Outdoors lovers turn their skills into profession in China
Tai Shan is very popular with locals and has welcomed 1.27 million visitors in the first quarter of 2025. — CHARLIE FONG/Wikimedia Commons
As dawn broke over Tai Shan (Mount Tai) in east China's Shandong Province, 26-year-old Wang Yang packed his backpack with essentials like first aid kit, trekking poles, and energy-boosting candies.
He was preparing to guide a family of five to the summit in six hours, marking his seventh booking during this year's five-day May Day holiday recently.
Wang is part of a growing wave of 'mountain companionship guides' emerging across China's scenic spots. This new group – comprising students, hiking enthusiasts and homestay owners – offers personalised services such as route planning, photography, and even 'encouragement therapy' to support climbers along the way.
Charging between CNY400 (RM238) and CNY1,500 (RM893) per trip, depending on the difficulty level, some guides earn as much as CNY30,000 (RM17,869) a month.
The emergence of the new profession reflects a broader rebound in tourism. Tai Shan, for instance, saw 1.27 million visitors in the first quarter of 2025, up 12.6% year-on-year, after surpassing eight million annual visits in both 2023 and 2024.
'The shift toward personalised and specialised services also reflects powerful consumer demand upgrading,' said Wang, who recently put his first-aid training into use by helping a hiker suffering from low blood sugar.
Some 1,000km away in northeast China's Jilin Province, Yu Wei, 50, sat in a ski lodge, poring over notes. A veteran mountain operations director, Yu played a key role in drafting China's first national standards for 'ski patrollers', a newly recognised profession at the national level.
When Yu entered the industry in 1995, Chinese ski resorts depended on donated foreign equipment and saw only a trickle of recreational skiers. But everything changed after Beijing's successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, with domestic ski visits surging to 234 million in the 2024-2025 period.
'With 70% of skiers now using snowboards and attempting advanced tricks, rescue work requires new skills,' said Yu, whose team developed protocols like 18-minute patrol cycles to keep up with the evolving demands of the sport.
From food reviewers to sports technicians, the rise of new roles in tourism reflects broader societal shifts. Song Zhiqiang, a popular content creator based in northeast China's Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, has turned food vlogs into a powerful marketing tool, driving over CNY10mil (RM5.96mil) in local sales and consumption.
Industry data showed that social media influencers like Song helped generate CNY133.3bil (RM79.4bil) for businesses across the country in 2024.
Since 2019, China has officially recognised 93 new professions, with 'new economy' workers totalling 84 million, accounting for 21% of the workforce.
'These roles aren't just jobs; they're gauges of consumption upgrading,' said Zhou Guangsu, a labour expert at Renmin University of China. – Xinhua
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
RM600k gone: Research officer falls for WhatsApp investment scam
KUANTAN: A 57-year-old research officer from Rompin lost over half a million ringgit of her life savings to a non-existent investment scheme — in less than two months. Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the woman was lured in after receiving an initial RM1,000 profit from her first online investment, only to be defrauded of RM600,500 in total. He said the victim was added to a WhatsApp group named "K81 Lombard Stock Investment Academy" on March 21 this year. "She was instructed to download an application via a link shared in the group. Her first investment of RM14,000 generated a RM1,000 return, which was credited into her account along with her capital. "Encouraged by the initial profit, she proceeded to make 28 transactions totalling RM600,500 into three different bank accounts between April 23 and June 4. The app claimed her investment had grown to over RM300,000 in profit," he said in a statement today. However, when the woman tried to withdraw RM50,000, she was told to pay RM200,000 as a "service charge". Realising she had been scammed, she lodged a police report yesterday.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
No longer a luxury but a necessity
