From Baduanjin to Foot Soaks: Inside TikTok’s "Eastern Wellness Revolution"

While Western fitness influencers remain fixated on "burning calories," a growing wave of young global viewers on TikTok is busy learning Baduanjin alongside elderly practitioners in Chinese parks. Slow-paced and requiring zero equipment, this ancient mind-body practice has amassed over 4 billion views across international social media platforms since 2026, emerging as Gen Z’s favorite new health craze. From practicing Tai Chi to taking bedtime foot soaks, and from back-sunbathing to sipping herbal wellness teas, everyday routines long taken for granted in China are quietly rewriting how young Westerners define "wellness."

"Slow Movements, Deep Sweat": How Tai Chi and Baduanjin Captivated Gen Z Abroad

In the early mornings of Chengdu, foreign tourists frequently post videos practicing Baduanjin with locals, marveling at how "cozy and relaxed" they feel afterward. These posts regularly rack up thousands of likes on global social platforms, with curious netizens asking in the comments: "What kind of exercise is this? It looks amazing."

Originating in the Song Dynasty, Baduanjin (Eight-Section Brocade) features gentle, low-impact movements paired with regulated breathing. It stretches muscles, unblocks joints, and perfectly matches the modern youth craving for "low-intensity, high-reward" fitness. On TikTok, the hashtag #Baduanjin has garnered hundreds of millions of views, with creators copying tutorial videos move-by-move and organizing virtual daily check-in groups.

Foreign students practice Baduanjin during a cultural workshop in Hainan. (Source: Xinhua)

At the Shanghai Hunyuan Tai Chi Center, founder Wang Kaiyuan has taught Tai Chi for nearly two decades, introducing thousands of foreign enthusiasts to the art. The center offers full English-language instruction for students hailing from the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, South Korea, and beyond. Many students express amazement that these slow, graceful movements can induce a gentle sweat while leaving them deeply refreshed.

Foreign students practice Tai Chi routines at the Shanghai Hunyuan Tai Chi Center. (Source: Baidu Baike)

Bedtime Foot Soaks: From Chinese Bedrooms to Global Bucket Lists

If Baduanjin and Tai Chi represent "active wellness," then the humble foot soak is the gold standard of "restorative wellness." This staple Chinese bedtime ritual is currently taking global social media by storm.

The viral turning point arrived in late 2025 when Chinese-American TikTok creator Sherry Zhu (@sherryxiiruii) posted her tongue-in-cheek "Becoming Chinese" video series. Declaring humorously, "Starting tomorrow, you're going to become Chinese!", her videos exploded in popularity. Viewers began compiling detailed "Chinese Lifestyle Checklists" in their phone notes like students prepping for an exam—placing "bedtime foot soaks" alongside "drinking warm water in the morning," "wearing indoor slippers," and "practicing Baduanjin" as daily non-negotiables.

Sherry Zhu's #BecomingChinese video series ignited a massive viral trend on TikTok. (Source: Beijing Evening News Facebook screenshot)

Leo, an international student from Ecuador, embraced foot soaks after living in China for a year: "I start my morning with warm water, and I soak my feet at night." He admits that drinking warm water felt bizarre at first, but his digestion genuinely improved over time. Inspired by Sherry's videos, Dutch yoga instructor Ayelet Harpaz took things further by adopting a full traditional routine: boiling hot water, cooking black rice porridge, practicing Baduanjin, and topping off the evening ritual with a steaming foot soak.

The sheer scale of this phenomenon is striking. Across short-video platforms, lifestyle creators set their clips to Chinese pop songs while documenting their "Full Day of Chinese Wellness." Food bloggers and wellness creators regularly join in—crafting traditional Chinese breakfasts, working through Baduanjin routines, and ending their days with a hot foot bath. For these young creators, foot soaking is more than simple imitation; it is an immersive taste of the Chinese way of life.

Foot soaking is no longer just a local habit—international fans are getting hooked! (Source: Sina Finance screenshot)

From Spectatorship to Practice: Integrating Eastern Wellness into Daily Life

The global rise of Chinese wellness is shifting rapidly from passive social media scrolling to active daily practice.

Beyond Baduanjin and Tai Chi, traditional habits like "back-sunbathing" (曬背), "early-to-bed, early-to-rise," and "herbal tea brewing" are quietly entering the Western mainstream. Young people abroad now spend weekend mornings in local parks "sunbathing their backs" to replenish Yang energy, while others experiment with brewing wellness teas using goji berries, red dates, and dried longan.

Driving this shift is a growing fatigue with "quick-fix fitness culture." Where Western gym culture emphasizes high intensity, exhaustion, and calorie burning, Chinese wellness practices offer a refreshing alternative: no extreme sweating, no punishing diets—just balanced breathing, a slower pace, and learning to listen to your body.

Ultimately, the "Chinamaxxing" trend reflects how a globalized younger generation is rethinking what it means to live well. As young people worldwide begin adopting "Chinese-style living" as a lifestyle upgrade, we may well be witnessing the dawn of a new global cultural movement.

Chinamaxxing

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In late February 2026, escalations in the Middle East disrupted approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas transit. As crude prices spiked, CNN ran a headline with a striking designation: "The King of Renewable Energy—China." By April, CNN reported with astonishment that as nations suffering from severe "oil thirst" scrambled for fuel alternatives, their eyes turned almost unanimously toward Chinese-made solar panels, lithium batteries, and electric vehicles.

