BEIJING – Women wearing long wigs and ornate traditional dresses milled around a pebbled courtyard, stopping to snap photos under a pavilion, as the melodious strumming of the Chinese zither played in the background.
These customers have paid to “time travel” back to ancient China for a few hours in an experience offered by a newly opened themed restaurant in central Beijing, which provides clothing services and an eight-course meal.
While the world’s second-largest economy has been beset by sluggish domestic demand, many young people are still spending on experiences and goods that gives them satisfaction — a trend recently dubbed in China as “emotional consumption”.
Consumers born after the 1990s often buy things to “please themselves”, fueling emotionally charged purchases in the country, the state-backed China Daily reported in September. AFP
Such purchases include Labubu dolls, which have flown off the shelves in China.
“New forms of consumption… (and) new trends” such as the toothy-grinned dolls could help boost China’s economy, commerce minister Wang Wentao said in July.
Before dining, customers picked out their garments from a room lined with traditional “hanfu”, or Han clothing, headpieces adorned with faux jewels, and accessories.
Businessman Carey Zhuang told AFP that he paid around 1,000 yuan ($140) to dress up as one of the main characters from the famous Chinese classic novel “Dream of the Red Chamber”, from which the restaurant has drawn inspiration.
Wearing a red silk top emblazoned with dragons, Zhuang said he is happy to spend money on a new experience. AFP