Aarti Verma is about to join the growing ranks of Indians installing air conditioning, scraping together savings to secure relief from sometimes deadly temperatures that can reach nearly 50˚C. A record 14 million AC units were sold in India last year, with a ninefold increase in residential ownership forecast by mid-century. That will give millions safer and more comfortable conditions at work and home. But it will also drive demand for electricity that is generated mostly by burning climate-warming coal, and increase the hot AC exhaust air expelled into the country's stifling streets. For Verma, the priority is securing some immediate relief. Her sales and marketing work means she must visit multiple stores a day, battling blazing heat. 'Coming home after a long day I want some comfort,' said the 25-year-old, who earns 30,000 rupees (RM1,500) a month and will pay 50,000 rupees (RM2,500) to install air conditioning in her spartan two-room home. 'Earlier I would sleep on the terrace, but these days it's so hot even in the night, AC has become a necessity,' she said in a poor neighbourhood of the capital Delhi. India is the world's fastest-growing AC market, despite only about 7% of households currently owning units. The boom could mean the world's most populous country needs to triple electricity production to meet demand, experts say. A customer carrying an umbrella as he visits a shop selling air coolers on a hot summer afternoon, at a market in Rawalpindi on May 30, 2024, amid the heatwave. — AFP The nation of 1.4 billion people is already the world's third-biggest producer of climate-warming greenhouse gases, burning through one billion tonnes of coal in 2024-25, according to a government statement. 'AC penetration across India is primarily driven by weather conditions, a growing middle class, favourable consumer financing options and widespread electrification,' said KJ Jawa, the India chief of Japanese AC manufacturer Daikin. He said that ACs are no longer regarded as a luxury indulgence, but as essential investments. Verma had to pay 13,000 rupees (RM657) as a down payment, with the rest divided over monthly instalments. 'I could have bought gold with that money which would have been a good investment but I gave priority to the AC,' she said. According to the meteorological department, 2024 was India's hottest year since thorough records began in 1901, with sizzling temperatures following a global pattern of extreme weather driven by climate change. A heatwave in May 2024 in New Delhi saw temperatures match the capital's previous record high: 49.2˚C clocked in 2022. The brutal summer heat can melt tarmac on the roads and puts millions of people at risk, with nearly 11,000 people dying due to heat stroke in India between 2012 and 2021, according to government data. Public health experts say the true number of heat-related deaths is likely in the thousands but because heat is often not listed as a reason on a death certificate, many casualties don't get counted in official figures. Ironically, the refrigerants inside AC units and the coal-generated electricity that powers them only exacerbate global warming. Widespread AC use also raises outdoor temperatures by expelling indoor heat. Verma cleaning an air conditioner installed inside her house in New Delhi. — AFP Studies – including by the World Health Organisation and UN-Habitat – show that the heat-generating motors inside AC units can themselves push up temperatures in urban areas by a degree Celsius or more. Before buying an AC, Verma relied on a traditional air cooler – a noisy fan-run device that blows cool air off water-soaked pads. But filling the cooler with water and making sure it did not become a haven for disease-carrying mosquitoes required great effort. Sales are brisk at Imperial Refrigeration in Delhi's old quarters, with a steady stream of customers braving the afternoon heat. Japsahib Singh Ahuja, 22, whose family owns the 50-year-old business, said sales have more than tripled in the last five years, thanks to first-time consumers and AC 'replacement cycles'. 'ACs these days don't last long, because there are so many pollutants in Delhi air that lead to corrosion and gas leakage from the equipment,' he explained. Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, consistently top world rankings for air pollution. Air conditioning will account for a quarter of India's emissions and nearly half nationwide peak electricity demand by 2050, according to the UN Environment Programme's Cool Coalition. But India has so far declined to sign up to the coalition's Global Cooling Pledge to reduce the sector's climate impact. Still, there are signs of hope, with Indians increasingly buying energy-efficient AC units, according to Ahuja. Energy-saving inverter ACs now dominate the market, and companies set a default temperature of 24˚C. 'Energy ratings are now mandatory,' said Ahuja. 'We will surely see long-term benefits.' — AFP
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Kiss bureaucracy goodbye
