‘New kind of psychological massage’: tree-hugging craze spreads across China as young people grapple with greenery to relieve stress
- Phenomenon which started in Shanghai has spread to cities across nation as anxiety levels rise in today’s high-pressured China
- Tree-hugger online communities grow in popularity offering tips on how to avoid worms and stay clear of lightning strikes
A strange stress-relieving phenomenon – in which young people get solace from hugging trees – has spread to cities across China after it first emerged in the central coastal city of Shanghai.
A chat room devoted to the unusual pastime at the portal website baidu.com has amassed 10,000 members who shared more than 50,000 posts about their experience of “intimate contact” with trees.
On the short video app Douyin, a video product about “tree therapy” received 330,000 likes and 40,000 comments, while on another social media platform Xiaohongshu, hundreds of people shared their tree-hugging experiences or organised gatherings to indulge their passion.
Advocates say they simply choose a tree they like in a park or street for hugging sessions which can last from minutes to hours on end, according to a report on Shanghai TV.
Many people said they like hugging trees because it helps relieve anxiety and stress.
“Obviously I am hugging the tree, but I feel that the tree is hugging me back,” said one enthusiast.