Small-town Chinese officials are making money with music festivals
And exhausted urban youngsters are flocking to them
Lockdown was brutal. But nature is healing. And, it turns out, nature is also part of the healing. As frazzled urbanites emerge from their pandemic hibernaculum into a grim economy, some want to venture to the great outdoors. Small cities and rural areas are obliging by putting on funky new music festivals where the youth can dance and hug and relax once again.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Festival time”
From the May 27th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from China
China needs its frightened officials to save the economy
After years of being hounded by anti-graft authorities, many are too afraid to act
The bad side-effects of China’s campaign to cut drug costs
Poor quality is one. An angry public is another
America and China are talking. But much gets lost in translation
How linguistic differences complicate relations between the great powers
It’s a good time to be an astrologer in China
In the face of hardship, the country’s youth are embracing superstition
The early days of the Trump administration, as viewed from China
A good start, but it could get worse quickly
How (un)popular is China’s Communist Party?
As the economy falters and the social compact frays, Xi Jinping wants to know