Since May 10, getting married in China is becoming a piece of cake – wedding cake. Gone are the rules about documenting permanent household registration or 'hukou'. Gone are the rules requiring that marriages take place in the hukou city of one partner. Star-crossed lovers can now tie the knot anywhere they choose in China – and it is so much more romantic. They can register at the place where they first met, for example, or where they studied, started a business or pledged their everlasting love. They can even marry during travel to a city they have never visited before. All they need are their identification cards. They only need to affirm that they are unmarried and not related to each other within three generations. Suo Xuheng, 26, of Wuhan, Hubei province, said he and his fiancee are happy about the new rules. They are planning to get married later this year. 'It's great to experience a policy that truly serves the people, bringing marriage registration back to the essence of love,' he said. 'For example, today I really wanted to register – my girlfriend and I can just bring our ID cards to the civil affairs bureau and get in line for our marriage certificate. 'There is no need to return to our hometowns or wait for family members to mail household registration documents.' Marriage is easy now that the old barriers of location and documentation are gone. Some cities have already begun to offer incentives to take advantage of the new rules – not only to fan the flames of love, but to lure visitors and their money. Some cities have moved their marriage registry offices to parks, historic buildings or popular scenic spots. Some offer free tickets or discounts to tourist attractions. Some even give souvenirs tied to local culture as gifts. In Nanjing, Jiangsu province, the registration office located next to Xuanwu Lake has been popular since its launch on May 9, said Wang Yao, director of the marriage registration centre of the civil affairs bureau of Xuanwu district. The office, with an area of 350sq m, features functional zones – a marriage registration area, a Chinese-style certification section, space for ceremonies, an exhibition area covering wedding customs, spots for photography and even marriage counselling rooms. 'To accommodate the potential surge in marriage registrations, we will open early – at 8am on May 20 and 21,' Wang said, noting that the numerical dates 5/20 and 5/21 sound like 'I love you' in Chinese, and started out as slang online. The office has received numerous inquiries and appointments in recent days, both from locals and non-locals. 'They wanted to confirm that marriage registration can indeed be processed without household registration books, that non-residents can register in Nanjing and what procedures are required,' Wang said. To provide extended convenience, a 100sq m commercial space has been set up near the registration office. It offers brands of beverages and jewellery, as well as wedding services. A woman surnamed Zhu and her husband surnamed Ji registered for marriage on May 10 at the office. 'We dated several times at the Xuanwu Lake, so this place has a special meaning for us,' she said. 'I hope our future life can be as sweet and beautiful as the attraction.' Nanjing also offers marriage registrations at scenic spots including the Confucius Temple, Mochou Lake and Gulou Park. Couples registering at the temple's Xifu Hall can get a free Ming Dynasty-style wedding ceremony, as if they were actually living between 1368 and 1644. The ceremony has even become all the buzz online. At the Qiandao Lake Scenic Area in Chun'an county of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, couples can complete the entire marriage process of registration, certification and photography in one stop. To attract more couples, the county has introduced a series of preferential policies: Couples who register in Chun'an get year-round free admission to major scenic spots, such as Qiandao Lake and Longchuan Bay. Those registering on or after May 10 will receive discounts at 17 dining and accommodation establishments, including high-end hotels, boutique homestays and trendy restaurants. 'Qiandao Lake boasts unparalleled landscapes,' said deputy director of Chun'an culture, radio, television, tourism and sports bureau Huang Yaqin. 'By relocating the marriage registration centre to the 5A scenic area, we aim to make the marriage certification process more than just stamping papers.' By creating premium travel routes and honeymoon packages, Qiandao Lake can serve as a witness to bliss. And this 'sweet economy' will serve as a new engine for local development, Huang said. Professor Wang Jinwei of the School of Tourism Sciences of Beijing International Studies University, said the new rules of marriage registration reflects improvement of public service and governance system of China, based on the background of population mobility. Prof Wang said by combining marriage registration with tourism, it can boost regional economy, complete the industrial chain and stimulate consumption especially during off-peak season. 'Now young people pay attention to all processes of marriage, which begins with registration. 'They want to add a sense of ceremony and enjoy enhanced experiences spiritually, and the services many cities offer meet their demands,' he said. — China Daily/ANN
