China's Youthful Heretical Life Hacks

Chinese youth are embracing xiexiu—a playful, “heretical” approach to life that swaps burnout culture for ingenious shortcuts. In this episode, we explore how these quirky hacks, now racking up billions of views on Douyin and Xiaohongshu, offer a middle path between the punishing 996 grind and the passive resistance of “lying flat.” Born from economic frustration, high housing costs, and stalled job prospects, xiexiu isn’t rebellion so much as cheerful improvisation, even earning a nod of approval from state media. What does it reveal about a generation trying to reclaim agency in a system that feels immovable—and why might rethinking the rules be its smartest move yet?

https://www.economist.com/china/2025/09/04/the-weird-and-wacky-life-hacks-of-chinas-youth