Chinese "slash youth," referring to those refusing to be defined or bound by just one personal identity and choosing multiple careers, has aroused heated discussions on social media platforms, drawing attention to the young generation's diverse pursuits.On Douban, a Chinese social networking platform, the topic "slash life on and off work" has garnered about 11,000 posts and has been viewed over 400 million times.China's young people are keen to share their slash youth stories online, presenting themselves as multiple and sometimes distinct identities, such as a nurse and model, a teacher and stand-up comedian, and an engineer and band player.Xing Eryang, who founded the Douban topic in 2021, is a 31-year-old female resident in Beijing and feels amazed to find her "slash life" echoed by so many peers.After graduating in 2014, Xing landed her job in a public institution. While staying diligent about her daytime work, she is developing her hobbies, including stand-up comedy, vlog making, podcast broadcasting, and the like, into her new careers during after-work time.The "slash life on and off work" has attracted many to share their different lifestyles, which indicates their train of thought facing the unified "examination" called "life" for everyone, according to Xing."I prefer the word 'slash' because a diverse lifestyle is like using a blunt knife to cut our life into halves. Part of us work hard in the daytime while the other part can still chase after truth, goodness, and beauty inside during the me-time, though this part of us may be less sophisticated and sociable," she explained.A 26-year-old female netizen nicknamed "Weiheng" from the southern metropolis of Guangzhou and Tang Yuhan, a 27-year-old man in Xuancheng City, east China's Anhui Province, are participants in the topic, with their stories garnering thousands of likes so far on the internet.The two are both band members in their spare time out of their love for music, though they are thousands of miles away and have different jobs in media and finance. Weiheng is now a vocalist in a post-hardcore band off work, while Tang plays the guitar in a death metal band.They have grown their passion for music since college and didn't abandon their enthusiasm even when entering workplaces. Though they both faced doubts and worries from their family and colleagues at first, they cleaved to their beliefs and won others' respect and understanding."Their reaction showed the mind gap between the young and former generations. Before, my parents used to say, 'music cannot earn you money,' so the band thing was regarded as a waste of time. However, for us young people, we want to pursue whatever we love and are willing to pay for it," said Weiheng.It is not only a mindset U-turn but a reflection of the booming current entertainment sector. "Over the recent years, with livestreaming, game, and entertainment industries having their moment in China, the music industry has also seen a positive growth momentum. Some bands have raked in considerable money through live shows," she added."I'm open to being whatever kind of employee I may become in different settings, but I will always be a guitarist. Every time I am upset by something at work, playing the guitar cures me," said Tang. "Music is like lightning striking my heart and a storm exploding in my mind."The two music fanatics utilize their nighttime to do rehearsals and then perform on holidays and weekends. Now, Weiheng's band "floating soul" has released eight songs and signed a contract with a music agency, ready to launch albums and do a performing tour soon."The 'slash life' mania shows that along with China's economic development, our society is becoming more and more diversified and inclusive, and it welcomes everyone's self-fulfillment," said Shi Yanrong, an associate researcher from the Institute of Japanese Studies, Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences. "Young people no longer have to rely on work and money for their sense of self-worth. They tend to practice 'carpe diem' and create their own identities."The researcher added that against the background that people have multiple interests and are willing to pay for these interests nowadays, the "slash life" of the youth would drive the growth of a new economy, just as animation culture affected the market. 編輯：高佳狕
After a three-year lull, Thailand is welcoming back Chinese tourists to its golden beaches, striking temples and fancy shopping centers, expecting an influx of Chinese tourists to help restore its pandemic-battered tourism sector."This is the first trip we travel abroad since the outbreak of the pandemic. We are so excited and happy. We can feel we're so welcomed in Thailand," said Liu Lingling, who came from the city of Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province and planned to spend the Chinese New Year holiday in Thailand.Liu, whose family would head south to a seaside resort after a few days in Bangkok, was among the legions of Chinese tourists who chose Thailand as the destination for their first outbound travel since China's optimized COVID-19 strategy took effect on Jan. 8.On Jan. 9, the second day after the optimization, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and other senior officials welcomed the first group of Chinese tourists at the Suvarnabhumi Airport with flowers and gifts.The high-profile event reflected the importance Thailand placed on wooing back Chinese tourists to help boost the tourism industry and economic recovery, analysts said.In downtown Bangkok, the atmosphere of the Chinese Lunar New Year overspreads, with shopping malls decorated with Chinese New Year elements in an effort to cash in from an influx of Chinese tourists during the first "Golden Week" holiday after China optimized its COVID-19 strategy.At Chinatown on Bangkok's Yaowarat Road, 200 meters of the road are decorated with lights and lanterns of various styles to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year that falls on Jan. 22 this year, the start of the Year of the Rabbit, which Nutthaporn believed would be a year of vitality and prosperity."We have stockpiled food supplies for the Chinese New Year travel rush," which always attracts a lot of foreign customers, said Nutthaporn, a chef at a restaurant on Yaowarat Road."Chinese tourists are our main driver to the economy. They are back this year, and I think our business will run as good as before the pandemic," he said.Nutthaporn is not alone in his optimism. Airlines, hotels, restaurants and other tourism operators are looking forward to seeing more Chinese tourists this year."The return of Chinese tourists has raised hope for the recovery of tourism industry in Thailand and other countries around the world," said Wichai Kinchong Choi, senior vice president of the leading Thai Kasikornbank.Thailand's tourism sector will exhibit a faster recovery following the return of Chinese tourists, said Piti Disyatat, secretary of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Thailand, the country's central bank.The Thai economy will continue to gain traction with continued recovery in tourism and private consumption thanks to the return of Chinese tourists, Piti said.The Thai government is expecting 7 to 10 million Chinese tourist arrivals this year, with 300,000 coming in the first quarter.The Southeast Asian country welcomed more than 2.24 million international travelers in December alone, compared with only 428,000 for the full year of 2021, taking the total to 11.15 million in 2022, according to Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports.However, the data still lagged far behind a record of nearly 40 million international tourist arrivals registered in 2019, with Chinese tourists accounting for more than a quarter of the total arrivals."The pandemic has made us realize the importance of Chinese tourists, whose high spending power helped drive our economic growth," Chanapan Kaewklachaiyawuth, vice president of the Thai Chinese Tourism Alliance Association, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.Tourists from various countries and regions have come to Thailand, but the lack of Chinese tourists means the lack of vitality and growth momentum, Chanapan said.It may take time for a full recovery, and "we are excited to see the return of Chinese tourists," Chanapan said, expecting more Chinese tourists to come after China resumes outbound group tours next month."We have made a lot of preparation to welcome the return of Chinese tourists, including expanding the range of tourism products, offering more high-end products as well as improving the quality of goods and services," he said. 編輯：高佳?
