The app for independent voices
One of my proudest moments of running Following the Yuan for three years has been spotlighting native Chinese voices and their insights. (Massive thanks to our paid subscribers for making them possible!) Here are a few stories you might’ve missed:
Life in China: When economic indicators and lived experience diverge (Dec. 2025)
Why you should read it: Like the U.S. this year and Japan in early 2000s — where economic indicators from GDP to the stock market point upward, it’s not necessarily translated to optimism on the ground. This reported essay sheds light on individuals in China behind these numbers.
How Beijing's Friendship Store preserves a piece of Chinese retail history by reinventing itself (Oct. 2025)
Rachel Zheng
Why you should read it: Most Chinese consumers put novelty on a pedestal. However, such urban renewal projects represent a plethora of similar ones led by local governments and developers in an effort to fuse the old and the new.
'China’s Hermès’ Laopu Gold and the search for Chinese luxury (May 2025)
Why you should read it: As one of the hottest HK stocks this year, Laopu Gold serves as both an eyesore and an aspiration for luxury companies include Richemont and Kering. Here, Junjie details what makes it popular from the Chinese consumers’ POV and the market’s whirlwind journey of seeking Chinese luxury.
China’s lie-flat coffee capital is brewing a new Chinese dream (July 2025)
Why you should read it: Junjie spent the month of May living as a digital nomad in Yunnan — but rather than flocking to familiar hotspots, he took a local’s tip and landed in Menglian County.
A decade of change: Has China's independent designer boom come to an end? (April 2025)
Why you should read it: In a slowing economy, creativity is now being replaced by imitation, long-term vision replaced by short-term gains. The golden years of Chinese designers coincided with the consumption upgrade era, and the gloom, in part, can be partially explained by the stressed economic environment. But the bigger question now is: what’s next?
How a small-town milk tea shop becomes the face of China's consumer brands (April 2024)
Why you should read it: This personal essay showcases the remarkable journey of a Chinese consumer brand from a small 3rd tier city onto the global stage. These days, international chains are entering Chinese lower-tier cities in droves, how are they going to compete with the local businesses that are entrenched in the fabric of their communities since day 1?
