China's economy and tech have developed at breakneck speed, but there is plenty worrying its Gen Z.

Young Chinese people are anxious about their future in a rapdily changing country

Published7 hours ago

"A star sent from the heavens," is how Zihan Han describes the man she's become a huge fan of recently, a man who young Chinese people call an "idol"

Except this is no pop singer or movie star, but a 54-year old anthropologist. Professor Biao Xiang has become an unlikely guide for an increasingly disillusioned generation

And it's because of what he talks about: anxiety and how to navigate it

China's economy and tech have grown at breakneck speed, but there is plenty worrying its Gen Z, from jobs to romantic prospects to the sheer pressure of keeping up

"The transition from school to the real world brings a lot of uncertainty now, and people often feel anxious because they don't know how to face it," says a 23-year-old Chinese graduate who didn't want to reveal her name because she was worried speaking to foreign media might affect her chances of finding a job back home

"People need an anchor in their life. And his words make us feel there is someone that gets me."

She and Zihan were among some 500 people - mostly Chinese diaspora - who piled into an auditorium recently in Singapore. Xiang spoke for more than an hour in Mandarin before he took questions. When it ended, dozens queued to meet and take photos with him. The Chinese grad called it "an academic fan meeting"