Beyond shopping, China's traditional markets enjoy youth-driven revival

Jingdezhen is not the only place where markets are becoming trendy destinations for young people. About 1,300 kilometers away in North China's Tianjin, a "go slow festival" held last month featured cosplay and a float parade. It also showcased intangible cultural heritage products such as Tianjin-style kites and sugar painting, as well as handmade goods like carved wooden pots.

Elsewhere across China, events such as the book fair in downtown Beijing, the Yellow River market in east China's Shandong province and the old market creative street in Northwest China's Shaanxi province have offered a diverse range of products, from handicrafts and food to pet supplies. They have become "emotional charging stations" for young people.

Markets, regularly held for commodity trading, have a long history in China dating back thousands of years. In ancient times, people lived in scattered areas with limited transport, so they would gather at an agreed time and place to exchange agricultural products and handicrafts. Today, the custom of "going to the market" has been passed down through generations in many rural areas and remains an important bond connecting local people.

Xu Guangjian, a professor at the School of Public Administration and Policy at Renmin University of China, noted that markets are also a continuation of traditional Chinese culture and an expression of an attitude toward life, offering emotional value.

In the digital age, online text and images often lack the sense of touch, smell and the authentic feel of human interaction, while markets bring people back to face-to-face encounters.