Glamping, a fusion of the words “glamor” and “camping”, is the latest travel fashion among young Chinese. Over the past year, Song says she has made more than 10 glamping trips to China, both in rural areas and in suburban areas. She embarked on her first light bulb journey in April 2021, heading to Zhongwei, a city referred to as “eastern Morocco”. Located in the mostly deserted Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of northern China, Zhongwei is home to the Yellow River, parts of the Great Wall, deserts, wetlands, and ancient villages. When he left, the city was already strewn with boutique hotels and hostels. But Song chose to try something different: a scene. When Song arrived, he said there were five tents just 10 meters from the roaring Yellow River, overlooking the Gobi Desert – the sixth largest in the world – on the other side. But it did not go smoothly. The weather was very stormy in Zhongwei, throwing sand and gravel. As a result, all tourist spots were closed. “That night, the people who operated the glamping site invited us to look at the stars,” he recalls. “When I left the stage, all the clouds covering the sky finally dissipated. The sky was vast, full of stellar light – all the stars I can ever imagine, and the silence was absolute.” With the hustle and bustle of city life left behind, travelers are exposed to an authentic, modern northwest China. Song says glamping here, surrounded by farms and pastures, offers travelers the opportunity to sow, harvest and taste local dates and wine grapes. From time to time goats, yaks and sheep come from the tents. This popular resort is perched on top of Hangzhou Yongan Mountain. Xu Yu News Agency / Xinhua / Getty Images

Comfort over nature

In the most populous country in the world, time in nature can mean intense mountain hiking and desert hiking or light picnics on the grass of a park and relaxing walks on the outskirts of a city. However, while young bourgeoisie crave fresh air and nature, many are reluctant to give up the comforts of creatures such as the soft mattresses. Xiaohongshu, the country’s leading lifestyle site, is an important hidden hand that drives holiday fashion as sleek, camping-inspired posts flood the mobile streams. For many young Chinese, glamping is just the right activity for their daka listings – a word that describes Internet users “coming in” to Instagram-enabled places. Thousands of detailed lists of glamping items, easy-to-prepare recipes and suggestions for glamping destinations across the country dominate the Chinese internet. Song recalls seeing a Marshall speaker and huge, handmade rugs in her tent in Zhongwei. Natural Camp, the site operator, proudly announces on the official account of Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social networking site): “We maintain an excellent selection of outdoor brands, both domestic and international.” These include King Koil mattresses – just as likely to be found in five-star hotel rooms – and outdoor furniture from the luxury Scandinavian brand Tentipi. One night costs about 1,000 yuan ($ 148) per person, says Song. The trend is not limited to mainland China. Wade Cheung, marketing director at Saiyuen, an adventure park on an island in Hong Kong, has also seen bookings “increase significantly” over the past two years, with more than 10% of visitors returning after their first stay. “The protracted pandemic has inspired the people of Hong Kong to explore the wonderful home experiences in the city,” says Cheung. The location on Cheung Chau Island offers a variety of accommodation options, from tepees to Mongolian huts, but the most exclusive is Sunset Vista, a 300-square-foot dome set on its own 2,000-square-foot private meadow. The canopy can accommodate a total of four people and includes a private shower and toilet, barbecue stove, hammock and more. With a bay window overlooking the ocean and an ideal location for stargazing, Sunset Vista has become a hit with Hong Kong bloggers and influencers. One night on stage costs about $ 3,500 HKD ($ 446) to $ 4,800 HKD ($ 611), equivalent to one night in a luxury hotel on Hong Kong Island. Visitors who prioritize comfort over nature dominate the glamping space these days. Cheung says the type of visitors he receives has evolved since the beginning of the pandemic. In the past, visitors loved camping, hiking and nature and were impressed by the air conditioners in the tents. Now, guests find that AC is essential. “For example, if there is a frog sitting in front of the stage, previous visitors will probably squat and be photographed with it, but for visitors nowadays, it may be something they need to adjust to,” he adds. A view from inside the Saiyuen canopy. Saiyuen

A fashion fueled by Covid

Glamping has steamed up since the first attack of Covid-19. A report published by the Chinese travel agency CTrip shows that the search for camping activities increased eightfold in 2021. During Labor Day celebrations in May 2022, data from another platform, Qunar, revealed that ticket sales at camping camps in China increased by more than 50% compared to the same period last year. Bookings for hostels providing camping-related services, such as caravans and tents, also quadrupled in the country during the holiday season during the same period last year, according to holiday rental site Tujia. An adventurous walk to the Saiyuen glamping site in Hong Kong. Saiyuen Covid-19 certainly played a role in this newly discovered enthusiasm for luxury outdoor experiences.
The initial outbreak in 2020 sealed China’s borders, keeping Chinese tourists in their homes. Recent cases of Covid-19 are estimated to have reduced domestic travel by more than half and people spending their holidays even closer to home, as the potential consequences of travel have evolved from a lockout from China to a lockout from their hometown. Doubling its controversial “zero Covid” policy, China has imposed tough measures, including lockdowns and repeated rounds of mass testing, to eliminate the latest clusters. The big city of Shanghai just came out of a severe nine-week lockdown across the city that forbade all residents to leave their apartments. In the capital Beijing, a “mild lockdown” of three weeks and now has left millions of residents to be called to work from home. And there are echoes of previous epidemics in Hong Kong. Nearly two decades ago, when the SARS epidemic hit the city, Cheung made his first local hiking and camping trips. That’s when he discovered “Hong Kong is such a fun place to explore.”

The call of wildlife

While Song agrees that the rise of glamping can be attributed to the limitations of Covid-19, which have led people to appreciate the opportunities to get in touch with nature, she believes there is more to it. That is, the meaning of “I live wild”. “Many of the lifestyles we see on social media are overly glamorous. The coffee culture in Shanghai, for example, is a bit charming. They set a precedent for how we should look idealistic, talk and live.” But people realize that something is missing from these lifestyles, Song notes. The picnic, which was popular before glamping became the new craze, can no longer satisfy the urges to connect with nature. However, he carefully draws a line between “I live wild” and “I live in the desert.” “Some of my friends can just go camping on any mountain with just a backpack. This is very difficult for me to handle. At least, the basic health standards and living conditions should not be sacrificed,” he says. The constant attractiveness of time in the desert means that glamping fashion is likely to remain here, but is expected to fall “to a steady level” after the relaxation of travel restrictions, Cheung notes. Among those who visit Saiyuen, about 60% of them are families, who “still love to take their children to a small adventure island locally” on weekends, he adds. Top Picture: Hong Kong Saiyuen Resort is located on Cheung Chau Island. Credit: Saiyuen