Young Chinese deciding less is more as minimalist lifestyles become more popular

Minimalism is becoming popular in China and many young people are choosing to let go of material things in favor of a simple, uncluttered lifestyle.

38-year-old Xiong Manqi lives in a 40-square meter apartment in Beijing which, with its sparse furnishings and decorations, could be described as a temple to minimalism.

"I have been living a minimalist life for six months. I remember one day when I came back home, I felt very stressed when I saw the clutter and my furniture. So, I started to throw them away. I don't have a sofa, desk and any decorations at home, but when I come back, I feel very relaxed," he said.

Xiong said he used to buy a lot of T-shirts but one day he realized what a waste it was, as there were some he never even wore. So his wardrobe got the minimalist treatment and with only black, white and gray shirts to choose from he saves time worrying what to wear and getting dressed

As well as saving money on clothes, Xiong says his minimalist approach is maximising his savings across the board.

"I only spend around 1500 yuan (about 220 U.S. dollars) a month to live in Beijing. I bought this apartment ten years ago. So, I don't pay rent. My biggest expenditure is transportation, and that's 6 yuan a day for a round trip subway ticket. I cook at home most of the time. And as you know meat and vegetables don't cost much," he said.

Xiong believes his lifestyle doesn't mean a low-quality life, but is rather about redefining his priorities.

For him, what he eats is more important than what he wears and he buys organic milk, vegetables and coffee every month.

"I think I am living a quality life, because I pay attention to what I care about the most, for example food quality and health. And I also get rid of many trivial things that give me stress. I think many young people are anxious all the time because they want too many things. Sometimes, we need to relax and let go of some unnecessary desires," he said.

Statistics show that around one-tenth of young people in China are interested in adopting a more minimalist lifestyle.

With many young people working at home because of the pandemic, that number is expected to grow in the next three years, though one expert points out that this interest in minimalism is far from a modern trend.

"I should say frankly that this idea or this lifestyle of minimalism is not new. It has already [existed] in ancient China for thousand years. And in some European countries, some philosophy always announced that 'less is more.' Actually I don't think the minimalism has a negative impact on the development of economy," said Liu Zhiqin, a senior research fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China.

Many young people who have adopted a more minimalist lifestyle say although they are living a modest, or even sometimes an austere life, they can still find happiness and inner peace by letting go of trivial things.