Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    China
    Home / China / Society

    Urban youths flock to night schools to ease stress

    China Daily | Updated: 2025-07-23 09:17
    Share
    Share - WeChat

    As dusk falls in downtown Beijing, 36-year-old Shi Jinxi slips away from the crowds of people out for dinner and commuters heading home, making her way toward a classroom filled with the aroma of tea leaves.

    At the Yi Hai Xin night school, tucked away in a busy commercial building, Shi settles into her tea art class, chatting quietly with her classmates as she warms cups, measures out leaves and pours hot water with deliberate care.

    As the tea leaves dance in her cup, her tension seems to melt away. "I look forward to this every day after work," she tells Xinhua.

    'Feel-good spending'

    Shi is one of more than 50,000 students who have attended Yi Hai Xin since its establishment in 2023, with over half of them being young people looking to acquire a new set of skills. Classes, which include African drums, Latin dance, and wine tasting, offer far more than the chance to learn a new skill. For many students, they are a balm for urban stress and a new way to connect with others.

    "At first, I just wanted to try tai chi," Shi said. "But then I signed up for everything from the drums to public speaking. It helps at work, and it gives me confidence."

    Shi, who is a trainer at a securities firm, said that the night courses have improved both her skills and her social capital. "With tea art and wine tasting skills, I now have more to talk about with my boss and colleagues," she said.

    "These courses add something fresh to the routine of work life. In a concrete jungle like Beijing, one needs a way to relieve stress," she added.

    That blend of professional relevance and personal enrichment is attracting thousands of young Chinese people to night schools. And for newcomers to the city like night school student Yang Jing, the appeal comes from more than just learning.

    "When I first moved to Beijing, I knew no one," she said. "After class, some of us would grab late-night snacks, and just like that, we became friends."

    Night classes are part of a broader trend that Zhang Peili, a professor at the School of Economics at the Renmin University of China, calls "feel-good spending", where young consumers are willing to pay for emotional value and personal interests.

    From the rising popularity of stress-relief toys to the global success of Pop Mart's Labubu collectibles — and now, the resurgence of night schools — "feel-good spending" continues to unlock consumer potential.

    Gen Z's new tastes

    Night schools are not new to China. They began with literacy and math classes in the 1950s and 1960s, shifted to vocational training courses like hairdressing in the 1970s and 1980s, and had progressed to computer and language courses by the early 2000s. Today, night schools are undergoing a quiet revival, focusing more on cultural and lifestyle-based learning rather than academic credentials.

    "Young people are reshaping the market with their tastes," said Zhang, adding that by commuting, dining out, and shopping, these young people are injecting vitality into local businesses.

    Data backs this potential. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Generation Z consumers make up less than 20 percent of China's population but contribute 40 percent of overall consumption. Their purchasing power is projected to quadruple to 16 trillion yuan ($2.24 trillion) by 2035.

    But supply isn't keeping pace. Wang Lulu, another student at Yi Hai Xin, said that she has wanted to learn first aid for a long time. "Every time I tried to sign up, classes were already full."

    Currently, China's night schools generally fall into two categories: public night schools run by organizations like the Communist Youth League, and private institutions like Yi Hai Xin. Ensuring quality and accessibility requires collaborative efforts from the government, communities and businesses, Zhang noted.

    She believes that night schools could even spark new forms of cultural and entertainment consumption — similar to the rise of grassroots sports tournaments, which are gaining steam in rural China.

    "Once people develop more hobbies and skills, they may begin to crave group activities like public performances or amateur competitions," Zhang said. "That could open the door to a new sector of mass cultural entertainment."

    According to Liu Guojie, principal of Yi Hai Xin, the school offers more than 100 classes across its campuses every week, about a third of which have been inspired by student requests.

    "Students often tell me directly what they want to learn, and we create the classes for them," Liu said. "This model isn't just for Beijing and Shanghai. We plan to expand to second-tier and third-tier cities as young people there need an outlet just as much."

    Xinhua

    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
     
    无码人妻久久久一区二区三区| 国产V亚洲V天堂无码久久久| 久久久久无码专区亚洲av| 伊人蕉久中文字幕无码专区| 蜜臀精品无码AV在线播放| 久久AV高潮AV无码AV| 国产成人三级经典中文| 国产亚洲?V无码?V男人的天堂 | 午夜无码中文字幕在线播放| 亚洲AV无码久久精品狠狠爱浪潮| 日本久久久久久中文字幕| 亚洲熟妇无码八V在线播放| 久久精品国产亚洲AV无码偷窥| 中文字幕日本精品一区二区三区 | 无码国产伦一区二区三区视频 | 伊人久久无码中文字幕| 最近中文字幕免费mv在线视频| 亚洲成?v人片天堂网无码| 狠狠躁天天躁无码中文字幕| 亚洲成AV人在线观看天堂无码| 麻豆AV无码精品一区二区| 亚洲欧美精品一区久久中文字幕| 天堂а√中文最新版地址在线| 亚洲欧美精品一中文字幕| 无码高清不卡| 特级小箩利无码毛片| 毛片一区二区三区无码| 久久综合一区二区无码| 99久久精品无码一区二区毛片| 国产三级无码内射在线看| 日韩AV无码精品人妻系列| 人妻无码一区二区不卡无码av| 亚洲AV区无码字幕中文色| 无码AV天堂一区二区三区| 少妇人妻无码精品视频app| 人妻无码一区二区不卡无码av| 老司机亚洲精品影院无码| 高清无码视频直接看| 九九久久精品无码专区| 欧美日韩国产中文高清视频| 亚洲中文字幕在线第六区|