Global Times: From herbal tea bars to aromatic bracelets: How TCM products are redefining young people's lifestyles with Chinese cultural vibes

BEIJING, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a treasure carrying the Chinese nation's health wisdom for thousands of years, is now reaching 196 countries and nations at an astonishing pace. It has become an important pillar of the Healthy China Initiative and a bridge for exchanges between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

During the 2026 "two sessions," Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed unswervingly following the path of health development with Chinese characteristics to ensure decisive progress in advancing the Healthy China Initiative during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the Xinhua News Agency reported. Previously, the Chinese president has emphasized the importance of inheriting, developing, and utilizing this valuable legacy to promote TCM to the rest of the world. The Healthy China 2030 blueprint outline explicitly calls for fully leveraging the unique strengths of TCM.

Under such guidance, TCM has not only built a full-chain service system in China covering prevention treatment and rehabilitation, but is also breaking down prejudice through scientific evidence, rejuvenating itself with technological empowerment, and winning over young people with cultural appeal. A question is often raised around the world - how has this "ancient practice" become a "new favorite" in global health? To explore this, the Global Times is launching a series titled "Ancient ways, Modern cures," which examines from four dimensions why TCM is gaining increasing appeal worldwide. This is the second instalment of this series.

When stepping into the courtyard of "Xiaoman Shiyang" – a social space dubbed as a "daytime tea house, nighttime bar" in Beijing's bustling downtown area – customers are first greeted by a statue of Li Shizhen, a renowned Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) pharmacologist and author of the iconic herbal encyclopedia Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica).

In the afternoon, the ground floor of the space is filled with customers, surrounded by cloth banners printed with the names of herbs like goji berry and angelica. Customers chat softly over cups of Chinese herbal tea, their eyes occasionally drifting toward displayed medicinal specimens and explanatory notes on the walls.

More eye-catching here was the intelligent robot stationed in one corner of the lobby. The Global Times reporters noticed that a customer placed her wrist on the machine's sensor; within moments, an electronic report analyzing her pulse was generated. Based on the results, the staff recommended the day's specialty herbal tea.

On the lifestyle-sharing social media platform Dazhong Dianping, a top-voted comment for this space selling herbal tea and other TCM-related products reads: "A unique spot blending food and medicinal herbs, so innovative and cool."

Similar innovative and cool scenes spotlighting TCM are currently spreading across urban lanes and rural courtyards in China. In Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, young people wander through the historic architecture of the Hushan Lin Family TCM Culture Park, immersed in interactive exhibits where they can see, hear, and even taste elements of herbal culture. By scanning QR codes next to plants, AR technology shows them how herbs are processed.

In a small yard in Lizu village in East China's Zhejiang Province, a group of women gather around a table, carefully kneading herbal powders into aromatic beads, which are then polished and strung into "wellness bracelets" highly popular with young people.

When searching for "TCM wellness bracelets" on China's major e-commerce platforms, tens of thousands of product listings appear, with prices ranging from under 100 yuan to several hundred yuan per bracelet. Many claim various wellness functions, such as soothing the mind, clearing heat and detoxifying, and replenishing qi and blood.

Across China today, ancient TCM is shedding its once-serious image, stepping into the daily lives of the young in light, fashionable, and even trendy forms.

This wellness wave, largely driven by youth, also beats in rhythm with the nation's development priorities. During the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in March, "continue to promote the preservation and innovative development of TCM" was included in the 2026 Government Work Report.

Ma Jun, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a professor at Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, told the Hubei Daily that TCM embodies thousands of years of Chinese health-preserving wisdom and practice. "Today, bolstered by new formats and technology, it continues to innovate through development and pass on heritage through innovation."

Driven by the Healthy China Initiative, TCM's innovation are no longer just about treating illnesses. It has become a youthful practice blending cultural identity, lifestyle aesthetics, and industrial vision, adding a vibrant contemporary chapter to this ancient wisdom.

From distance to appeal

"When I was a kid, TCM reminded me of the mixed smell of herbs in pharmacies, doctors' illegible prescriptions, and the implicit association with illness," a Gen Z customer purchasing bread made from TCM ingredients at Xiaoman Shiyang told the Global Times. "But now, I think about inviting friends here in the summer for TCM drinks, just sitting under the statue of Li Shizhen all afternoon."

This refreshed perception of TCM is now common among many young Chinese, driven by its transformation from a traditional medical setting into a trendy lifestyle space. "In ancient times, TCM was a lifestyle integrated into daily life. What we're doing now is simply making it more practical and relevant to the real needs of young people," Zhou Jianguo, one of the founders of Xiaoman Shiyang, told the Global Times.

"Today, many young people face immense pressure from academic stress and workplace competition, leaving their bodies in a sub-healthy state," Lin Runli, the ninth-generation inheritor of "Hushan Lin Family TCM Internal Medicine"– an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Fujian – told the Global Times, believing this drives the demand among young people for those modern TCM products.

Lin told the Global Times that he met many young people who have normal results in Western medical checks but still feel unwell. "This is where TCM's advantage in syndrome differentiation, holistic treatment, and overall regulation really stands out."

However, today's Gen Z has completely rejected the "bitter pill" stereotype of TCM. What they want, Zhou said, are wellness solutions that are "delicious, convenient, and aesthetic."

