Camping out to get back to nature
The pandemic-induced restrictions on travel have prompted many to pursue recreation outdoor
When the sound of a Granny Smith falling from a tree on her tent woke up Dazou at a campsite in Zhongwei city, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, she felt her senses had sharpened. The joy of being stimulated, even powered by nature is what makes her go on camping trips frequently, she said.
“You won’t notice those details such as the sound of an apple falling or a gentle breeze blowing when you are in big cities full of noises caused by human activities. But you can feel the changes in nature when you are a part of it,” she said.
People’s craving for connecting with nature has intensified because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many campers and campsite founders, Dazou, who only wishes to use her name on social media, said that without a doubt the pandemic has significantly boosted the development of China’s camping-related business, such as the sale of camping equipment. Also, an increasing number of campsites have come up near big cities.
Dazou had her first camping experience when she visited Yosemite National Park in the United States in 2016. “We camped there for three days with no cellphone reception and went on different trails everyday. For the first time, I felt the connection with nature … it was a memorable moment in my life,” she said.
Like many people, the 31-year-old who works for a high-tech company in Shanghai was asked to work from home when the epidemic broke out in January last year. Since the isolation made her miss the outdoor experience that brush with nature, she started searching for camping possibilities in China and tried to find commercial campsites around lakes or in forest areas.
Unlike traditional campers who try to minimize the weight of camping gear such as tents or cookware, some people now like to camp in style so they’ve invested heavily in camping gear that are functional and fashionable, as well as comfortable. More important, they have made camping very photogenic. It is called glamourcamping or “glamping”.
“I don’t want to fall into any category, my choice of gear depends on what kind of experience I want to have. I sometimes choose to ship heavier gear to the campsite in advance and then travel there using public transportation with just my backpack,” Dazou said.
Dazou also shares her camping experiences in vlogs on social media. Her posts include making a decent cup of coffee or a meal in style while camping, as well as showing the beautiful views that greet her each morning when she wakes up. “I’d like people to know that they don’t need to have a car or expensive gear to enjoy camping. Also, they don’t need to go far to find a spot to camp.”
She said there are always the expected and unexpected experiences during camping trips. “What’s for certain is that I will embrace nature; it’s in our DNA. We just tend to forget about nature after living in cities for too long. What nature gives you will surely be different every time.”
Dazou now goes camping once or twice a month. She has made camping a part of her lifestyle because she feels that outdoor activity can infuse positive energy into her. “In the wild, people can see how insignificant they are for the world. The more I camp, the more peaceful I am. I really enjoy this change,” Dazou said.
Su Shixiao, a Beijing resident and veteran outdoor explorer and traveler, said social media have also played a key role in making camping a popular outdoor leisure activity in China. “Camping used to be associated with roughness and survival skills because it’s normally
part of expeditions or long hiking trips. Now people have learned from social media that camping can also be safe, comfortable and stylish.”
“For me, the moment I am most looking forward to while camping in the wild is when I wake up in the morning and unzip the tent’s door, because I don’t know what nature is going to present me with,” Su said. He also said that he made some of the key decisions in his life while camping because he can see and think more clearly, and know what he actually wants or needs after leaving behind his burdens in the city.
“People can be affected by the energy of nature, both physically and mentally. One of my friends burst into tears after seeing the stunning starry sky at night when we camped near a (dormant) volcano in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.”
Initially, Su didn’t like the idea of commercial campsites on the outskirts of big cities, for he believed that many people go to such campsites to socialize rather than enjoy
the company of nature and hence they may never have the same feeling his friend had in Inner Mongolia. His view began changing this year.
“Those easily accessible campsites can be a good steppingstone for people to get involved in outdoor activities or even adventures because they can learn the basic survival skills there,” Su said.
According to social lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, the number of searches on camping during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday (from June 12 to 14) this year was about four times more than last year, with most of them being from people in Beijing, Chengdu in Sichuan province, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. Also, about 80 percent of those who searched about camping in 2020 were aged between 19 and 33, according to Xiaohongshu.
“Some say that an increasing number of people are showing interest in camping because they feel trapped due to the epidemic prevention and control measures. But I believe it’s because the epidemic has made people reexamine their relationship with nature,” Su added.
Lou Shaojie learned about “glamping” when he went on a hiking trip in Japan in 2019. “I noticed the large camping equipment that are suitable for family outings when I checked out shops selling outdoor equipment there. I also liked their designs a lot, so I brought the idea of ‘glamping’, which has been very popular in Japan, back to China.”
In 2020, Lou set up the Treeline Camping Club in Shanghai for “like-mined” people. This year, he opened a Treeline Camp near Songlin Lake in Anji county, Zhejiang, which is about 200 kilometers west of Shanghai.
The camp also provides tent hotels to cater to the needs of those who want to avoid the hassle of packing camping gear or setting up tents. “The fact is that about 80 percent of campers aren’t fans of outdoor adventure. They are simply attracted by the posts or vlogs posted by social media influencers. Of course, some of them will be drawn to the outdoor lifestyle after the camping experience, but not too many of them,” Lou said.
Also, some people are into “glamping” because they love decorating their tents as a hobby. They keep buying and coordinating furniture and accessories, Lou said. “People can decorate their house only once in years but they can keep changing the style of their tents, which they love to share with others and on social media.”
Treeline’s development can also be attributed to the exposure “glamping” has got on social media. With little input in marketing, many people already know about Treeline, Lou said. Like it or not, he said, camping has become a game among China’s middle-income people and a costly, trendy activity when it should be all about enjoying nature and learning survival skills.
“My goal is to let people in Shanghai
know that exploring nature isn’t as difficult as they think. Gradually, they may want to explore further by going on outdoor trips, in which camping is all about ... practical (skills) and survival,” Lou said. But “we cannot deny that the popularity of ‘glamping’ has made more people want to step outside the city and get closer to nature, which is always a good thing”.
Wang He, co-founder of ABC Camping Village near Qiandao Lake in Hangzhou said she’s seen a steady growth in the number of campers during the six months’ soft opening period this year without launching any marketing campaign. The company is also constructing another campsite, which is also expected to be officially opened to campers in October.
Equipped with toilets and shower facilities, the campsites also offer camping equipment, including branded tents, furniture and lighting equipment, on rent.
“The epidemic has accelerated the development of China’s camping business at an unprecedented speed, as people are looking for more leisure activity options within the country,” Wang said.
“But even without the outbreak, I believe more people would be enjoying camping. Indeed, for many, outdoor activity will become a part of their lifestyle.”
Wang said that what makes camping or “glamping” such a fulfilling experience is nature. The joy of having good and practical camping gear is like the icing on the cake. “I am not obsessed with camping gear nor will I deny the pleasure they bring to me.”
Perhaps reflecting Wang’s pleasure, Dazou has shared some of her new camping equipment in one of her recent vlogs. “For campers, the urge to embrace nature is the most important thing. There is no point in people camping if all they want to do is play mahjong all day,” Dazou said.