In China's long history, bathing culture has carried extremely rich social and cultural connotations.
If you go back ten years, many people are still working hard and wandering, a rental house of a few square meters is all life, and the bathing center of that period can be described as very lively.
Today, these memories of the "bathhouses" seem to be disappearing, but in fact, in addition to the improvement of conditions and hygiene problems, they have undergone a major upheaval.
The mystery of the origin of bath culture
There have been different theories about the origin of bath culture.
Some experts have verified that as early as the Neolithic Hemudu culture, there has been a rudimentary form of water washing, water collection, water storage, washing, is a small step forward for human civilization.
However, the earliest organized and systematic bathing culture can be traced back to ancient India and ancient Egypt.
In these areas of developed civilization, people created special places for bathing and formed fixed bathing Xi customs, which may be the bridge of the budding bathing culture.
Ancient Greece and Rome both highly developed bathhouse culture, and specially set up public bathhouses for the use of the people.
According to some historical documents, there were more than 800 bathhouses in the city of Rome at that time, which complemented the sewer system.
The bathhouse culture in ancient Rome had a strong social attribute, people not only bathed here, but also an important place for socialization and communication, services were often provided by slaves, and there were special talisman craftsmen to help exercise and massage.
This laid the foundation for a diverse bathroom culture for generations to come.
The bathhouse culture flourished in ancient Rome and spread eastward along the Silk Road.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Chinese bathhouses had begun to take shape.
With the gradual improvement of similar infrastructure, the bathing culture of the mainland has flourished, and the wealthy families of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties often set up bathhouses for guests.
Records from the time show that some of the bathhouses were as large and beautifully decorated as imperial palaces, reflecting the high society at the time.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the bathing culture in the Central Plains reached its peak, and the bath structure in this period was mature and the service facilities were constantly improved.
It is generally believed that bathing has the effect of driving away evil luck and strengthening the body, so both high and low love bathing, forming a unique social Xi customs.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the mainland's social economy developed rapidly.
With the prosperity of the commodity economy, the population of Nanjing, Hangzhou and other cities has increased dramatically, and a large number of foreign people need public bath facilities and services.
As a result, the bathhouse industry expanded rapidly, and the bathhouse was often full of people and lively.
During this period, bathhouses were classified in more detail, according to their size, service users, and charging standards.
The most high-end imperial baths, county king baths, etc., are for dignitaries, and there are also academy baths, Confucian baths, square baths, treasure baths, longevity baths, etc., to cater to the needs of different classes.
In addition, there are many women-only "shy baths", which are generally smaller in scale and provide women with a more private and comfortable bathing environment, which has also changed the inertia of the original male-dominated bath culture to a certain extent.
With the frequent trade of goods, the bath culture in the Jiangnan area continued to spread in all directions, and cities such as Ningbo along the coast also jumped into emerging cities that embody the bath culture.
Bathing structures of various shapes spread throughout the town, becoming part of the city's memory, and from this it was known as the "first bathhouse in the world".
After centuries of evolution, China's bathing culture has been integrated into all aspects of folk life.
The difference between the bathing culture of the north and the south
There are great differences between the north and south of the continent in terms of geographical environment and climatic conditions, which also leads to obvious differences in regional bathing cultures.
The climate in the northern region is dry all year round, and people live in a hurry, so they have little time to take care of their skin, and the cold winter is easy to cause dry and cracked skin.
Therefore, the northerners have a great demand for bathing and moisturizing, and the development space of bath culture is broad, and the bathhouses in the north often have a large area of public baths, supporting saunas, dining areas and other facilities.
People can take off their clothes and soak themselves in the warm pool water to keep warm, and northerners love to wander around the bath center, which is the best place to socialize.
However, in the southern part of the country, such as Guangdong and Fujian, people are not highly dependent on bathing culture, and every household will install a bathtub or shower equipment in the bathroom, so that they can bathe at any time.
Water resources and climate also favor the construction of private baths.
Therefore, the public bathhouses in the south are generally smaller, and the main service objects are low- and middle-income groups, as well as short-term foreign populations, which is different from the pomp and circumstance in the north, and the bathing culture in the south is more close to the people.
However, the differentiation of bath culture does not affect the sense of identity of the Chinese national community, as the so-called "things change stars", now many northerners settle down in the south, and will also bring the genes of northern bath culture.
