Life in China: Chinese Average Office Worker Daily Routine
About this video
This video documents the full daily routine of a typical office worker in Shenzhen. It begins with the alarm clock at 7 AM, followed by a quick wash, a breakfast of steamed buns, and a dash to the metro. The workday includes computer tasks, team meetings, and a shared lunch. After work, the host visits a local market for fresh produce, then returns home to cook. The evening is spent watching TV or scrolling on a phone before bed. The video is straightforward and unhurried, with no dramatic twists. It is a faithful mirror of how millions of Chinese professionals spend their days, making it both educational and strangely comforting.
Video transcript
Good morningit's Ting,living alone in Shenzhen China finally it is Friday I came to the most popular and classical Chinese breakfast baozi and steamed buns，it cost 3rmb (around $0.4 / €0.35) it's very quick and easy so it's perfect for the breakfast because I cannot get up early to have a nice breakfast Shenzhen's winter is really nice warm ,feels like it's a spring It’s 25°C in Shenzhen today. What’s it like where you are? This cat is homeless, but so many strangers are quietly taking care of her. I meet her every day on my way to work Recently
she got hurt, so someone put this on her neck, to stop her from licking the wound. I work from 9 to 6 as a sales assistant. One quiet hour for lunch in the middle of the day. Every morning I started my day by a cup of warm water In China, we have this kind of traditional hot water machine, so it can be easy to have hot water. This might be something very Chinese. I’m curious — do you have this machines in your country too? Breakfast was simple today: instant oats and some baozi, huajuan(steamed buns ) What do you usually eat for breakfast? The
filling inside Baozi is some vegetables The filling inside Baozi is some vegetables I like baozi because you can put almost anything inside, and once it’s steamed, it becomes a Chinese baozi. Maybe you could make a western-style baozi. What would you put inside? This one is called huajuan. It has no filling — just a steamed bun mixed with chopped green onions. 2026 is the Year of the Horse. What animal is your zodiac year? My zodiac animal is the Rat.😂anyone is the same here ? My job is not very difficult. Almost anyone could do it after a few
days of training. Sometimes that makes me feel anxious about the future. If I can be replaced easily, maybe it’s better to think ahead. Because in China Job market ,now it is kinda toxic Especially for female,After 35 years old, it's very hard to find a new job if you quit. I try not to let it scare me — but it’s there. Because now i have been already 29 years old. When I was job hunting before, HR asked me very personal questions. Do you have a boyfriend? Are you married? If you are married, will you have a child? In those cases, you’re often
seen as less competitive. This is quite common here in China. The dipping sauce is the soul of dumplings. Garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and chili oil, if you like a little heat. Simple, but essential. I don't know have you tried Chinese dumplings before? Dumplings are a festive food in China, especially in the north. During Chinese New Year, we always eat dumplings. I remember when I was young, many families in villages were still poor. We only ate dumplings once one month or 2 months . Back then, they felt like a luxury. When I think about it now, it feels
almost unreal. China has changed so much. What a coincidence , I live alone, and I work alone too. I’m the only woman in the office. Sometimes my boss isn’t here, and there’s no girl to talk to at all It does feel lonely. It’s time to go back to work. But after lunch, I always feel so sleepy. In China, we have a nap culture usually a short nap, about 30 minutes. My company doesn’t have that, and lunchtime is quite tight. Still, when my boss isn’t here, I sometimes take a 10-minute nap. Just enough to feel like myself again. I remind myself to
drink more water at work because I always forget ,and that’s not good. I was still so sleepy, so I went downstairs to buy a cup of coffee. A latte — my favorite. It costs 9.9 yuan, about $1.40 or €1.30. Hope this can make me not that sleepy😲 Qick going back ,in case my boss call me ,and find I went out to buy a coffee I know my 5 borken teeth will be happy if I eat the sweets but I still couldn’t resist this dessert. It’s so cute — and so tempting. And yes, it was as good as it looked. One bite, and I was awake again. I work as a sales
assistant. My daily tasks are mostly making price quotes,preparing contracts, recording goods coming in and out, and following up on progress. Day after day, it’s mostly the same routine. When I feel tired, I scroll through Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, and watch some funny videos. and learn to improve my cooking skills I'm gonna have my dinner just in this office I brought the meal box in the morning from home cooked now I'm kind of on a diet want to lose some weight and be more healthy. I'm gonna have my dinner just in this office I brought
the meal box in the morning from home cooked now I'm kind of on a diet want to lose some weight and be more healthy. I’m around 62 kg now I’ve gained about 7 kg in the last half year. That feels like a lot. My ideal weight is 55 kg. In China, being skinny is often seen as a beauty standard. But that’s not what I’m chasing. I just want my body to feel light and healthy. I was alone ,I really need to take care of mtyself. I will take this back home and then wash it . Happy finally of work My parents work in other cities, far from me. We stay in
touch through video calls. For lunch, I chose dumplings from a nearby shop. They cost about $2–3 (around €2–3). This is quite normal price here in Shenzhen. What’s a typical lunch price where you live? A small bonus like this makes me happy. They even give a side dish for free.
