An increasing number stepping away from careers in traditional industries
Yu Xinyan (third right) poses with his customers during a live action role-playing game at a creative cultural park in Foshan, Guangdong province. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Young people in China are increasingly choosing careers they have a passion for and that meet demands created by emerging niche markets.
They are forsaking traditional industries, and even the academic world, to make a living by appealing to those who share their enthusiasm for the work they produce.
Chen Qin, 31, from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has considered herself something of a free spirit who doesn't want a typical 9 am to 5 pm desk job.
In 2015, she opened a small bakery in Chengdu. From experimenting with recipes to acquiring baking skills by using various implements, Chen spent five years getting her venture up and running.
"I don't make that much money, but it is enough for me to make ends meet and lead the life I want," she said.
As Chen found she had more time on her hands by being her own boss, she became interested in blind boxes, an idea that originated in Japan during the 1980s. In recent years, blind boxes, which contain at least one surprise item, have attracted the younger generation in China and led to a range of designer toys being produced.
Like many of her peers, Chen became smitten with these toys, including those produced by art toy company Pop Mart.
"I am obsessed with getting all the figurines in a series," she said. This obsession led to her buying more blind boxes than she needs, leaving her with many figurines in the same style.
"I don't want to discard them, but keeping them is definitely not a desirable option," Chen said.
She came up with the idea of adding features to give these toys a new look. She tapped into her pastry skills and learned online how to remodel dolls. "The tools used in both fields are similar," she said.
Wang Yinghao prepares a pet for a funeral service at his business in Beijing. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The most difficult part for her is drawing patterns on the dolls, which are extremely small.
"At first, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking, and it took me about a month to steady them," Chen said. Through constant practice, it didn't take long before she had the entire procedure down to a fine art, from changing a doll's skin color and its positions, to fitting it out with various accessories.
After Chen shared her new-look dolls on the Xiaohongshu social media platform, the number of her followers rose, and many have started to send their dolls to her for remodeling.
"They ask me to do what I do to my own dolls," she said.
As more people turned to her, Chen closed her bakery business in 2020 to devote herself fully to customizing dolls. She typically finishes two dolls a day, with a single order costing about 300 yuan ($43).
As she became more experienced, she was invited to join a professional doll makers' group on WeChat last year. In this group, she interacts with and draws inspiration from those sharing her passion for dolls.
"I've explored other materials and tools, such as lacquer, water paints and pencils, to give the dolls different expressions," she said.
Chen's Xiaohongshu account now boasts more than 10,000 followers, and some of the popular dolls she has remodeled, such as Pop Mart's Skullpanda, have been reproduced 200 times.
"These followers are my customers and friends, and it feels as though we have something in common when we communicate with one another," she said.
In addition to delivering dolls that are ordered, Chen continues to indulge her passion for blind boxes and remodeling dolls.
"This satisfies my craving for the dolls, and could be a source of increased income once it takes off," she said.
Chen Qin remodels a toy. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Keen interest
More than 60 percent of people born since the 1990s have shown a strong interest in spending for their own purposes and happiness, according to a Chinese consumption report in September by market consultancy iiMedia Research.
On Alibaba's Tmall e-commerce platform, designer toys were in high demand during the annual November 11 shopping festival, followed by cosmetics and fast-selling consumer goods.
There are 27,000 businesses related to designer toys in China, and they have an annual growth rate of 23.4 percent, according to a new careers study report by Chinese corporate information provider Tianyancha.
Yu Xinyan's interest in live action role-playing games led to him becoming a part-time games host at a creative cultural park in Foshan, Guangdong province.
He has long played such games, and was accepted for the position last year after finishing his topographical studies at a vocational school.
Yu's experience enabled him to land the job, which requires him to explain the rules of games and also tasks to customers.
"They don't have to worry about not knowing how to play — they can just follow my lead," said Yu, who is in his 20s and earns 100 yuan from each session of a game.
