The call of the wild is louder than ever.
China's outdoor leisure boom is changing the way we live, spend and even dress.
So is driving this desire to escape city life for nature.
And also, there's a comforting feeling that you know you will be back to your regular city life.
Coming to you live from Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm Hye Young. For today's program, I'm joined by Fei Fei and Yuan Qi in the studio.
First on today's show.
China's great outdoors isn't just calling.
It's booming. As RV rentals, so these are recreational vans, their rentals are going up.
Hiking trails, campsite, bookings, and even stargazing experiences grow in popularity.
Maybe even outdoor inspired fashion has transitioned from mountain trails to office cubicles.
What does this shift reveal about how people are choosing to live, spend, and express themselves in today's world?
So Fei Fei and Yunqi let's take turns on this.
How wild is this outdoor craze in China?
Well, I think it's quite obvious when you are going out in Chinese, any Chinese cities and even small towns these days, you will see more stores and sites and parks in the neighborhood.
And it's also supported by the numbers.
For example, in 2019, according to official data, the market was estimated to to be about 67 billion yuan, which is a little over 9 billion US dollars, and that quickly surged to 12 billion US dollars in 2023.
And in this year, the whole outdoor market in China is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan, which is nearly 14 billion US dollars.
At the same time, you can see the overall market is booming and expanding very fast, and then at the same time, when we look at the smaller categories within the market, there are for example in an industry report on the outdoor trend development for 2024, that it reveals that nearly half of Chinese consumers will spend about $140 or $700 a year on outdoor activities, with over 30 percent spend less than $140 and about 8 percent spend more than $1 ,400 per year.
So we can see the market is not only booming and swelling, and it's also, I think, has been sort of have developed subcategories to sort of feed into different demands of different levels of the market.
Yes. So by the sound of it, well, you said 140 U .S. dollars.
So that's about a thousand yuan.
And that seems to be the lower benchmark of spending for those who actually spent on outdoor leisure activities.
Bear in mind, there are possibly cheapskates like myself out there who are not willing to spend much on this, but we're still enjoying the great outdoors and there are many things you can do.
Yunxi, could you give us an idea of when we speak of the outdoor leisure economy in China, what kind of activities are included under this big umbrella term.
Yeah, I think this term when we talk about outdoor activities, it does cover a wide range of different sports and things to do.
Some of the things that Ho -yeong mentioned earlier, camping, hiking, or even stargazing.
That really sounds like a very good occasion for romantic days in the evening, but on top of that, there's also some things, like the things that have gone really trendy.
For example, the hashtag CityWalk.
I think if you look up the city walk on the Chinese social media platforms, you will find a lot of posts and notes teaching people how to explore the city in a more local way.
But one thing that I really want to point out, as someone living in Beijing, and a very unique experience for people that settle in Beijing is the biking experience in Beijing.
There's no official data about how long, how big the bicycle network is in Beijing, But there is an unofficial data that says there is 5600 kilometers of bike lanes in Beijing, and Beijing is perhaps one of the most bike friendly cities in the whole world like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, New York City.
And there is a very funny number that I've read from Mei Tuan, is that over the course of one year, from April 2023 to the next year 2024, the people in the Chaoyang district of Beijing they have ridden the sharing bikes for 370 million kilometers and that's the most bike that so this region Chauyong has perhaps the most not the biggest number of bike fanatics so that number 370 million kilometers if it doesn't make sense to you that can goes that can go around the earth equator for nearly 10 ,000 loops and will take us to the moon back and force for five trips and it's more than enough to take
us to Mars. So that really shows how, uh, how passionate people are, uh, in biking, not just people from Tao Yang, but also people from all around China.
And I appreciate the mathematical work you've done before coming on the show.
And also, you mentioned shared bikes and, um, I guess for younger folks in this country we're all familiar with the concept that is usually you unlock the shared bike with using it and you can return it anywhere that's got these designated parking areas for the return of shared bikes but remember back in the day possibly in the 1980s our country was referred to as the kingdom of bicycles but back then everybody owned their own bikes and now You don't need to own one, you just scan and hop on one and pay one yuan or 1 .5 yuan, or you can get the seasonal packages, which is even cheaper.
And that's a very affordable way to ride bikes.
But you know, you mentioned fanatics of cyclists.
