Biao Xiang: Anthropologist became an 'idol' for China's youth

"A sky-sent star," Zihan Han says of the man of whom she has recently become a big fan. The youth of China call him their "idol".

But he is neither a pop singer nor a film star, but a 54-year-old anthropologist. Professor Biao Xiang has become a guiding light for a generation that is slowly becoming disillusioned. And the reason for this is the topic on which he talks – anxiety and how to deal with it.

China's economy and technology have progressed very rapidly, but there are many reasons for concern for Gen Z. These include the prospects of job, love and relationships and the immense pressure to put oneself ahead on every front. "The transition from school to the real world brings a lot of uncertainty. People are often worried because they don't know how to cope," says a 23-year-old graduate from China.

She and Zihan were among about 500 people who attended a recent event in Singapore. After the program was over, dozens of people lined up to meet him and get photographs taken with him. The Chinese graduate described it as "an academic fan meeting." Xiang has been interviewed by major media organizations in China. He has also gone to give lectures in top universities of China. According to Chinese media, there is now a saying in China. "Whenever there is a dilemma, ask Biao Xiang."

In Singapore, Xiang explained how the validation that young people seek in today's China works. There the youth often depend on different systems for approval of their qualifications. He said that instead, it is a healthier way to talk to others about the meaning and understanding of your life. In a country where dissent can be politically sensitive, Xiang is a rare public figure to speak openly about the issue.

Xiang now lives in Germany, where he is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. He studies the social changes taking place in China and other parts of Asia. Xiang believes that Chinese society is currently going through a "period of change". Chinese President Xi Jinping has also accepted this. He said that the "main contradiction" is between people's ever-increasing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development.

Xiang has also given some interesting names for the reasons which are causing this situation. He calls the state of people constantly working and struggling just to make ends meet as "floating." By 'the nearby' they mean those things which are very close to us. Xiang says that people focus either "too close", i.e. on themselves, or "too far", i.e. on the world. But the space in between, “around us,” is the unseen space.

Born in 1972, Xiang grew up at a time when China was going through another major transformation. Growing up in Wenzhou, which was rapidly changing as an industrial port, Xiang witnessed this change with his own eyes. The pace of the economy slowed down during Covid and even after that it could not return to the way it was before. In the middle of the year 2023, the government stopped releasing data on unemployment among youth. Earlier this rate had reached 21.3 percent.

Xiang believes that two things have increased this concern – the property market and the higher education system. Xiang is excited by his popularity. He says, "If someone calls me an influencer, I will take it as a compliment. Because my real impact can be to inspire people to think for themselves."