Chen Qin, from Chengdu, Sichuan province, has produced a range of remodeled designer toys, including these examples. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Moreover, becoming a games host has given him a sense of achievement.
"The players, who enjoy the immersive experience of the script, follow my instructions, which is fun for me," he said.
China has paid increased attention to developing new careers in recent years.
In 2020, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security made the position of online salesperson an official job under the category of "internet marketer", and also drew up standards for vocational skills.
Careers guidance has been offered to numerous aspiring young people who have found jobs in the nation's rising e-commerce industry.
Xiao Jun, an associate professor at Shenzhen University's management school in Guangdong, said the rapid progress made by China in communication technology paved the way for a large number of emerging industries.
"These industries create a significant number of jobs and help set young people on the path to a career," Xiao said.
In turn, this trend has led to more people launching their own businesses.
Chen Qin, from Chengdu, Sichuan province, has produced a range of remodeled designer toys, including these examples. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Vivid details
Wang Yinghao found his calling when he saw a news story about pet funerals three years ago.
He was moved by the report, which included details of a man carrying his golden retriever from his car to a room, laying it gently on a small bed, and standing by the animal's side for a long time, his eyes brimming with tears.
"I could only imagine the pain," said Wang, who comes from Danyang city, Jiangsu province.
The story reminded him of the dog he had to bid farewell to at home in his childhood.
Wang decided to quit his job as a furniture designer, which he started immediately after graduating in Beijing. At the end of 2019, he and a friend established Rainbow Planet, a funeral service for pets.
The service's name derives from the range of animals it caters to, which mainly covers cats and dogs, but also include birds, snakes and lizards.
"One reason I established the service was that I was a little tired of my previous job," said Wang, who is in his 20s. "I had also experienced the death of my own dog, so I believed the service could be of help to pet owners."
However, it was not plain sailing initially, as finding an ideal location for the service took some time. Wang first rented an office space that shared a wall with another company.
"Their conference room and our guest lounge were next to each other, and sounds could be heard through the wall," Wang said, adding that this was awkward when pet owners were crying while the other company was holding a business meeting.
In December 2020, after searching for more than two months, Wang found a house with a courtyard in an industrial park, giving his customers more privacy.
He keeps his phone switched on at all times, as a pet could die in the middle of the night.
Chen Qin, from Chengdu, Sichuan province, has produced a range of remodeled designer toys, including these examples. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
When he receives a call from a grieving pet owner, he explains how his business operates. He then arranges a date for an appointment, for which he sometimes has to pick up an owner from his or her home.
"Pet owners can be so distraught over an animal's death that in some cases they might cause an accident if they drive themselves," Wang said.
When a pet that has died arrives at the business, Wang and his team first clean the animal and place it in a good posture for the funeral. The animal's eyes often remain open after death due to lost muscle control, so Wang's team close the eyelids.
After being cleaned, the pet is placed on a small bed for the owners to say a last goodbye before it is sent for cremation on the outskirts of Beijing.
To ensure owners say a proper farewell to animals, Wang prepares funeral guidance for them.
He encourages owners to send him photos of their pets, recall experiences with their animals, and leave goodbye messages.
If owners want to collect their pet's ashes on site, they watch the cremation live on closed circuit television from a waiting room.
The basic cremation service costs 600 yuan, but owners pay more to rent a compartment to display their animal's urn and pay regular visits to it.
Wang's business has attracted several like-minded young people, most of whom were born in the 1990s and come from different walks of life. Over the past three years, his service has dealt with more than 2,000 pets.
He believes that as every life deserves to be treated kindly, this gives his business a meaning.
"A pet accompanies you like your family, while its lifespan is often only one-sixth or one-seventh that of a human," Wang said.
Some 2,200 enterprises in China offer services related to pet funerals, according to Tianyancha.
The number of households in China keeping pets has reached more than 91.5 million, according to a recent report on trends in the nation's pet industry released by the online platform JD. The figure is expected to surpass 100 million this year, according to the report.
As more people are willing to spend on their pets, this has given those such as Wang a chance to find their true calling.
