Meitu started off as a photo-editing app to create the perfect selfie, but has since evolved to let users to make themselves (and others) look wackily, disarmingly adorable. With social media fuelling an obsession for aesthetic perfection, what’s got people altering their appearance to the extreme?

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.

Rapidly shifting market forces have made China the largest and most sophisticated digital (and notably mobile) payment market in the world. In turn, these forces are also changing consumer behaviour and pushing the country’s consumers towards a society that no longer uses cash.

When it comes to nabbing the attention of a netizen, good timing is everything. Luxury watch maker Chopard has emerged as the most talked-about brand on Chinese social media, thanks in part, to a savvy celebrity influencer strategy, whose placement online has helped pique interest.