The blending and interaction of bath culture has made Chinese civilization more colorful.
The modern transformation of bathhouse culture
In the 80s of the 20th century, after the reform and opening up, the mainland's economy developed by leaps and bounds, people's income levels continued to increase, and they also paid more attention to the quality of life.
As a result, with the support of the policy, the bathhouse industry began to transform into a modern bathing center.
I remember when I was a child, I often went to the old neighborhood bathhouse, the simple cement pool, several aunts skillfully rubbed and massaged people, the bathhouse equipment at that time was old, but it was full of a strong atmosphere of life.
While taking a bath, everyone talked and laughed softly, and the scene was warm and lively.
With the vigorous development of individual and private economy in the 80s, front shops and back factories, and multi-industry operations have blossomed everywhere.
Many bathhouse owners have also opened new bathing centers through restructuring, and these new bathing centers are larger in size and more decorated in style.
In addition to the traditional Odori bath, a shower room has been added that can be used separately, meeting the new needs of customers who need privacy.
At the same time, facilities such as saunas, swimming pools, gyms, etc., make them new places for social entertainment.
In the late 80s and early 90s, bathing centers in some large cities entered a period of rapid development.
Neon lights, a bouncy dance floor, a lavish bar, smoky karaoke...... The bathing center is like a "Paramount on the doorstep" and has become the new favorite in the city.
At that time, when the reform and opening up and urbanization were advancing rapidly, many "urban villages" were demolished and a large number of migrant workers poured into the city, which also became one of the main sources of customers for bathing centers.
Here they can forget their fatigue for a while and find the pleasure of emptying themselves.
The heyday of bathing centers
By the mid-to-late 90s, bathing centers could be said to be in their heyday.
Especially in winter, when the cold weather is pressing, and the outdoor ice and snow are cold, the business of the bathing center is the most prosperous.
Dressed in thin clothes, people hurriedly entered the bathing center door with their cheeks red from the cold, and instantly warmed themselves in a pool of hot water.
The interior lighting is soft, the music is light, and you are completely oblivious to it.
Almost every city has several well-known bathing centers that attract people from all walks of life.
Businesses welcome friends to come here to "wash away their worries", couples relax the stress of life through music and dance, and old people play chess and chat leisurely......
At that time, people's entertainment life was single, and the economic level was greatly improved.
As a result, the bathing center expanded wildly, and even developed a chain management model, and quickly laid out the national market, which was a period of historical opportunity, so that they once made a lot of money.
However, the shock wave of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 caused many large chain bathing centers to close, and they had to reduce their scale and optimize their layout in order to survive the wind and rain.
During the subsequent SARS epidemic, public health safety issues were widely concerned.
Bathing center operators are aware of the need to improve facilities and equipment to ensure that sanitation such as disinfection is in place, which is also an important turning point for future development.
Under the epidemic, health problems have become a fatal blow
In 2020, the new crown epidemic swept the world, becoming a fatal blow to the rapid decline of bathing centers.
During the pandemic, consumers generally avoided crowded public places, and survival became a consensus, especially in places such as bathing centers, which saw a sharp drop in footfall.
Some data show that during the peak of the epidemic, the passenger flow of bathing centers across the country fell by more than 80% compared with the same period of the previous year, seriously affecting the turnover.
The most lethal of these is consumer concern for public health safety, and the public has a deeper understanding of the transmission chain of the virus during the epidemic, and is particularly vigilant about possible transmission routes.
And in the bathing center, dozens or hundreds of people are tossing and playing in the same body of water, which is undoubtedly very dangerous.
Even if the facilities are upgraded and quarantine measures are added, it will be difficult to eliminate the concerns of customers, and once the seeds of hygiene questions have been planted, it will be difficult to regain trust.
In addition, the existence of regulatory loopholes in individual centers has further exacerbated the industry's reputational crisis.
According to media reports, there are problems with the water treatment and filtration systems in some centers, and the quality of sterilization and disinfection is uneven on the surface.
This has cast doubt on the industry as a whole, and it is difficult for traffic to recover as before.
The impact and diversion of new forms of entertainment
With the advent of the mobile Internet era, new forms of entertainment consumption have emerged.
The playground has been upgraded, from physical to virtual, and the offline escape rooms and board game halls have become popular one after another...... New forms of entertainment are distracting users from traditional venues.
