Chinese herbal milk tea, Chinese herbal plum soup, Chinese herbal pastries… Some “Chinese herbal afternoon teas” labeled as health promoting have become the new favorite of young people’s consumption nowadays; In the past, health preserving methods popular among middle-aged and elderly people, such as prescription, Tonic Diet and massage, were also sought after by some young people.
A report shows that on average, each urban resident spends over 1000 yuan per year on health and wellness, with a high proportion of young consumers aged 18 to 35 accounting for 83.7%. So, why is traditional Chinese medicine health preservation becoming popular among young people? What is the correct way to open traditional Chinese medicine for health preservation?
In terms of what amateur activities were popular a few years ago, many people would mention script killing and secret room escape. Now, more and more young people like to experience massage, cupping, acupuncture and moxibustion, scraping, moxibustion and other traditional Chinese medicine therapies in their break time. According to statistics, the scale of China’s moxibustion industry currently exceeds 10 billion yuan and is growing at a rate of 30% to 50% annually, becoming a popular track in the medical and health market.
Many traditional Chinese medicine clinics in hospitals are hard to find. From going to a traditional Chinese medicine hospital to prepare medicinal herbs and soup, to matching exclusive foot pads according to personal constitution, from applying Sanfu patches in summer to preparing nourishing and nourishing ointment formulas in winter, traditional Chinese medicine hospitals are no longer the place of “hardship” in childhood memories. They have gradually become a health haven that can heal the “fragile” bodies and “fragile” hearts of some young people. The traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions such as “Wumei Tang”, “Light Tea”, and “Acupoint Weight Loss Patch” launched by major hospitals have unexpectedly seen a surge in order volume. In late May of this year, within just 12 hours of its official launch, a certain traditional Chinese medicine hospital’s Ume and Lotus Leaf Drink received 240000 orders, which even caused network congestion in the hospital.
In addition, the related concepts of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation can also be seen in the daily lives of young people. For example, traditional Chinese medicine terms such as “excessive heat”, “heavy dampness”, “replenishing qi and blood”, and “covering up in spring and freezing in autumn” have become daily expressions. Simple and easy to learn behaviors such as combing hair frequently, rubbing the Yongquan acupoint frequently, knocking teeth, and rubbing the abdomen have become popular health practices. Making a cup of seasonal health tea that suits oneself after work, and arranging a youth night school to learn and practice the Yi Jin Jing after work have become daily routines for some young people. Health exercises such as Tai Chi and Ba Duan Jin have also become exclusive leisure activities for some young people.
At the same time, health products are also showing a trend of “snacking”. Some businesses have innovatively launched such products as black sesame balls, ass hide glue jujube cakes, ready to eat bird’s nests, grains and cereals powder, etc. Through technological improvement and packaging innovation, young consumers can enjoy them anytime and anywhere. Snacks with specific functions such as beauty and enhancing immunity are very popular. In short, traditional Chinese medicine, with its unique therapeutic effects, is gradually entering the vision of young people and becoming a hot commodity in the health market.
Although some young people do not have a deep understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, they have unknowingly fallen into the trap of traditional Chinese medicine for health preservation. The author believes that behind the trend of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation, it actually reflects three different mindsets among young people today.
Pursuing practical results. Compared to Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine places more emphasis on overall human health, and its health preservation methods are more natural and gentle. As a part of traditional Chinese medicine culture, Chinese medicine health preservation provides young people with rich choices, and young people with different constitutions can also vary from person to person and receive targeted treatment. After getting these few injections, my head really doesn’t hurt anymore, even my shoulders and neck feel comfortable. After pulling out the jar, my back feels much more comfortable. I used to have back pain and soreness, but I felt like I was full of blood after orthopedic treatment. After experiencing traditional Chinese medicine therapy, many people have truly felt the positive effect of traditional Chinese medicine regulation. The reason why hair nourishing drinks and Wumei soup are so popular is precisely because their formulas are gentle and effective, meeting the health needs of some young people.
Enjoy sharing. When a certain health preservation method becomes popular, it often becomes a topic of discussion and exchange among young people after meals. After persisting in health preservation for so many years and receiving some positive feedback, I really want to share good things and methods with others. On some social media platforms, keywords such as “traditional Chinese medicine” and “health preservation” have also emerged widely. Young netizens are enthusiastic about sharing health preservation techniques and experiences, experiencing various traditional Chinese medicine products and services through short videos, experience posts, and other forms. On a certain social app, there are currently over 70000 notes on “self-learning traditional Chinese medicine”.
Revive tradition. Traditional Chinese medicine health preservation, as a comprehensive system that integrates multiple factors such as medicine, philosophy, and culture, is closely related to nostalgia. Through the practice of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation, people can not only achieve physical health, but also find a sense of belonging to traditional culture spiritually, experiencing a nostalgic emotion that transcends time and space. Especially for young people, choosing traditional Chinese medicine therapy can not only inherit the traditions of the older generation and the important wealth left to us by our ancestors, but also actively learn the classics of traditional Chinese medicine, expound their value, and stimulate their vitality.
