This lifestyle and wellness habits have become one of the most popular trends nowadays and consists in using popular knowledge about Traditional Chinese Medicine, like drinking hot water constantly and keeping your feet warm.
However, how did this turn into a trend? That’s what you’re about to find out!
How “Becoming Chinese” turned into a trend?
In the beginning of 2026, a creator in TikTok named Sherry started to show online how her followers could turn into a “Chinese Baddie”. Her video about drinking hot water has more than 5 million views. Since then, this part of Chinese culture has become automatically viral all-round the word.
These habits used in these trends are: drinking warm water to improve digestion; Practicing Baduanjin, a typical exercises sequence that helps the immunology system and flexibility; Keeping your feet and neck warm, which helps the immunity and stimulates harmony between yin-yang; 20 jumping jacks when you wake up for activate the blood circulation; And only eat warm and cooked foods to help with your digestion.
These are just some of the famous tips going around TikTok, but what are they actually based on?
What’s Traditional Chinese Medicine?
This trend is based in a secular and very traditional medicine from China, that has existed for more than 5.000 years. And it’s all based on treating the person and their energy, not only the sickness.
Following some of the precepts of Buddhism, this ancient medicine pursues daily health maintenance, using methods like acupuncture, cupping therapy, phytotherapy and other types of therapies. All these proceedings seek the three main principles of TCM.
The yin-yang is a well-known theory and represents the balance of life, having too much “yin” or too much “yang” is a signal that your life and your health are disharmonic. The “qi” is a vital energy, and it regulates the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical areas of life, the non-sufficient of this energy is also a bad signal.
And the last one is called “five-element theory”, where all the five elements are linked with a part of your body: fire is linked with head and cardiorespiratory, earth is linked with the gastrointestinal part, water is linked with genital and urinary parts, wood is linked with the left part and metal is linked with the right part.
These principles helps us understand why people have been carrying on these habits for so many generations, chasing a better life not only physically, but mostly, mentally and energetically.
———————————————————
The article above was edited by Sofia Bianco.
Like this type of content? Check out Her Campus Casper Libero for more.