Young people in China are fangirling over a professor who gets their anxiety

Amid China’s relentless march toward technological and economic preeminence, a quieter but equally potent transformation is unfolding among its youngest citizens. While the state celebrates soaring GDP figures and global market share, a generation raised on the promise of rapid prosperity now confronts a paradox: unprecedented material comfort paired with deepening existential unease. This tension has found an unlikely conduit in the voice of a 54‑year‑old anthropologist, Professor Biao Xiang, whose candid discussions of anxiety, meaning and social change have turned academic lectures into quasi‑celebrity events. Understanding why a scholar has become an “idol” for disillusioned Chinese youth offers a window into the broader sociopolitical currents shaping China’s future.

From Academic Lectern to Pop‑Culture Pedestal

Professor Biao Xiang, director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany, has recently attracted crowds that resemble fan gatherings more than conventional academic seminars. In Singapore, roughly five hundred attendees—predominantly members of the Chinese diaspora—packed an auditorium to hear him speak in Mandarin for over an hour. After the session, dozens queued for photographs, dubbing the event an “academic fan meeting.” Media coverage in China amplified this phenomenon, with a saying circulating that “when in doubt, ask Biao Xiang,” underscoring his rapid ascent from scholarly niche to cultural touchstone.

His appeal stems not from policy prescriptions but from a willingness to articulate the “pain point of the times.” In a candid interview with the BBC over tea, Xiang described anxiety as a collective condition: “Everyone knows where the issue is, but they are reluctant to look at it… sometimes it is too painful to look at, or they don’t have a way.” By framing personal distress as a subject amenable to academic analysis, he offers a socially permissible outlet for a generation whose grievances are often muted by political sensitivities.

The Structural Roots of Youth Anxiety

China’s post‑Mao era, marked by swift urbanisation and market reforms, created a narrative where hard work reliably translated into material security. Xiang, who grew up in the industrial port city of Wenzhou, witnessed this transition firsthand: “It was a vast landscape of small business owners… most people didn’t care too much about education, the focus was on practical matters—specifically, how to make money.” The ensuing decades saw double‑digit growth, a booming property market and an expansion of higher education, all of which raised expectations for personal advancement.

However, recent macro‑economic headwinds have unsettled this equation. Youth unemployment, once a marginal concern, surged to over twenty percent before official statistics ceased in mid‑2023. Even those occupying “good jobs” such as civil service, corporate positions or engineering roles now fear displacement. The “curse of 35,” an informal age ceiling for job advertisements, compounds this anxiety, as does the pervasive “involution”—intense competition that yields diminishing returns. Xiang identifies two amplifying forces: the property market, which ties family security to volatile real‑estate values, and the rapid expansion of university enrolment, which has heightened competition for academic credentials.

Conceptual Tools: “Floating” and “The Nearby”

To translate abstract pressures into relatable imagery, Xiang coined the term “floating” to describe the relentless effort required merely to stay aloft in a fast‑moving economy, likening it to a hummingbird’s constant wing‑beats. He further distinguishes between “the very near” (individual concerns) and “the very far” (global forces), arguing that the neglected middle space—what he calls “the nearby”—creates a sense of disconnection. By highlighting this overlooked interval, Xiang invites young people to locate meaning not solely in personal achievement or distant national ambitions, but in the relational spaces that bind community, family and immediate social environments.

These metaphors resonate with online commentary. A user on the Chinese platform RedNote praised Xiang for “viewing issues from the perspective of the vulnerable” and for “crouching down to face real‑life dilemmas alongside us.” Such feedback underscores the appeal of a narrative that validates personal stress as a product of macro‑level dynamics, thereby legitimising individual grievances without directly challenging political authority.

State Acknowledgement and the Limits of Official Discourse

Even the top leadership has recognised the widening gap between aspirations and lived reality. President Xi Jinping has framed the “principal contradiction” as the tension between “the people’s ever‑growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development.” While this articulation aligns with Xiang’s diagnosis, the official response remains constrained by the Party’s emphasis on stability and its tight control over public discourse. Consequently, open discussion of anxiety and its systemic roots is rare, rendering Xiang’s public lectures a unique venue where such topics can be explored without immediate censorship.

The political sensitivity surrounding collective discontent means that most expressions of youth frustration are filtered through euphemisms like “lying flat” or “involution.” Xiang’s willingness to name anxiety directly, and to propose reflective coping strategies, therefore occupies a delicate space: it acknowledges a genuine social problem while staying within the bounds of academic analysis, a format the Party traditionally tolerates.

The Role of the Chinese Diaspora and International Platforms

The Singapore event illustrates how diaspora communities amplify domestic concerns. Many attendees were overseas Chinese, for whom the distance from home provides a safer environment to discuss sensitive topics. The live‑streamed lecture at Peking University earlier this year, which attracted a full auditorium, further demonstrates the demand for Xiang’s perspective within mainland China. These platforms extend his influence beyond academic circles, turning his insights into a form of soft power that circulates among a generation increasingly attuned to global media ecosystems.

Moreover, Xiang’s position at a prestigious German research institute underscores the transnational dimension of his authority. By bridging Chinese social anthropology with Western academic standards, he lends his commentary a veneer of credibility that resonates with young Chinese who seek validation from both domestic and international sources.

Strategic Implications for Governance and Policy

From a governance standpoint, the emergence of an academic “idol” signals a gap in the Party’s social contract. While economic growth has traditionally underpinned legitimacy, the current climate suggests that material prosperity alone no longer guarantees social cohesion. The fact that young people are turning to a scholar for emotional guidance indicates a demand for more nuanced state narratives that address psychological well‑being alongside material security.

If unaddressed, the underlying anxieties could translate into broader social instability. The link between personal stress and collective anger—evident in online debates over university exams, bride price and food safety scandals—suggests that unresolved frustration may erupt in more visible forms of dissent. Recognising the “nearby” space that Xiang highlights could inform policy adjustments, such as expanding mental‑health services, reforming the property sector to reduce familial over‑reliance on real‑estate wealth, and recalibrating educational expectations to align with realistic labour‑market outcomes.

Future Trajectories: Meaning‑Seeking in a Powerful Nation

Professor Xiang’s analysis points to a pivotal juncture: China is simultaneously “powerful” and “assertive,” yet its youth are “uncertain.” This paradox will shape the nation’s trajectory as it grapples with the dual imperatives of maintaining global stature and fostering domestic legitimacy. The rise of a scholar‑turned‑cultural figure suggests that intellectual discourse may become an increasingly important conduit for articulating and alleviating societal stress.

In the years ahead, the extent to which the Party integrates insights from voices like Xiang’s into its policy calculus will determine whether China can transform this generational anxiety into a catalyst for constructive reform or whether it will remain a latent source of discontent. For now, the fact that a professor can draw crowds comparable to pop‑star concerts signals a subtle but profound shift in how Chinese youth seek anchors in an era of rapid change.

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Reporting is based on the source material cited below. Sources: BBC News China; bbc.co.uk; Global1.News (28 September 2026).

By Prof. Marcus Chen, Staff Writer