Chongqing- As people gradually value health and healthcare activities more in China, the concept of the Yangsheng or health management is becoming a hot topic. The Yangsheng night economy sees solid growth in Chongqing's National Day Holiday period.

One cinema foot bath at Paradise Walk at Guanyinqiao reported 30% more guest traffic than before the holidays, as reported by Shangyou News.

Yangsheng can be translated as "keeping health," but that will miss a lot of connotations. Yang means "keep." Sheng, which means "life," is a word related to Chinese traditional medicine, which sees human health differently from modern medicine. Derived from traditional wisdom, including Daoism, Yangsheng is another Chinese word you can't find in English, depicting a lifestyle people have to stay healthy and, ultimately, to be in harmony with nature.

Yangsheng has become an important topic in the younger generation of Chinese society nowadays. (Photo provided by Canva)

Evening Yangsheng economy usually refers to activities like massage and foot baths which provide services to relax customers' bodies, and customers tend to have those services after dinner. Though they may be seen as quite common around the world, those relaxing activities are closely influenced by the historical legacies of ancient China. Chinese medicine sees meridians inside the human body as paths through the "qi" flow. And it is necessary to dredge them from time to time to keep the channel smooth.

These concepts, once deemed as old theories that were only popular among the elders, now are receiving favor among young people, which can be proved by the flourishing night Yangsheng economy.

At 8:00 p.m. on Oct. 3, Fanzhijing Foot Bath at Yubei, Chongqing, had its peak time for customer flow. Customers were sitting in the foot bath pool. In private rooms, young friends were playing board games together while enjoying their massage service.

"Normally, we receive about 200 guests every day. The number is higher during the National Day Holiday," the staff told the press.

Mr. Zhao, 30 years old, brought his family to the Fanzhijing Foot Bath this day. "When we talk about Yangsheng, it's no longer a concept for the elders. These foot baths create a place for relaxation, social activities, and dining, which is very attractive to young people like me," he said.