When “She-Economy” Meets Healthy China Strategy: Zhang Xinyuan on Breaking Boundaries in Women’s Health Services
In the women’s health sector, Zhang Xinyuan occupies a distinctive position.
With 17 years of industry experience, 5 million+ followers across platforms, and over 20,000 paying students at her Vimi Wellness, she entered this field after years in the beauty industry—where she witnessed too many “glamorous but unhappy” female clients. These women had careers and wealth, yet remained trapped in miserable marriages and even felt shame about their own bodies. In 2009, Zhang traveled to the United States for systematic study in psychology and human sexuality, then returned to pioneer what was then a near-blank field in China: women’s intimate health. This journey shaped her unique perspective: women’s health issues are never merely physiological, but intertwined with emotion, psychology and social perception.
In January 2026, carrying this perspective, Zhang delivered her “Flow of Happiness” year-end address in Hainan. The 60-minute speech launched *The Era of Regeneration*, a professional book consolidating 17 years of clinical experience; inaugurated an annual celebration; and introduced a new intimate-care product formulated for Chinese women’s physiology. The audience comprised students who had traveled nationwide—some had suffered urinary incontinence for years, others endured menopausal hot flashes.
Behind this event lies profound transformation in Chinese women’s health services.
A 10-Trillion-Yuan Market and Unmet Needs
The female consumer market has expanded annually. CBN Data reported that in 2023, nearly 400 million female consumers supported a market worth 10 trillion yuan. More significant than scale is the shift in consumption logic: “self-pleasing” has become the era’s keyword.
Zhang experiences this shift directly. Vimi Wellness currently serves 20,000+ paying students, with 2,000+ progressing from online courses to offline membership. She observes that a decade ago, clients most frequently asked “will my husband like this”; now more inquire “how can I feel comfortable myself.” This is no isolated case but a microcosm of evolving female consumption attitudes.
Yet a substantial gap persists between demand and supply. Data indicate 85.8 million Chinese adult women experience urinary incontinence—affecting one in six. Nearly 80% suffer menstrual pain, yet over 60% endure silently. These figures point to a shared problem: women’s health needs have long been ignored and silenced, with vast numbers choosing endurance over intervention for conditions that could improve.
Policy Direction and Implementation Reality
The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed implementing a health-prioritized development strategy, emphasizing equitable, accessible, systematic, continuous and high-quality health services for the population. Lei Haichao, Party Secretary and Director of the National Health Commission, wrote in *People’s Daily* about improving health promotion policy systems, enhancing patriotic health campaigns, and raising life expectancy and population health levels. The Healthy China strategy provides policy support for women’s health services.
Policy signals are clear; implementation proves challenging. Scholar Cai Yiping of Shandong Women’s University, analyzing women’s health progress over five years, noted that despite China’s global-leading position in core indicators such as maternal mortality, urban-rural disparities in health resources and services persist—with gaps between rural/underdeveloped regions and cities slightly widening in recent years.
Consumers no longer settle for basic functionality but pursue ingredient safety, comfortable experience and emotional resonance. Yet reality finds numerous women still facing dilemmas: uncertain where to seek help, uncertain whom to trust. Knowing importance without knowing action; wanting action without finding reliable pathways—this is women’s health’s core challenge.
From Private Topic to Public Issue
In January 2025, Zhang led thousands of women in Boao to attempt the Guinness World Record for largest pelvic-floor exercise class. This marked her first large-scale push of intimate health into public view. In her view, if pelvic-floor muscles cannot be discussed at a Guinness event, women would find it even harder to speak elsewhere.
This attempt was no isolated case. From being defined to self-defining, feminism has reshaped the consumer landscape with remarkable momentum. Zhang’s “1001 Nights” themed showcase featured no professional judges—only mutual support among participants. Sixty advancing contestants and challenge participants shared the stage, displaying training results and growth stories. This format broke traditional competition’s judgment model, attempting to build a public space for female self-expression.
The *2024 Women’s Health Impact Report* projects FemTech market value exceeding $100 billion by 2030. In beauty, medical aesthetics, gold and jewelry, domestic brand share rose from 32.5% in 2019 to 58.7% in 2024. In women’s health services, local brands are gradually building competitive advantage through products and services better attuned to Chinese women’s physiological needs.
These data indicate a trend: women’s health services are moving from margin to mainstream, from secrecy to public discourse. Yet the transition remains lengthy. During her year-end address, Zhang asked the audience: Who has avoided laughing with children due to postpartum leakage? Who suffers perimenopausal hot flashes yet feels too ashamed to mention them? Some nodded; others looked down. Breaking silence requires accumulated public discussion, again and again.
From Online to Offline: How Services Truly Reach Users
Zhang moved her 21-day course system online, using daily 5:30 a.m. livestreams to lower participation barriers, then funneling deep needs to offline hospitals. She currently operates two specialty institutions in Hangzhou and Hainan, attempting to connect education, product and medical service into a complete chain. Online courses address accessibility; offline hospitals address professionalism—this combination is increasingly emulated by practitioners.
At the year-end address, she released *The Era of Regeneration*, a professional work compiled over seven years by Dr. Ming Leiguo’s team integrating 17 years of Vimi clinical experience and tens of thousands of member cases. Published jointly by China Industry and Information Technology Press and Posts & Telecom Press, the book focuses on core needs including pelvic-floor maintenance and ovarian anti-aging. From clinical data to published work represents one form of service capability accumulation.
Simultaneously launched, the Vimi Care Box employs natural therapy formulations paired with pelvic-floor training assistance, targeting common issues including dryness, odor and flora imbalance. Zhang announced a 10,000-person experience program, enabling more women to personally test product efficacy. From courses to products, from online to offline, the service chain is gradually extending.
Whether this model can scale remains to be seen. Urban-rural health service gaps, professional talent cultivation cycles, consumer awareness development costs—all present practical challenges. Per Cai Yiping’s observation, despite significant progress in Chinese women’s health, service supply addressing differentiated health needs across socioeconomic contexts remains insufficient, particularly for elderly, migrant and left-behind women whose health demands require greater attention.
When 10-trillion-yuan she-economy encounters Healthy China strategy, how to ensure services truly reach those in need, how to narrow urban-rural health service gaps, how to transform private topics into public issues—these are questions the industry must continuously answer. In coming years, as more practitioners enter this field and more capital focuses on this track, the supply landscape for women’s health services may finally witness genuine transformation.