Hubei's government becomes first in China to add 'emotional value' to work report

"Emotional value" was included in the government work report of Hubei province this year for the first time in history, following the country's trend of consumption transformation and upgrading in the new era.

When delivering the report on Tuesday, as the fourth session of the 14th Hubei Provincial People's Congress opened in Wuhan, Li Dianxun, governor of Hubei, said that the province will respond to new demands for practical, emotional, and knowledge values in 2026.

The report said the government plans to expand new spaces in big health, new cultural tourism, pan-entertainment, and intelligent services. It also intends to foster new consumption growth drivers like the exhibition, roadside, first-launch, and "silver hair" economies, expand inbound consumption, and upgrade county-level markets.

It will also make plans to increase incomes and implement paid leave with staggered holidays.

The goal is to give people the means to spend money on more satisfying consumption experiences, he said.

The report also mentioned stabilizing bulk consumption with housing, automobiles, and home appliances, and improving daily consumption, including dining, accommodation, and travel.

"We insist on guiding new supply by new demand, and creating new demand by new supply," he said.

Chen Ping, a deputy to the provincial people's congress and professor at Hanjiang Normal University's School of Economics and Management, told Hubei Daily that emotional value has evolved into a rigid demand in consumption in the fast-paced and high-pressure modern life.

According to Chen, data shows that China's emotional consumption market size reached 2.72 trillion yuan ($391 billion) in 2025 and is expected to exceed 4.5 trillion yuan by 2029. Over 56 percent of young people list emotional value as a key factor for where and how they spend their money.

She made an example of Shiyan in Hubei, which has a good natural environment and health care resources for well-being. Shiyan can use its Taoism philosophy and tai chi martial arts from Wudang Mountain to develop emotional healing products, such as mindfulness retreats and forest bathing.

Yu Dan, a provincial policy advisor, told Hubei Daily that emotional demand is converting into a motivator for consumption. He suggested developing products that target relaxation, such as healing camps.

Yu also proposed launching low-threshold events such as the "Yangtze River Hiking Relay" and "Intangible Cultural Heritage Handicraft Pop-ups". These activities will transform tourists from "onlookers" into "co-creators", effectively deepening their emotional connection with Hubei's culture and tourism through interaction.

Liu Xueru contributed to this story.