On April 18, an article from Japan’s “Oriental News” posed the question: What is the “Morning C, Evening A” trend among Chinese youth? It symbolizes a changing lifestyle.
In recent years, “Morning C, Evening A” has become a popular phrase in China. Its original meaning refers to using products containing Vitamin C in the morning and products containing Vitamin A in the evening to achieve maximum skincare effects. However, recently, “Morning C, Evening A” has been interpreted as using coffee in the morning to wake up and alcohol in the evening to help sleep, with some joking that drinking a cup of coffee and a glass of alcohol daily is the “lifeline drink” for today’s youth.
Hearing this, you might wonder, “Did Chinese people not drink coffee or alcohol before?” Firstly, coffee culture is not as prevalent in this tea-loving country. But in recent years, a coffee craze has emerged among the young population born in the 1990s and 2000s, coinciding with China’s rapid economic growth. Coffee chains and unique coffee shops have sprung up all over the streets, with Shanghai becoming the city with the most coffee shops in the world.
On July 2, 2022, in Shanghai, at a coffee shop on Anfu Road in Xuhui District, citizens enjoy their weekend life. Photo by China News Service reporter Yin Liqin.
Chinese people have had a drinking habit since ancient times, but the “alcohol” that today’s youth refer to is not (traditional) Baijiu, but rather beverages with lower alcohol content, such as liqueurs, red wine, and fruit wine. Today’s young people are not trying to showcase their masculinity by drinking large amounts of Baijiu without getting drunk; instead, they enjoy the feeling of being “slightly tipsy” through lower-alcohol beverages. Similarly, the recently popular term “self-indulgent consumption” reflects how enriching one’s life with lower-alcohol drinks has become a new lifestyle for Chinese youth. In the past, drinking occasions in China were predominantly male, but now it is common for both men and women to drink together.
Now, low-alcohol beverages targeting young people are being launched. The well-known Baijiu manufacturer Guizhou Moutai has introduced low-alcohol cocktails, while another established Baijiu company, Luzhou Laojiao, has started selling fruit wine. The American company Coca-Cola has also launched alcoholic hard seltzer in China.
Translation by Zeng Mao, Global Times – Global Network
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