Ever wondered what a corner convenience store in turn-of-the-century China looked like? Or what kind of snacks and toys filled kids’ schoolbags back in the day?
Well, as it turns out, it isn’t all that different from anywhere else in the world. Brightly colored packaging with cartoon designs, candy that is probably 98% food dye, and all kinds of toys lining the checkout counter.
Riding on the wave of Chinese Dreamcore that’s still sweeping the internet with nostalgia, a growing list of RedNote bloggers have taken on the role of digital archivists, documenting discontinued snacks and trinkets that are teetering on the edge of being forgotten. Along with images, these posts often describe the texture, taste, and smell in detail, transporting you straight back to your childhood.
It goes beyond just candy, too. These accounts map out an entire cultural moment of graphic design trends, popular stationery, early Flash games, and the kind of everyday objects once too mundane to notice. These are now artifacts of a generation’s “coming-of-age” memory.
However, it’s the comment sections that make these archives a living museum. You’ll find an overflow of netizens sharing their memories of childhood, whether it’s debating the flavors or recalling treats they could never afford, only to find them unfortunately discontinued by the time adulthood rolled around.
To dip yourself right into the sweet taste of nostalgia, check out RADII’s list of RedNote pages that will take you on a bittersweet blast to the past:
- 童年回忆-初 – Snacks, toys, and stationery from the 90s and 00s
- 大乖 – Zeitgeist from the turn of the century
- 铲铲时光机 – City photography from the 80s to early 10s
- 吃喝玩乐的千禧年 – Chinese Dreamcore videos edits
- 张哥爱怀旧 – Television news and commercials from the 80s to 00s.
- 怀旧童年 – Convenience store items from the 90s and 00
Cover image via RedNote.
