China’s Most Expensive Haircut

A hair salon in Changsha, China, has taken its prices sky-high. One woman paid a staggering 38880 RMB (6120US$) for a 15 minute haircut.

Published

11 years ago

October 25, 2015

Manya Koetse

A hair salon in Changsha, China, has taken its prices sky-high. One woman paid a staggering 38880 RMB (6120 US$) for a 15 minute haircut.

It was the first time she visited the hair salon called Mr. Rope in Changsha. Mrs. Zeng talks to Hunan News about her recent hair cut, that left her with a staggering bill.

“They had a famous hairdresser from Beijing who had come over to promote their business,” Mrs. Zeng…

A Very Short Guide to China’s Most Popular Designer Toys

Published

1 year ago

July 6, 2025

Manya Koetse

Note: In this What’s on Weibo chapter on the story behind China’s designer toys, also read Inside the Labubu Craze and the Globalization of Chinese Designer Toys and The Next Labubu: What the Rise of Wakuku Tells Us About China’s Collectible Toy Wave.

In our last article, we’ve determined how Wakuku’s rise is not just about copying & following in Labubu’s footsteps and more about how China is setting the pace for…

The Next Labubu: What the Rise of Wakuku Tells Us About China’s Collectible Toy Wave

From ugly-cute rebellion to a new kind of ‘C-pop,’ the breakout success of Wakuku sheds light on Chinese consumer culture and the forces driving China’s trend toy industry.

Published

1 year ago

July 6, 2025

Manya Koetse

Wakuku is the most talked-about newcomer in China’s trend toy market. Besides its mischievous grin, what’s perhaps most noteworthy is how closely Wakuku follows the marketing success of Labubu. As the strongest new designer toy of 2025, Wakuku says a lot about China’s current creative economy — from youth-led consumer trends to hybrid business models.

As it is becoming increasingly clear that Chinese designer toy Labubu has basically conquered the world, it’s already time…