To meet this demand, TCM suppliers have embraced innovation. Once rigid and serious, TCM has become diverse and vibrant.

In Lizu village, Fang Tianning, an ICH inheritor of traditional incense-making, runs her studio in a flower-filled courtyard. Several artisans and customers meticulously mixing powders of sandalwood, eaglewood, and jasmine with nanmu tree adhesive, kneading the blend into smooth incense beads. After 7-10 days of air-drying and polishing, these beads become the "wellness bracelets" highly sought after by the youth.

"Young customers under 30 now account for 50 to 60 percent of my clientele," Fang told the Global Times. Some visitors come out of curiosity about traditional crafts, eager to experience hands-on incense-making; others seek daily-wear accessories that also offer health benefits. "Wearing health on your wrist is much more convenient than boiling herbs at home – it's easier for people to accept," Fang said.

Growing cultural confidence

"When we were young, my generation thought drinking Coca-Cola was fashionable – a signal of connecting with the world," recalled Zhou, who was born in the 1970s.

Today, in the wellness space he co-founded, young people are holding cups of herbal tea. "Young Chinese today no longer need to consume foreign brands to prove their taste or style."

Zhou recalled that he once admired the "Central Perk" cafe from the TV show Friends – a place that hosted the characters' social lives. He believes China should also have its own memorable lifestyle spaces. 

"Why can't it be a Chinese wellness space that integrates health, aesthetics, and social connection?" he said. For the young people who gather there, he added, it's all about enjoyment: savoring quality products and a pleasant environment in a cheerful mood.

To his delight, such spaces are now popping up all across China.

At Fang's studio, a customer shared that since wearing a jasmine-and-eagle wood bracelet she made herself, she has felt a sense of serene joy every day.

This pursuit of quality and a healthy lifestyle reflects a broader trend. "As China's comprehensive national strength has risen, so have the expectations of its youth, who now demand high standards in their pursuit of a better life," Fang said.

The question they ask most often at Fang's studio is always, "Are the raw materials natural?" Her answer is embedded in the transparent, visible production process: using nanmu adhesive instead of industrial glue, following ancient ratios for bletilla striata and elm root powder, and sourcing authentic medicinal powders. 

"What we strive to do is make the new wave of TCM communicate its authentic quality and underlying culture in a way that truly resonates with the younger generation," she said.

Hailing from a TCM family with a legacy of nearly 300 years, Lin understands why young people once found Chinese medicine "too serious." Yet he believes that the confidence contemporary youth now place in TCM also stems from this very seriousness.

"TCM is both a science and a philosophy," he explains. "Its sense of solemnity comes from a reverence for life, a core value that will never go out of style. Trendiness is its innovative expression rooted in this rigorous core."

"For example, we would never sweeten herbal tea more than milk tea just to pander to the market, but always patiently explain to customers why a tea is blended this way and which bodily state it is suited for," Lin said. He believes it is this uncompromising rigor and commitment to foundational principles that lay the cornerstone of trust.

This, in turn, becomes the true source of the confidence that TCM embodies in the minds of young people. "It encourages them to stop leaving their health solely in the hands of hospitals, and instead seek to manage and delight in their well-being through daily lifestyle choices," Lin said.

Global reach, new fans

Fang receives a steady stream of inquiry calls every day. Beyond domestic orders, international inquiries are pouring in. Just on the afternoon she spoke with the Global Times, a call came in from Austria. The caller, a graduate student in jewelry design, hoped to integrate traditional Chinese incense elements into modern jewelry and explore possibilities for the European market.

Fang proudly shared that, through online promotion, her "TCM wellness bracelets" and incense balms have already reached places like Seattle in the US, and Milan in Italy. Recently, a client from Panama commissioned a custom course package to host local TCM cultural experiences seminars. "More are getting interested in TCM culture. This is the market being created by the younger generation," The Gen Z entrepreneur said.

In Beijing, Zhou has been looking to recruit a like-minded, driven post-90s manager for his space. In his view, the younger generation in China possesses openness and creativity. "I look forward to them bringing fresh ideas to develop more products that fit into young people's lives, unlocking more possibilities for TCM wellness," he said.

"What I feel most deeply from the new generation is their 'deconstructing ability,'" Lin remarked, noting that these young people can transform some of TCM's more obscure concepts into engaging short video scripts; they can turn dry pharmacological knowledge into roles play games, allowing visitors to grasp TCM wisdom through interaction.

What heartens him even more is the annual skills competition his TCM team holds. The most serious preparation and the most eager to win are always the young practitioners. "Their hard work for the profession provides a solid backbone for the future of TCM inheritance," he said.

As a member of the Fuzhou municipal committee of the CPPCC, Lin has submitted proposals for years on TCM inheritance, cultural park development, and integrating TCM into school curricula. He was encouraged by signals from this year's National Two Sessions: 2026 marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and all sectors are ramping up efforts. The government sets the stage, the education system sows the seeds, industry bodies establish the standards, and social forces play their part.

"This kind of synergy is precisely the ecosystem TCM inheritance and innovation needs, one that brings TCM closer to the youth, into daily life, and onto the global stage," he said.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202603/1356780.shtml

SOURCE Global Times