Well, they feel like they need to buy their own professional bikes, which can be quite expensive.
They need to get the helmet jerseys gloves and clip -on shoe clip -in shoes, excuse me.
Also that can add up to some kind of investment I suppose and there are so many of these outdoor activities once you really get into it then it's like investment into gear to no end!
But also there are other people who say it's like, the dim students in class actually collects the stationary and I don't know it could be like a sunk cost thing, like it's like if you feel like you've already purchased, spent a lot on the gear, then you better exercise.
Well what do you think?
Well I think well it really depends on these sort of activities I think you personally want to get into, for example if you want to get serious about cycling or hiking, I think for most of the people out there the first thing they would do is to buy some equipment.
You can't for example go cycling on a shared bike if you really you really wanting to get into cycling for about 10 -20 kilometers.
Oh oh that is quite long, because I thought you were subtly throwing shade at Yunqi.
Because he claims to be a cyclist and I asked him if he owns a bike and what's your answer?
Don't worry I'm not I'm actually more like an observer on the cycling But I can say that I'm perhaps a fanatic for the shared bikes Like a Maituan Hella bikes here the ones you can just pay without much of the sunk cost that I don't really have to pay like a Premium premium like a fee before I start to pick up this hobby.
Yeah, no sunk cost For me for example, I don't do cycling much, but I do jogging outdoors a lot and It seems like he's sort of a black hole of investments that I'm getting myself into black hole that's a very good word that is a very good phrase, but Fei -fei do explain because for most people out there who are not jogging Specialists we tend to think that going for a run It's like the cheapest thing you could do as a sport or hobby.
Why is it so expensive for you?
That's my first impression as well.
I thought jogging was the cheapest way to get exercises outdoors.
For starters, you need of course basic clothing to jog and then when it approaches summers, when the temperatures rise and you need quick dry clothing and that's an investment before and then you need different types of clothing for different weathers.
You need, for example, sleeveless tops in hot summers and you need shorts for hot summers.
You need summer jogging shoes.
When you are approaching winters, you need long sleeved tops and you also need jackets.
Therma clothes. Yeah and you also need in some extreme cases you also need some vests to protect the core of your body and that's for clothing apart from clothing of course you need shoes and the longer you run the longer of a distance you run and the longer of timing you run you need like different shoes that I won't get into the details of is, too professional and then you also need some protection you need different hats for different weathers, you need sunglasses in winters, you need some block, some block creams, and then for some people you need earphones, and you need smartwatches.
You can see you know the money you need to throw in for just a simple dragging outdoors.
And again can I please make the disclaimer that this is for someone who's an expert.
Yes. And who's willing to pay for it.
And I would say it's not even an But how much you have paid personally.
What's that?! We don't need to get that personal.
Don't pressurize her!
But like for marathon runners, they need even more equipment.
They need energy gels, they need salt pills, they need a belt, sort of a bed to keep the water bottle and everything else within them and not impede their jogging experiences.
So that's the world of equipment for only jogging.
And I think when it comes to, for example, more high end like snow sports like skiing, you can imagine the amount of consumption into equipment that you need to spend on.
And that's the reason why I think that the market's been expanding so fast here.
Right, so that's a perfect demonstration by Fei Fei of how a little hobby can actually transform into something that actually makes contribution to the economy.
Right, so sophisticated.
And let's go to this industry report which came out in 2024 again done by GOIF, Gather Outdoor Inspiration Forces.
It's a Chinese online media outlet.
it has pointed out among the fast growth of consumption in the outdoors industry in China.
There are some interesting new takeaways, and I wonder which ones stood out to you, and do you think actually coincides with what's going on in the outdoor leisure market here in China?
Right, I feel like if you ever need to talk someone out of picking up or starting such your hobby such a long list of gear like how much you need to invest before you even start something you might actually just convince someone you know to stop that but I think one one great thing about like starting these sports of sports here in China is that it's quite beginner friendly like for cyclists there are sharing bikes you can start with without having to pay much prepaid heavy investment even before you start but with that being said it's Undoubtedly that Chinese consumers they do they are willing
to spend once they have picked up this hobbit Because from that report it shows that nearly half of the Chinese consumers they are willing to spend 140 to 700 US dollars annually on outdoor activities yes That is an interesting figure that we have brought to your attention And apparently it's not just young people who are into this because we tend to think that oh young people are active They want to get to the great outdoors, especially with some—with all workers, I suppose, if you work indoors, and then you kind of want to change what you're seeing.
