Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part D (2025)

‘Tang ping’ and ‘bai lan’ are phrases used that reflect the belief of ‘lying flat’ in China that became increasingly popular in 2021. ‘Lying flat’ refers to the notion of doing the barest minimum in order to get by and taking a break from societal pressures to overwork. This concept has impacted the younger generation the most, with a growing number of Chinese youth exhibiting signs of frustration towards a Chinese culture that is indirectly pushing the youth to their limits and effectively causing the equivalent of a system shutdown. Chinese culture’s promotion of the need to ‘lie flat’ is majorly evident in the country’s academic, economic, and work culture. As a result, this study focuses on the one-child policy, academic culture, economic culture, and work culture, and how these factors contribute to the rising phenomenon of ‘tang ping and ‘bai lan.’ It uses qualitative methods, such as the thematic analysis of relevant articles and literary papers to gather important information and identify the interrelationships between the different factors. This research paper gives evidence of the different cultural factors and how they lead to the phenomena of ‘tang’ ping and ‘bai lan’.