Source: CGTN Published: 2022-05-26

Minimalism is becoming more popular in China and many young people choose to let go of things in favor of a simple, uncluttered lifestyle. You Yang spoke to one of them in Beijing and has this report.

Thirty-eight-year-old Xiong Manqi lives a "minimalist lifestyle" in Beijing. And that's why you can hardly find any furniture in his 40-square-meter apartment.

XIONG MANQI Minimalism Practitioner "I have been living a minimalist life for six months. I remember one day when I came back home, I felt very stressed when I saw the clutter and my furniture. So, I started to throw them away. I don't have sofa, desk and any decorations at home, but when I come back, I feel very relaxed."

Xiong says he used to buy lots of T-shirts, but many of them he would never wear, and one day he realized what a waste it was, so he decided to buy only black, white and gray shirts to save.

XIONG MANQI Minimalism Practitioner "I only spend around 1500 yuan a month to live in Beijing. I bought this apartment ten years ago. So, I don't pay rent. My biggest expenditure is transportation, and that's six yuan a day for a round trip subway ticket. I cook at home most of the time. And as you know meat and vegetables don't cost much."

Xiong believes a minimalist lifestyle doesn't mean a low-quality life, but rather redefining priorities.

For him what he eats is more important than what he wears. He, for example, buys organic milk, vegetables and coffee every month.

XIONG MANQI Minimalism Practitioner "I think I am living a quality life, because I pay attention to what I care about the most, for example food quality and health. And I also get rid of many trivial things that give me stress. I think many young people are anxious all the time because they want too many things. Sometimes, we need to relax and let go of some unnecessary desires."

Statistics show that around one-tenth of young people in China are interested in "minimalist lifestyle." And experts say with many young people working at home because of the pandemic, that number is expected to grow in the next three years.

LIU ZHIQIN Senior Fellow, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies Renmin University of China "I must say the 'minimalist lifestyle' is not a new concept. Actually in ancient China, we also had this kind of philosophy of life. We often say 'less is more.' And I don't think it would bring negative impact on the economic development."

YOU YANG Beijing "Many young people, who like minimalist lifestyle, say although they are living a modest, or even sometimes an austere life, they can still find happiness and inner peace by letting go of trivial things. You Yang, CGTN, Beijing."

Key Words： China Economy Liu zhiqin CGTN