Not all this gray -ness in front of you, but you want to see, you know, the green.
And it's really good for your wellness and also for some young families, I believe, out there.
Maybe parents feel like they want their kids to be freed from the school, the compound of the neighborhood and they really want their kids to at least have a touch of nature when they get to and I think it's very thoughtful and it's possibly a vital part of the growth of a kid, because when you look at Chinese cities, not all cities have that many patches of greenery inside the city, or at least is not enough.
So, yeah, what are some of these takeaways you can share with us?
Well, I think the first thing is that it's definitely more than just a bunch of enthusiasts hobby.
And I have noticed that more people regardless of their ages and their occupations and the places where they live, that more people are sort of consciously or unconsciously getting into these outdoor activities.
For example, in my neighborhood, we have a new park called Sports and Leisure Park where they build a campsite for people that even you don't have the equipment, you can still rent some of the equipment and then enjoy the camping experiences.
And during the weekends, you can see families with grandparents, with grandchildren, with the parents themselves and even friend gatherings that are gathering in these campsites and enjoying a peaceful afternoon.
And then on top of that, you can see people cycling, jogging, walking around the park.
And I think that's that the trend is sort of starting with a bunch of enthusiasts, investing into this black hole, and then they have this spill -over effect that you firstly saw some coffee festivals that cooperate with some outdoor brands to set up a themed festival and then they sort of expanded into the living spaces of your cities.
And that is slowly shifting people's way of leisure in these days.
Yeah, young people are definitely a main driving force to push these outdoor sports of enthusiasm.
And Ho Yang earlier said, a lot of people are from the urban areas and we don't necessarily have a lot of green areas in the cities, but actually older people, they are also starting to really get into the outdoor sports activities, because in China there's something quite unique here is that we call it Jian Sheng Gong Yuan It's just a greenery pathways alongside the pavement, there is a lot of exercising facilities and you actually see a lot of retirees and older people using those exercising equipment and some of them there's actually a trend of older people doing pull -ups in these parks and that's
very demanding because I personally, and I doubt He Yang and Fei Fei and maybe none of us can do even one or just a few pull -ups but these retirees or older people from China They can do 10 20 and make them into a video or trendy video.
Yeah, that's incredible core strength run Acquires, you know and do you guys see what are maybe the possible reasons why there's such a Surgeon interest in the great outdoors and it's pretty much gone mainstream here in China.
Well, I think First of all, I think they would definitely policy support us because Yuen -Chi mentioned about the cycling experiences here in Beijing, and I actually overheard over the radio the other day about the program of Greenway in the District of Chaoyang and some staff members with their Chaoyang government actually explained their plans to build this Greenway system, and I looked it up, it's actually a Beijing -wide greenway system plan that's carried starting from the year 2023 till the year 2035 and they aim to build a network of greenways of about 5 ,000 kilometers by the year 2035 and that greenway
system sort of connects parks and some sub scenic spots in the city and also some historic sites in the city and residential communities for people that can be cycling, that can be jogging, that can explore their neighborhood.
Because during that radio program, I heard the host saying that she only started to realize the amount of parks in her neighborhood with this greenway system, because she didn't realize she had five parks just around where she lived.
And so right now, for example, around Beijing's 2nd Ring Road, there is also a green wing under development, which is about 33 kilometers, where you can jog and hike and I wonder if they can cycling...
but you definitely can walk around and run around that...
around that river of the 2nd Ring Road.
And you can see that the government, city level, national level, they are sort of supporting all the facilities that can encourage people to go outdoors and enjoy physical exercises in their own ways.
Yeah. And I think for anything to go viral, go trendy these days in the social media era, you have to really encourage people to have their intrinsic need for picking up this interest. In this era, I think one common intrinsic motivation is that everyone wants attention.
People would like to post pictures and videos of them participating in these public activities.
and so these trends in doing public in participating in public outdoor sports has even enter break broken into the fashion industry because on shao hong shu with the red note the hashtag.
