In China, Gen Yers are taking up a range of fitness classes and downing assorted cleansing tonics to maintain their physical health. Yet while their choices in diet and exercise might be similar to their Western counterparts, how do their drivers for enhanced wellbeing differ?

Hashtag crazes like #A4Challenge and #BellyButtonChallenge reveal the huge social pressure Chinese women are under to conform to narrow beauty ideals. With a variety of eating disorders on the rise, some brands are now helping young people reject old conventions and pursue self-acceptance.

Gift-giving is an important part of social interactions in China, oiling the wheels of a relationship system between friends, family and colleagues. Yet recent years have seen Western influence, digital platforms and rising wealth reshape the practice, creating new opportunities for brands in the process.

In China, calling someone a diaosi – which directly translates as ’penis hair’ – isn’t an insult. On the contrary, millions of Chinese in dead-end jobs, with no car, house or girlfriend identify with the term, wearing it as a badge of honour. But could self-deprecation be a danger to society?