The “fingertip economy” is booming during the National Day holiday: young people are keen on immersive hand-made experiences

China News Service, Hangzhou, October 4 (Lan Yini) "Spending a whole day immersing in creation is both ritualistic and relaxing." During the National Day holiday, handicraft enthusiast Lin Qingjie often "soaks" in Pindou shop. As she moved her hands up and down, the beans of different colors were arranged neatly according to the pattern. After ironing and shaping, her favorite anime characters appeared on the "paper".

Nowadays, many young people no longer regard scenic spots as their first choice for travel, but instead dive into handicraft shops. Lightweight DIY (handmade creation) experiences such as piecing together beans and quilting have become a new way to enjoy the holidays.

These days, a quilt shop in Hangzhou is almost full. Young people used their creativity to cut, splice and sew various fabrics to make fabric calendars, table lamp shades and other supplies.

"Many people have no experience, but they can get started quickly." Chen Yingchao, a shop owner born after 2000, said that many people sit from afternoon to night as soon as they start creating, and everyone enjoys this state of concentration.

"Handcrafting itself is very healing, and giving the finished product as a gift can also convey this happiness." 18-year-old Lu Jiaqi is a bean-patch enthusiast. During the holidays, she unlocked the experience of patchwork with her friends, and became more and more "addicted" to her.

As the joyful gameplay of "hand-rubbing" continues to be renovated, hand-made stores are also being upgraded. For example, Pindou stores in Huzhou, Zhejiang, Xiamen, Fujian and other places have begun to add patchwork experiences, and there are stores in Shenzhen, Guangdong that are exploring the integration of DIY business formats with coffee shop scenes.

Data from Qichacha shows that there were only 143 Pindou-related companies registered in China in 2025, and as of September this year, more than 4,000 have been added.

This craze is also integrating into the traditional cultural tourism scene. For example, during this year's National Day holiday, tourists from all over the world used colorful colorful beans to create a giant "Sacred Fish Transforms into a Dragon" at the Fishing Bay Scenic Area in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, leaving a unique travel memory.

The Bean Spelling Carnival in Yinchuan, Ningxia, invited visitors to complete bean-spelling works with local characteristics such as Helan Mountain and wine. Pires, a practitioner in the trendy entertainment field who participated in the event, believes that this kind of experience turns regional culture into physical objects that can be created by hand and can be taken away and shared, allowing tourists to change from spectators of urban cultural expression to participants.

From street shops to major scenic spots, the "fingertip economy" is adding more new ideas to holiday culture and tourism.