Immersive experiences such as script killing have won the hearts of the post-80s and 90s, and the entire confined space becomes another world, and it is unique to interpret unique stories with friends, which is unique.
This kind of "check-in place" attracts young people and makes them yearn to explore it.
At the same time, the mobile Internet has also subverted the way games are played, and mobile games and e-sports have deeply affected the entertainment preferences of young consumers.
They prefer to seek excitement and socialize in the online world, and traditional bathing centers are not as glamorous as they used to be.
It can be said that these new types of entertainment have largely dispersed the source of customers in bathing centers, and people's aesthetic fatigue of "bathing entertainment" has become increasingly obvious, and the places are also powerless.
How to introduce new factors to activate the market has become a new topic that the bathing center industry must face.
Declining service quality leads to user churn
In a fiercely competitive market environment, the service level of some bathing centers is uneven.
In order to maximize profits, individual merchants have the problem of exaggerated publicity and false price reporting, which damages the credibility of the entire industry.
For example, some centers advertise free chess and card entertainment facilities or swimming services, but users only find out after entering that these items are charged separately.
This undoubtedly exacerbates the disappointment of customers, and also makes people's impression that "there is a charge for every bathing center".
In addition, the low quality of service personnel is also an old problem.
The profit-seeking style of individual bathing centres has infiltrated the scrubbing masters, who earn commissions by selling additional services, and the attitude gap has led to poor customer relations.
In the long run, the decline in service quality will also turn loyal customers away.
Consumers can tolerate the frustration of outdated environmental facilities, but they can't tolerate the frustration that the service content does not match the promise, which makes the bathing center with poor traffic even worse.
A makeover doesn't happen overnight
Throughout the history of bath culture, it has experienced wars and disasters, but it has always been able to become a phoenix and rejuvenate itself.
How to lead the transformation of this traditional service industry? Industry insiders said that this requires persistent industry norms and innovation.
It takes time to rebuild word of mouth, but consumers will eventually return the favor for sincere service.
At present, the bathing center is at the crossroads of transformation, how to meet the new needs of modern consumers on the basis of inheriting the fine tradition?
To regain consumer trust, the most important thing is to strengthen the quality of service, improve the customer experience, and rebuild a good reputation.
Starting from basic environmental sanitation and personnel training, consumers can truly feel that the service quality is improving, and the introduction of IT technology to achieve intelligent management, reduce costs and improve efficiency, while ensuring the provision of neat and highly standardized services.
This is the cornerstone project to rebuild the brand reputation and gain customer recognition.
Secondly, establish a sound industry quality standard system and supervision mechanism.
For example, the development of the rating and certification indicators of the bathing center, the evaluation and assessment of the nature of publicity, so that the formation of healthy competition between the stores, which will also help to rectify the chaos in the industry and improve the public's recognition of the industry.
At the moment of consumption upgrading, people's spiritual and cultural needs are becoming more and more diversified, and the bathing center can no longer stay in a single "bath" function, but to enrich the entertainment experience and improve the added value.
For example, by combining with new technologies, we can create novel and immersive experience spaces through AR/VR.
Consumers can not only relax here, but also broaden their horizons while having fun, or set up special themed spa projects, create a unique Chinese spa, enhance the sense of experience, etc., these ideas are worth considering.
In addition, bathing centers should also segment the target population and provide differentiated services.
Theme packages for white-collar workers, health care for the elderly, and parent-child families allow different groups to find products that suit them.
You can even try to hold lectures, experience classes, etc., to create a new cultural brand that belongs to the traditional service industry.
It is not easy for the traditional service industry to be reborn, but the trend of the consumer market is always changing, and the opportunities have never been cut off.
The key is whether the practitioner has a keen sense of smell and actively acts to keep the products and services up to date.
Resources
Notice of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China on Printing and Distributing the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the National Bathing Industry" (Wen Shi Fa [2022] No. 9), April 13, 2022.
Notice of the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China on Issuing the Guidelines for the Construction of the Standardization System for Bath Services (2022 Edition) (Planning Letter [2022] No. 74 of the National Standards Committee), February 14, 2022.
Notice of the China National Light Industry Council on Organizing and Carrying out a Survey on the Operation of the Bath Industry in 2022, August 29, 2022.