Growing through sharing traditions with the world

By Karen Taylor

Living in the most open period in history, the young generation in China have grown up confident, hopeful and responsible. They are not alone, opportunities abound for young people around the world to realise their ambitions. This is not entirely due to the internet, but it does bring the rest of the world within reach, and has given today’s youth a unique view of the world.

Last year saw China quietly unfold before vast numbers of people internationally through everyday online and real-life encounters. Ne Zha, a defiant boy-god from Chinese mythology, burst onto the silver screen in theatres around the world. In Los Angeles, queues formed for Labubu plush charms that would dangle from the handbags of shoppers. And social media brought both China to the world, and the world to China.

British YouTube vlogger Mike Okey filmed his 2,000-kilometer hitchhiking trip from northwest China to Beijing. The video has garnered over 13 million views and 30,000 comments. Again, he is not alone.

In January 2025, TikTok went briefly offline, into which void stepped the similar Chinese app RedNote, bringing young people from China and the rest of the world closer than ever before. Following guidelines from China, users tried to replicate Chinese dishes and steamed eggs went viral. The app also saw users replying to Li Hua, a figure who regularly appeared in China’s national college exam for students of English as an imaginary penpal. For many Chinese users, this was a result. “Li Hua finally got replies to his letters!”

In Cyprus, star of TikTok and Instagram Fidias Panayiotou, known for his boundary pushing posts, was able to take his success on social media one step further. Building on his online influence, he mounted a campaign to represent the island at the European parliament and in 2024 became the island’s youngest ever MEP at just 24. Despite admitting he had no knowledge of the EU or how it works, he managed to garner 19.4 per cent of the vote. At a huge celebratory party in central Nicosia, he said “we are writing history. Not just in Cyrus but internationally.

As today’s young people have grown up, China has risen to become the world’s second-largest economy, largest trading nation and largest industrial nation. Career options are diverse. The tertiary industry has become an important gathering place for the young workforce as new industries and forms of business have given rise to more opportunities and choices.

Among these new professions is that of digital nomad. 35-year-old Chen Yunfei is living his second year as a digital nomad, traveling overseas, blogging, developing apps, and offering artificial intelligence consultancy services. He spent almost two thirds of last year overseas, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers on YouTube and Bilibili.

On the other side of the world, Cyprus has issued more than 500 digital nomad visas since a scheme was launched in 2021 as part of efforts to position the island as a hub for remote workers and to strengthen its technology-driven business ecosystem, targeting non-EU and non-EEA nationals who can work remotely. “If the framework of the Digital Nomad Visa is fully utilised, its direct annual contributionto the economy is estimated to exceed €10 million,” the Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Andreas Alexi said.

Among the most visible manifestations of changing values and embracing traditional culture to bring it to a new audience is the rise of China chic – a broad cultural movement where traditional aesthetics are re-imagined across fashion, lifestyle and consumer culture. Young people are deeply engaged in understanding these traditions. They debate collar styles, pleat counts, embroidery motifs and historical accuracy on social media, blending curiosity with scholarship.

Revival does not mean replication. Designers across China are blending classical patterns with modern cuts, fabrics and lifestyles. Flowing sleeves appear on streetwear; symbolic embroidery adorns jackets; ethnic patterns inspire sneakers, turning tradition into a lived, wearable culture.

This fusion extends into the commercial sphere. Adidas’ frog button jackets, inspired by traditional Chinese fastenings, have become popular both at home and abroad; China chic has gone global. Young people walking city streets in garments inspired by centuries past are not looking backward – they are bringing tradition into the present, creating a living dialogue between heritage and modern life.

Historical creativity also meets fashionin the Woven Roots collection by Cyprus’ Folkmona, which aims to shed light on the traditional everyday life of Cypriot women, and their daily work in the home and the community. “Every stitch, every fabric, every thread connects different Cypriots artisans, grandmothers, weavers, young designers all coming together to preserve and reimagine what it means to be Cypriot today,” Folkmona founder Andreani Panayides said.

Sticking to Folkmona’s sustainable goals, the latest fashion collection even includes recycled potato sack fabric. They were “literally old potato sacks from Cyprus which we cleaned, repurposed, and embroidered with Lefkara-inspired patterns,” Panayides added.

China’s youth today are also well educated and highly skilled, which allows them to possess rich imaginations and creativity, open-mindedness and a pioneering spirit. This is reflected in enrolment in higher education, which reached 57.8 per cent in 2021, with 44.3 million students on campus, ranking first in the world.

A similar pattern is seen in Cyprus. According to 2024-2025 Eurostat data, Cyprus consistently ranks third in the EU for tertiary education attainment, with roughly 60 per cent of young adults (aged 25-34) holding a degree, far exceeding the EU average.

Young people from around the world are clearly showing greater openness and are ready to learn from other countries and civilizations to build a global community with a shared future that can engage, inspire, and enrich global dialogue.

About Mirror of Culture

Mirror of Culture is a joint initiative of the Cyprus Mail and the Chinese embassy. It highlights the parallels between Cypriot and Chinese culture to set an example of acceptance, respect and

understanding among the various cultural communities on the island, recognising the fundamental importance of culture.

Culture is the universal language that transcends many barriers, including language and geography. The aim is to work with diverse cultural communities in Cyprus to share and promote our vibrant cultures to further bolster the bonds among all the people of Cyprus and celebrate the diversity of cultures in the world.

Furthermore, the initiative understands the importance of cultural preservation, which is an important way for us to transmit traditions and practices of the past to future generations.