled with local people, as they seek the most authentic tastes. Roadside stalls that cook to order with satisfying portions and reasonable prices, as well as old-school snacks that see locals lining up, are being recommended on Xiaohongshu.
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03. Going on a trip
#出个远门
Delayed travel plans are being put back on the agenda. Topics related to self-drive routes in the Sichuan region have raked up tens of millions of views on Xiaohongshu, as young people are eager to experience a range of natural scenery from mountains to rivers. After three years of bookmarking travel plans, people are eagerly anticipating the possibility of traveling in the new year.
#疫情结束后最想去哪
#说走就走
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04. Urban outdoor lifestyle
#野到家门口
With epidemic control measures limiting travel, young Chinese have brought their yearning for the outdoors lifestyle to their immediate surroundings, typically in urban settings. Parks in cities, lawns in front of homes, and camping grounds in the suburbs have all become places for people to get close to nature. Some people even set up tents in the living room and sleep in sleeping bags, replicating the camping experience right within their homes. Others are adding outdoor elements in their outfits, by wearing sportswear jackets, Timberland boots, and fisherman hats.
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05. Easy ways to relieve stress
#轻解压
In present times, as people feel like they lack control over their destiny, they are seeking out ways to relieve stress in a quick and easy manner. Therefore, they watch stress-relieving videos, write fantasy internet novels, knock on wooden fish through simulator apps to find peace, and walk paper dogs for a sense of companionship. These simple and easy ways to relieve stress inject a dose of happiness into people's lives.
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06. A minimalist lifestyle
#简法生活
In the past two years, society has reflected more on consumerism and young Chinese consumers have adjusted their consumption habits, becoming more rational overall. They are increasingly making more prudent consumption decisions, giving up idle items, liberating themselves of excessive material desires and simplifying their lifestyles. For example, many young people are starting to resent excessive marketing in skincare, and will do in-depth research on ingredients and formulas before buying skincare products that address specific problems. With more people moving towards a rational and practical approach to spending, with clear goals in mind.
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07. A new twist on traditional Chinese culture
#文房四潮
China's Gen Z is showing stronger cultural self-confidence and demonstrating affinity for traditional culture. They are no longer just curious about traditional Chinese culture, but have woven cultural elements into the Internet world they grew up with, such as using emoji to write calligraphy and using jokes to write couplets, giving traditional culture a modernized facelift and making it more fashionable. Young people integrate traditional practices such as calligraphy, incense rituals and seal carving into their daily lives.
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08. A corner of paradise at home
#家有桃花源
Due to epidemic control measures throughout 2022, the time that people spend at home has skyrocketed. To young Chinese these days, home is not just a place, but also where they find comfort, warmth and happiness. Therefore, many are seeking to create a comfortable environment at home with a chill ambience, or making their homes smarter for more convenience. As a result, young people are purchasing home fragrances, carpets, projectors and house plants, trying to tranform their homes into home theaters, home cafes, and small gardens. Even for those who aren't able to revamp their entire place, as people pay more attention to having a better quality of life after work, they are at least transforming a corner of their homes into a cozy corner which reflects the lifestyle of their desires.
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09. Recyling unused items
#闲置循环
The concept of being environmentally-friendly has become more mainstream among young Chinese, and it has become the norm for young people to give away unused items to those in need, or spend money to buy other people's old items. In addition to being active in the second-hand market, stooping is also popular among young people, as they put old items in designated places to attract interested people to pick them up. From clothes, books to large pieces of furniture, young people are "adopting" instead of buying, and reaping the joy of hunting for old items. People start to buy and sell more second-hand goods, and give unused items a second lease of life.
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10. Going for tea
#吃茶去
Young people have a newfound love for drinking tea, from sugar-free teas on supermarket shelves to social practices such as stove-boiled tea. Chinese-style teahouses are no longer gathering places for the older generation, as more and more young people are meeting up with friends in teahouses to relax, chat and take photos, giving the practice of tea drinking a new spin.
BE REAL
Lifestyle trends reflect changes in society's approach towards life, and with so many young Chinese recording their daily lives on Xiaohongshu and using information on our platform to help them make decisions in their lives, Xiaohongshu is increasingly the destination to observe how the direction of these trends will impact society, year after year.
