The red tinted glasses of China’s Gen Z
Published: 28 Oct. 2024, 19:04
HAN WOO-DUK
The author is a senior reporter of the China Lab.
The classification for Gen Z in China is not much different from that of Korea. Gen Z refers to those aged between 15 and 39 who were exposed to the internet and mobile phones since childhood and have strong personalities. However, Chinese Gen Z has something different from their Korean counterpart.
China had a week-long holiday from Oct. 1, and “Red Tourism” — or “patriotic tourism” — was especially popular during the holiday season. Revolutionary sites such as the Jinggang Mountains and the city of Yan’an were crowded with visitors from all over China. According to the Chinese Bureau of Statistics, the red tourism expenditure increased by 40 percent from last year.
The visitors were mostly young people. Statistics showed that about 58 percent of the red tourists were in their 20s and 30s. Gen Z is the main customer of patriotic tourism. Another difference between Chinese Gen Z and Korean Gen Z is their view of their nation.
Gen Z’s characteristics, such as individuality and individualism, don’t go well with patriotism. Then why do they go for red tourism? Yasheng Huang, the author of “The Rise and Fall of the East” points to education as the cause. He analyzed that the generation born after 1990 are actually more “anti-liberal” than those born in the 70s and 80s. The curriculum after 2000, when they started to get education from schools, emphasize communist theories and nationalism more.
In fact, if you ask young Chinese people about the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, they don’t know about it because they never learned about it. In the Xi Jinping era, the “Chinese Dream” has been emphasized, and “Sino-centrism” has been added to the patriotic education. Armed with smartphones, the Gen Z youth advocate for the “great rise of the Chinese people.”
“Red Education” translates into a patriotic consumption in the economy and patriotic movies in culture. Patriotic tourism is a part of the trend. However, this also means that is easy to go to the extremes.
On Sept. 18, the 93rd anniversary of the Manchurian Incident, a Japanese elementary school student was attacked and killed in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Four Americans were stabbed in Jilin City in June. Crooked patriotism is at the root of these crimes.
Revolutionary fighters were flexible. However, educated communists are more radical and dogmatic. Those looking into China from outside feel uncomfortable who the blind patriotism of Gen Z will target next.
The author is a senior reporter of the China Lab.
The classification for Gen Z in China is not much different from that of Korea. Gen Z refers to those aged between 15 and 39 who were exposed to the internet and mobile phones since childhood and have strong personalities. However, Chinese Gen Z has something different from their Korean counterpart.
China had a week-long holiday from Oct. 1, and “Red Tourism” — or “patriotic tourism” — was especially popular during the holiday season. Revolutionary sites such as the Jinggang Mountains and the city of Yan’an were crowded with visitors from all over China. According to the Chinese Bureau of Statistics, the red tourism expenditure increased by 40 percent from last year.
The visitors were mostly young people. Statistics showed that about 58 percent of the red tourists were in their 20s and 30s. Gen Z is the main customer of patriotic tourism. Another difference between Chinese Gen Z and Korean Gen Z is their view of their nation.
Gen Z’s characteristics, such as individuality and individualism, don’t go well with patriotism. Then why do they go for red tourism? Yasheng Huang, the author of “The Rise and Fall of the East” points to education as the cause. He analyzed that the generation born after 1990 are actually more “anti-liberal” than those born in the 70s and 80s. The curriculum after 2000, when they started to get education from schools, emphasize communist theories and nationalism more.
In fact, if you ask young Chinese people about the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, they don’t know about it because they never learned about it. In the Xi Jinping era, the “Chinese Dream” has been emphasized, and “Sino-centrism” has been added to the patriotic education. Armed with smartphones, the Gen Z youth advocate for the “great rise of the Chinese people.”
“Red Education” translates into a patriotic consumption in the economy and patriotic movies in culture. Patriotic tourism is a part of the trend. However, this also means that is easy to go to the extremes.
On Sept. 18, the 93rd anniversary of the Manchurian Incident, a Japanese elementary school student was attacked and killed in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Four Americans were stabbed in Jilin City in June. Crooked patriotism is at the root of these crimes.
Revolutionary fighters were flexible. However, educated communists are more radical and dogmatic. Those looking into China from outside feel uncomfortable who the blind patriotism of Gen Z will target next.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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