Destinations Known | ‘Wild trips’ to ‘secret resorts’ on China’s urban fringes promoted by social media influencers take off as weekend substitutes for longer holidays
- Conventional tourism is still often disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions, so this summer, urban dwellers in China are going on ‘wild trips’ to get close to nature
- Word spreads quickly on social media about off-grid places in cities’ outskirts, and outdoor gear retailers and bed and breakfasts have seen a boom in business
“Go wild, go wild, go wild in the country/where snakes in the grass are absolutely free,” sang Yangon, Myanmar-born Annabella Lwin, on the 1982 Bow Wow Wow hit Go Wild in the Country, and she should be proud of the Great Outdoors-loving Chinese tourists who are making like snakes and going absolutely free.
Britain’s The Guardian newspaper writes about the phenomenon of “wild trips” (yeyou), which are short visits made by urbanites to close-by, off-grid locations. Wild tripping began to gain popularity in 2020 among those frustrated by the vicissitudes of the coronavirus, apparently.
“At a time when conventional tourism is frequently disrupted due to Covid restrictions, ‘wild trips’ serve as a convenient substitute for more traditional holidays, allowing city dwellers to enjoy nature on the outskirts of town without making long trips and being exposed to large crowds.”
And how do people find out about such places?
“Most wild-trip destinations become popular thanks to internet influencers who tout them as ‘secret resorts’ on social media platforms such as Douyin, China’s equivalent of TikTok, and the Instagram-like Little Red Book,” reports The Guardian. “The places often grow from obscure to well-known in a short period and are characterised by being close to nature.”
