Chen Yu, who rarely engages on social media, recently surprised his friends by sharing a post on his Weixin, the omnipresent Chinese super app. The photo captured him walking alone in the midst of a mountain wilderness. Chen is seen as a tech geek by his colleagues at Beijing-based Internet giant Baidu where he works as a programmer, but little do they know the 27-year-old man is also a leader of one of the city's groups for outdoor sports enthusiasts. On weekends, he frequently organizes hiking and trail running adventures that sometimes span over 30 km and continue for six to seven hours.

Lao Yan, a 68-year-old native of Beijing, discovered his passion for cycling three years ago and has been unstoppable ever since. However, his adventurous spirit doesn't stop at cycling alone. He has also ventured into water sports such as windsurfing and even took a windsurfing holiday to New Zealand in the middle of last year.

In contrast, Yue Ying's passion for outdoor activities was ignited by her journey as a parent. At the age of 40, she works in the finance industry in Beijing and is the mother of two children. Before becoming a mother, she had never been involved in outdoor hobbies. However, from simply taking her children to the park to experiencing rugged mountains now, Yue has increasingly recognized the healing power of nature for herself and her family.

In the realm of Chinese outdoor sports, traditional dividing factors like gender, age and occupation have lost their significance. The allure of the outdoor experience transcends these boundaries, captivating people from all segments of society. Whether they are young urban professionals or retirees, more and more people are venturing out from the cityscape and into nature. These trends are propelling the popularity of outdoor sports and change in consumption.

On the road 

China's Instagram-like content-sharing platform Xiaohongshu last October released the 2023 Outdoor Lifestyle Trend Report, which revealed that outdoor activities are steadily becoming a part of the everyday lives of more people, rather than just a select few. Hiking, cycling, camping, fishing, scuba diving,surfing, skiing and other outdoor pursuits have become the new way of life for many. 

Hiking-related posts on Xiaohongshu saw a growth rate of nearly 300 percent from January to October in 2023, with over 1.5 million notes shared. The topic of cycling garnered nearly 1.3 billion views on the platform, with the 19-30 age group representing over 65 percent of cyclists. It's worth noting that camping, fishing, surfing and skiing also experienced high growth on the platform, with posts increasing by 100-150 percent during the same period. These activities, along with hiking and cycling, rank among China's top six popular outdoor pursuits.

Chen's initial perception of outdoor sports was confined to activities such as rock climbing or surviving in the wilderness for extended periods. The term "outdoor" seemed to suggest the necessity of primitive survival skills and enduring rugged conditions in the wild. 

"However, the reality is that the barrier to entry for outdoor culture isn't as high as I thought. For me, the most important aspect of outdoor sports, such as hiking, is the opportunity to relax, improve my physical wellbeing, and find personal fulfillment," Chen told Beijing Review.

The concept of the outdoors is undergoing a redefinition in the domestic consumer market. It is no longer limited to high-threshold sports and has evolved into a more accessible and popular way of life. Participating in outdoor culture is no longer a niche professional pursuit. "The moment you step out of your door, you become a part of the outdoor culture community," he added.

Breaking boundaries 

"I used to frequently stay up late, engaging in almost no physical exercise. If I ran just 100 meters, I would be out of breath," Chen said. "My first hiking experience was a few years ago at Baiwangshan Forest Park, the nearest forest park to downtown Beijing." Halfway up the hill, Chen regretted his decision and had no idea how to proceed. "Although the process can be a little bit self-torturous, the sense of joy it brought after completion was just amazing." 

Many hiking enthusiasts have embarked on their journeys from similar points in life. When they couldn't find relaxation and tranquility in the city, they made the choice to reconnect with nature. The urban environment can often feel overwhelming, inundating people with an information overload and capturing their attention with short videos. Finding the time to slow down can become a challenge.

"When you're on a mountain without cellphone signal, you can put work matters aside, disconnect from the real world and just focus on the road ahead," Yue said. During outdoor activities, she never takes out her phone but rather engages in playing with her children. For Yue, nature not only nurtures her children but also nourishes adults.

New trends 

Historic opportunities and several new trends emerged in China's outdoor sports industry in 2022 and 2023. According to Yang Xuedong, Director of the Economic Department of the General Administration of Sport of China, there has been a notable surge in women's enthusiasm for outdoor sports. They are not only challenging men in mountain climbing and hiking but also participating in trendy sports like camping, paddleboarding, surfing and frisbee.

According to data from Mafengwo, a Chinese travel service and social networking platform, families accounted for the highest proportion, or 38.3 percent, among those participating in outdoor sports with companions in 2022. "With changing perspectives on education and family relationships, engaging in outdoor activities with children has become a new parenting concept," Yang told Xinhua News Agency.

In the wave of outdoor sports popularity, consumer purchasing power and willingness to spend have become topics of interest. On social media, some outdoor enthusiasts showcase their high-performance, aesthetically pleasing and expensive equipment. "A 2,000-yuan ($280) road bike is considered inferior!" "Equipment worth tens of thousands of yuan (thousands of dollars) is just the basic threshold," netizens often joke in the comments. 

"To be honest, many times when hiking with friends, the first thing that catches your attention is not the scenery, but what others are wearing," Chen said. Over the past few years of outdoor hiking, Chen has spent nearly 200,000 yuan ($28,000) on outdoor equipment. "It's like a photographer changing lenses. Outdoor outfits are constantly being updated!" 

The China Outdoor Sports Industry Development Report (2022-23), which was released at an industry conference last October, revealed a 79-percent increase in outdoor sports-related purchases in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 and a surge of 221 percent from 2019. Individuals born in the 1990s have become the largest consumer group participating in outdoor sports, accounting for 36.1 percent. 

In the midst of the outdoor lifestyle trend, the sportswear brands that focus on outdoor equipment and apparel have reaped the greatest rewards. Brands like Patagonia and Salomon have become fashion icons, seeing rapid business growth. China's domestic brands such as Kailas and Camel have also taken center stage. During last year's Double 11 (November 11) online shopping festival, the Chinese version of Black Friday, Camel's official flagship store on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, sold 600,000 units of their best-selling outdoor jacket.

Intense competition within the outdoor industry has given rise to changes in brand marketing strategies as well. There is now a preference for selling entire scenarios rather than a single product. Outdoor brands are more inclined to present the integration of their own products with particular outdoor activities. For instance, going for a summer outing requires an outfit consisting of sun-protective clothing, a shell hat and a portable fan as must-have essentials. And when it comes to rock climbing, a well-designed and functional jacket also adds a touch of style.

Furthermore, specialization, functionality, lightweight design and aesthetics have become significant mainstream consumer trends. People now choose to wear outdoor jackets even in social settings, blurring the boundaries between urban and outdoor fashion. This fashion style, known as gorpcore, represents the fusion of streetwear with elements of outdoor sports.

"I wear an outdoor jacket and hiking boots to work now," Yue said. "Even though I don't leave the city and just go to work, I still want to dress as if I'm ready for a wilderness adventure," she laughed. For many outdoor enthusiasts, gorpcore fashion transcends the urban and outdoor divide, setting itself apart from gym attire and formal suits with high heels commonly seen in the city. It embodies a carefree and active philosophy of embracing the outdoor lifestyle.  

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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