Hard trade figures confirm this shift: energy think tank Ember reported that in March 2026, China’s solar technology exports smashed records to hit 68 gigawatts (GW)—a 50% jump over the previous record set in August 2025, equivalent to Spain’s total installed solar capacity. That same month, Chinese solar cell exports reached $9.1 billion, representing an 84% year-on-year surge. Even more striking was the geographic reach: in a single month, 50 countries set all-time high records for solar imports from China, led by emerging markets in Asia and Africa hardest hit by the fossil fuel crunch.

A Dominant Foundation: 90% of Global Solar Cells Originating from China

China's designation as the "King of Renewable Energy" is no stroke of luck; it reflects structural dominance across the clean-tech supply chain. Data cited by People's Daily reveals that by the end of 2025, China commanded 96% of global polysilicon capacity, 96.2% of silicon wafer capacity, 91.3% of solar cell production, and 80.1% of finished PV module manufacturing. In 2025, China's new domestic solar installations accounted for 57% of the global total—the same year global newly installed solar capacity surpassed coal power for the first time, establishing photovoltaics as the primary driver of global power grid expansion.

Taiqi Robot's automated PV module assembly line: robotic arms precisely maneuver solar cell components along the production line. (Source: Taiqi Robot official website)

Domestic expansion remains equally massive: in 2025, China added 317 GW of new photovoltaic capacity (up 14% year-on-year), bringing cumulative solar capacity past 1.2 billion kilowatts (1.2 TW), alongside 120 GW of new wind power capacity—a 51% surge.

A Redrawn Trade Map: Pivot from Europe to the Global South

The most profound transformation lies in the geographic realignment of exports. According to InfoLink statistics, China exported 4.41 GW of solar modules to Africa in March 2026—a 235% year-on-year surge. Export value to Southeast Asia jumped 267% year-on-year, with monthly import volumes to the Philippines nearly quadrupling.

In West Java, Indonesia, the Karawang 100 MW photovoltaic plant—built by PowerChina Hubei Engineering—was commissioned in 2024 with 90% of its equipment sourced from China. The project set an overseas record of "5 months to initial grid connection and 7 months to full delivery," generating over 150 million kWh of clean electricity annually to power 112,000 local households while cutting carbon emissions by 114,700 tonnes per year.

Aerial view of the solar installation at the Bukit Indah Karawang Industrial Park in West Java, Indonesia, where blue module arrays contrast against the red terrain. (Source: Jiandao Net photo)

Across rural Africa, the "Africa Light Belt" initiative deploys distributed solar systems to supply reliable power for local schools, medical clinics, and homes—demonstrating how "small yet beautiful" livelihood projects are reshaping Sub-Saharan Africa's energy ecosystem.

A school rooftop in Africa lined with solar panels, as students cheer below. (Source: LONGi official photo)

The Middle East market is accelerating fastest of all: PowerChina clinched a major contract in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for 2.1 GW of photovoltaics paired with 7.75 GWh of battery energy storage (BESS), valued at RMB 13.962 billion ($1.92 billion). This forms the northern block of the world's largest integrated solar-plus-storage complex (5.2 GW PV + 19 GWh storage). Groundbreaking took place in October 2025, with commercial operations slated for 2027.

An "energy oasis" in the Abu Dhabi desert: the Al Dhafra PV2 Solar Power Plant in the UAE. (Source: Xinhua photo)

Automated cleaning robots maintaining solar panels in desert conditions. (Source: Xinhua photo)

From Exporting Hardware to Exporting Industrial Capabilities

An even fundamental structural shift is underway: Chinese exports of solar cells and silicon wafers are outpacing finished modules. Nations across the Global South are no longer content merely purchasing off-the-shelf panels; instead, they are importing raw cells to assemble locally, establishing indigenous solar manufacturing capabilities. This is the industrial thesis of "Chinamaxxing": rather than flooding markets with finished goods, China enables developing economies to build their own manufacturing bases along its technology roadmap.

Macroeconomic metrics underscore this shift: in the first half of 2026, clean-tech products accounted for 6.6% of China’s total exports, reaching $140 billion—rapidly approaching the combined export value of the traditional "old three" pillars (clothing, furniture, and home appliances).

Energy Security Is the Prerequisite for Economic Growth

Where China once exported toys, consumer electronics, and civil infrastructure, it now exports energy autonomy itself. Every time geopolitical shocks ripple through global energy markets, it reinforces a fundamental reality: solar power is the ultimate energy source capable of bypassing maritime chokepoints and vulnerable pipelines. Today, China stands as the only industrial power capable of supplying this "energy independence" at global scale and unmatched cost efficiency.

Crucially, energy security is never an end in itself—it is the prerequisite for economic development. Every fraction of a cent saved on electricity costs directly translates into expanded factory orders; every margin of grid stability bolsters the foundation of data centers, the electric vehicle ecosystem, and the entire manufacturing realm.

For the Global South, China’s green energy solutions provide precisely this dual-track path: liberating economies from the shackles of imported fossil fuels while delivering affordable clean power as an entry ticket to industrialization and job creation. Fifty nations setting record monthly import volumes represents the quietest yet most decisive vote of the year—as the global market casts an overwhelming vote of confidence in Chinese green manufacturing.