We’ve seen a lot come and go over the past year. I suppose that’s the nature of trends. One minute they’re hot, the next they’re not. One can argue that the whole world is stuck on a trend hamster wheel that’s feeding us the same cycle of aesthetics. China, on the other hand, is more about trying to reinvent that wheel. From hyper-localized fashion to mind-bending AI, the ingenuity of Gen Z in China is constantly pushing boundaries, creating some of the most vibrant and unique cultural moments flooding our digital feeds.

That’s why we at RADII are thrilled to present our downloadable retrospective: A–Z of Chinese Trends That Defined the Lunar Year. Almost a decade into our mission of making contemporary China accessible and fascinating to a global audience, this guide feels more urgent and vital than ever. It’s our attempt to map a cultural landscape that no longer moves in a straight line. Chinese youth preferences are scattered, accelerated, and deeply online, shaped by platforms, pressure, nostalgia, and a relentless drive to adapt.

This past year was a kaleidoscope of collisions: aesthetics, food crazes, online personalities, and subcultures surfacing in feeds before they hit headlines. Inside, you’ll find everything from adidas China‘s hyper-localized Tang jacket and the rise of “Chinese-maxxing,” to DeepSeek’s AI breakthrough, the glam-rock vibes of Guangdong Visual Kei, and the emotional depth of Chinese “otome” games. This guide is your essential field manual, showing how a generation is rewriting the rules of influence, offering a crucial window into what’s next as we charge into the Year of the Horse.

So, without further ado, here it is. It’s free, it’s printable, and it’s fun to read: click here to download the RADII A-Z Guide of Chinese Trends That Defined the Lunar Year.