Tufting, which hit the Chinese market in 2021, also became a sensation especially among women aged around 20 and couples.

"It usually takes two to three hours to complete a piece of tufting work. Though it requires high concentration, it will feel totally relaxing and fulfilling upon completion," said Liu Haojie, owner of a tufting store in Hangzhou.

Exercise is always a good way to deal with stress, leading to the growing popularity of archery, Thai boxing, land surfing, and spinning in Hangzhou in recent months. Statistics provided by Meituan show that the sales of land surfing lessons have increased 19-fold since June, the sales of Thai boxing increased by 35 percent since the beginning of the year, and the sales of archery exceeded that of basketball.

Young people play jubensha at the 20 Faces store in Xihu district, Hangzhou. [Photo/Hangzhou Daily]