So the outfit for office of the outdoor fitting, the outdoor sorry, the outdoor outfitting for office has received over 950 million views So there are a lot of people kind of bringing their outdoor outfits, habits, and combining them together with their office dressing code, and that seems to have become a new trend for people to wear semi casually, semi sportsy these days.
So, OK, I don't know if I'm going to say directly echoes what you're saying, but we'll try this out.
So, clothes originally made for outdoor purposes have now been transformed for the office setting and everyday fashion needs, as it seems like everyday people, like you and I, minus Fei Fei, who's a jogging fanatic by the sound of it, you know, everyday people kind of want to incorporate these outdoorsy elements into their everyday wear.
So what changes have been adopted to the material, the production, the fashion and I suppose the minds of people in wanting to do this?
Well, I think, first of all, with the design of the sort of clothes that you wear, for example, to gyms, there is definitely a shift that I've noticed over the years.
We start with, when going to the gym for strength workouts, it think we start with yoga pads, something like yoga pads, tights with some sort of a tank top.
That's like a basic dry sink hold in gyms and then I start to overseeing, observing this in gyms that people are not only wearing tights, but also wearing flared pants or even white legged pants that you can't really tell from a distance especially in the color of black, whether that's sweatpants or suit pants.
You can't really tell by the color and the material with it.
So that's a very well.
That's very convenient for someone like me who can who don't need to change my clothes when going out for exercise after work.
But I think I see that trends shifting in sports facilities.
And I can imagine that in offices, that you are also seeing this blurry of lines between office wear versus sportswear.
Definitely. Well, I like to look at fashion trends and be on top of them.
We're seeing that technical fabrics are being used in tailored cuts, so we're talking about these sportswear brands and sometimes traditional fashion brands as well, using moisture, wrecking, stretch, and weather -resistant textiles in familiar or in common office silhouettes.
So, blazers, trousers, and shirts, but they're used by, they're made in these tailored cuts but by technical fabrics and therefore it has these functional sort of features but also they look business casual.
So that's acceptable in the workplace as well.
What do you guys see as sort of the future for this industry?
Do you see that outdoor leisure will become something of a staple in people's lives?
Or do you think that I think it's more than a trend already?
I suppose it's just how important does it do we hold it in our everyday lives?
Yeah. This industry will definitely become more mature and sophisticated as more people join this trend because currently there are some people just following this public transit habit and when you look up the sportswear on Taobao, you can find a lot of generic clothing styles but as these trend becomes deeper and more people join this crowd and I believe there the company's the clothing designers, manufacturers, they will promote clothing that have more unique features rather than the generic clothing that you can find in most of the Taobao sellers.
Well, I think it's definitely been mainstreamed.
For instance, if you think about going out for a jog 20 years ago, I don't think a lot of people will know, will be aware that you need professional jogging shoes and even clothing for jogging.
People just go, you know, I want to jog regardless what I'm wearing at the moment, I'll go and jog.
But that also has some consequences if you are not trained well and trained with basic knowledge.
And I think right now there are the awarenesses there that you need professional equipment, at least at basic level to protect yourself from these exercise.
But I do want to point out that there are, of course, sometimes irrational consumption the market, especially with the marketing strategy by a lot of brands, but I think that will sort of depending on the development of the market, people will start to get to know how to rationally spending their money on their own.
Yeah, I think people are all very smart ultimately when it comes to their own wallet and we learn very quickly if we've made a bad purchase, even if Sometimes we don't want to admit it.
And in terms of outdoor style, migrating into fashion, the biggest testament one can think of in China or at least in Beijing is for maybe most of the year, maybe not the summertime when it's so hot.
But if you go have a quick browse in the subway during rush hour, especially in the parts of the subway line which stops at the areas where there are a lot of tech companies.
The Windbreaker has become the new uniform for the hardworking Beijing residents and that says something about the outdoors wind blowing into the offices and China's outdoor Craig's reveals more than a lifestyle shift it exposes a generational pivot possibly too in a hyper urbanized world the outdoors has become a metaphor for autonomy wellness and self -expression and see how you feel about it but what I see here is that why do people feel that they want to spend they want to take part in this.
Whether it's a genuine connection to nature or a digital age performance of one, the appetite for rugged aesthetics suggests that today's consumers aren't just buying gear but they're buying an identity that says, I could walk away from the desk if I wanted to.
