--- title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - “Chinese vintage” finds favor once again description: “Chinese vintage” finds favor once again canonical: https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/chinese-vintage-finds-favor-once-again/ article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-10-07T12:15:09.844Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T12:14:53.246Z article:section: Paid Partner Content og:title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - “Chinese vintage” finds favor once again og:description: “Chinese vintage” finds favor once again og:url: https://time.com/branded-content/china-daily/chinese-vintage-finds-favor-once-again/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaea0dd52908468c0/6ac6378dc7c47f0bd391efe7/6_%E2%80%9D%C2%B0Chinese_vintage%E2%80%9D%C2%B1_finds_favor_once_again.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1575 og:image:height: 886 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: China Daily - TIME - Partner Content - “Chinese vintage” finds favor once again twitter:description: “Chinese vintage” finds favor once again twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaea0dd52908468c0/6ac6378dc7c47f0bd391efe7/6_%E2%80%9D%C2%B0Chinese_vintage%E2%80%9D%C2%B1_finds_favor_once_again.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # “Chinese vintage” finds favor once again > Sponsored content. 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Readers can trust what they read. * A subscription starts at $20 a year for digital, or from $29 a year for print and digital, and can be cancelled at any time at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=883a8b55-a49b-4ace-bcda-a136fdb234f4&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsroom is led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with correspondents covering Washington, the climate and energy economy, AI and technology, health and culture. * TIME reaches 1 million US print subscribers, 1.15 million globally, and more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. * TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=883a8b55-a49b-4ace-bcda-a136fdb234f4&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1), separate from a paid subscription. ### FAQ #### How much does a TIME subscription cost? TIME digital-only is $20 for one year. Print and digital is from $29 for one year, or $49 for two years. Both plans can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=883a8b55-a49b-4ace-bcda-a136fdb234f4&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=883a8b55-a49b-4ace-bcda-a136fdb234f4&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1)  _A resident browses merchandise on Sept. 4 at a department store near Xinjiekou Street, Xicheng district, Beijing.WANG JING / CHINA DAILY_ By LI YUCHE and CHEN XUE When Edward Hugh Fraser, 45, was leaving Beijing to return to the United Kingdom, he wanted a souvenir. Instead of a box of tea or a fine silk scarf, he picked out a vintage-looking tin of clam oil — a petroleum jelly-like skin product known as “Chinese Vaseline” that was a familiar household item in China back in the 1960s and remains in production today. The clam oil that Fraser found was tucked away in Dafang Department Store, an old Beijing shop that retains the feel of a State-run shop from decades past. It was there that Fraser encountered everyday objects he had never imagined would still have a place in modern Beijing. On the shelves, he noticed white-and-red enamel basins and mugs. A sales assistant told him that such enamelware was commonly given as wedding gifts in China in the 1970s and 1980s. Nearby, a foot-pedal sewing machine from around the same era was still in use. Fraser noticed that customers still came to have quilts made for children who were heading back to boarding school. “What touched me most is that these vintage objects have preserved a way of life from the past, and they remain available to ordinary citizens today,” he said. For Italian architect Fabrizio Gurrado, these relics of everyday life serve as a meeting point between Chinese nostalgia and Western aesthetics. Near the landmark Drum Tower in Beijing, Gurrado has transformed several enamel basins into pendant lamps hanging from the ceiling of an Italian restaurant. Against the restaurant’s European-style interior, these distinctly Chinese objects do not feel out of place, Gurrado said, adding that their age is precisely part of their appeal. “The chipped edges, the faded colors, the typography — they carry a kind of imperfect elegance that fits very well into modern spaces,” he said. But Gurrado’s connection to these items goes beyond design. Having grown up in southern Italy in the 1970s and 1980s, he remembers similar enamelware in family homes. Picking up an old Chinese enamel mug can unexpectedly take him back to his childhood and evoke memories of his parents. “I see stories of family meals, of communal living, of thrift and care in them,” he said. Such familiarity gives vintage items a resonance that can cross cultures: An everyday object from another country can evoke memories of home. That appeal is also traveling far beyond physical shops and interiors. On social media, Chinese retro goods and lifestyles have attracted overseas audiences, particularly among younger users. For example, traditional Chinese cloth shoes with “thousand-layer” soles went viral on TikTok. Some online users dubbed them the “Air Jordans of the B.C. era,” drawing attention to the enduring craftsmanship behind the traditional footwear. For many overseas observers, Chinese vintage may offer a glimpse into an unfamiliar past. For young Chinese, however, many of these objects are not exotic curiosities, but reminders of things once found in the homes of their parents and grandparents. That nostalgia is now inspiring them to reinterpret this heritage in contemporary ways. Hu Yu, a Chinese content creator who grew up in the 1980s, records this fading material world through short videos. In one series, he visits surviving State-owned department stores, filming the goods still found inside. The videos have attracted viewers who use the comment sections to reminisce about similar items from their own childhoods. “It really surprised me,” Hu said. For younger creators, old everyday objects also offer a distinctive visual language to work with. Their bold colors, simple forms and recognizable motifs can easily be recast in modern designs. Guo Minjie, 21, works as a pattern designer for fuse beads, a popular craft among young Chinese enthusiasts. Rather than focusing only on familiar anime characters or pet motifs, she designed a series based on old Chinese household items: sewing machines, bicycles, enamel basins and tin frog toys. When she posted the patterns in a fan group with more than 10,000 members, the designs quickly caught on. More than 2,000 people signed up for the series, with fans sharing their finished pieces and asking her to create more. “Real retro objects will eventually wear out, but creativity ensures that the family bonds and the evolving memories of the times behind them live on,” Guo said. [](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/) ## China Daily Website - Connecting China Connecting the World Since its launch in 1981, China Daily has grown to become the nation’s leading English-language newspaper. With a combined print, online and mobile readership of more than 470 million, it serves a vital role in telling the world about China, providing valuable insight into the world’s second-largest economy. 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