For subscribers
Commentary
Chinamaxxing? Boiling apples won’t make you Chinese
Hot water, congee and herbal remedies have become TikTok’s answer to a “very Chinese life”. If only becoming Chinese were that simple.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A woman wearing a traditional costume poses for a photograph on a street next to Yu Garden in Shanghai, China.
PHOTO: AFP
For a few weeks now, TikTok has been swamped with young people announcing that they are in a “very Chinese time” of their lives
The word is classic internet mash-up: “China” plus “-maxxing”, the idea of optimising your whole self around a single obsession – gymmaxxing, looksmaxxing, fibermaxxing, and now Chinamaxxing.


