Young generations seek self-healing

Stress-relieving hobbies

According to a report released by Bilibili, a video-sharing platform popular with young Chinese, in October, younger generations are increasingly concerned about their mental health. The view number of videos related to such topics in the past year saw a huge increase of 83 percent year-on-year.

Among users who seek answers or offer suggestions on psychological issues through the platform, those aged 24 or below accounted for 76 percent. Emotional words of high frequency searched on the platform included anxiety, depression and stress, the report showed.

Young people's need to find entertainment away from work has led to the emergence of a variety of novelty experiences aimed toward relaxation. Their willingness to pay for these trendy hobbies has prompted stress-relieving businesses.

A list of ten emerging popular stress-reducing activities this year issued by Meituan, an on-demand service platform, included tufting, murder mystery games, massage and pet cats and dogs.

The handicraft experience, tufting, a technology of turning wool into blankets used in industrial production, has been a must-try in handmade workshops in China this year where customers can experience making carpets or handbags themselves.

Customers choose a picture they like and project its outline on a piece of cloth, hold up an electric gun and fill the pattern with colorful wool. Tufting workshops were popping up in major cities across the country in the past year as the activity is easy to get started and full of fun.

Jiang Junqi, 28, an art graduate and a freelance illustrator, brought the tufting activity into her art studio that teaches painting in downtown Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, earlier this year as she noticed the soaring demand for the craft.

On weekends, the tufting workshop attracts young handicraft lovers. They spend the day carefully weaving wool, each holding a tufting gun in their hands, with chatter and laughter filling the room.

Teenage students and office workers under 30 are typical tufting lovers, Jiang said.

"People around me are all willing to give it a try and find it interesting, especially females who cannot say no to furry things," Jiang said.

Young people like this activity which combines art and practicality, and can make a gift for others or make a small rug to cover the electric meter box at home, she said, adding that one repeat customer made a dozen rugs.

"It can enrich people's hearts. Many don't know that they can do art and feel that art is difficult. In fact, it is not, and art is all around us," Jiang added.

Meanwhile, stressed young people long for a place they can have different experiences away from work, Jiang said.

"Some said they are like screws that keep working in the office but when they do tufting, they can forget about their work and just focus on making crafts," she said.