Xianyu, the “magical” non-standard product in today's Internet world.

“I was lucky enough to pick up the item in person from the seller as we're in the same city. The actual item is really cool! The seller is very nice! I'll find time to assemble it.” This is a post left by Olympic champion Sun Yang on Xianyu.

There are many such posts with a story - like quality, as if they've crossed dimensions:

“I use Xianyu to do background checks on restaurant kitchens for people during my breaks from delivering food. With my years of experience in food delivery, I know which restaurants in this area are the cleanest, most reliable, and most delicious.” said deliveryman Zhang Dada in his post.

“I use Xianyu to search for family genealogies to study anthropology.” A post by Cao Sansheng, a professor at Communication University of China, attracted thousands of onlookers.

“I use the popularity trend of Labubu on Xianyu as an investment reference and found that this trend almost coincides with the K - line of Pop Mart's stock price.”

“I've found discounted plane tickets and vouchers for five - star hotels on Xianyu. You can even find discounted subway tickets on it.”

...

More amazing things are happening and circulating on Xianyu. As a widely circulated saying on social media recently goes, human exploration of Xianyu is less than 1%.

On the 19th, Xianyu launched an entrance for the “Magic Fish Developers Conference”, hoping that human exploration of Xianyu can exceed 1%. In this channel, fresh and creative ideas are pouring out. Some people showed off the out - of - print Hanfu they picked up at a bargain on Xianyu; someone saved their almost lost job as a deleted file was finally restored by a master on Xianyu; even a university club exchanged 100 pieces of second - hand items on Xianyu for inspiration for a graduation project. These contents and scenarios, rare to see elsewhere and comparable to a dimensional crossover, appear in batches on Xianyu, constituting a magical daily life.

At the beginning of this year, when Jack Ma visited Xianyu's office area, he said that Xianyu should use magical ideas to serve the lifestyle of young people well, create more opportunities for them, and make Xianyu a truly magical fish.

In the world of “The Legend of Zelda”, players can freely explore the vast Hyrule continent. From mountains to deserts, from forests to lakes, every corner hides treasures and surprises. The same goes for Xianyu. Everyone here has multiple identities, and every transaction may bring an unexpected adventure.

01. Using “Magic” as a Fulcrum to Leverage a Digital Utopia Beyond Second - hand Items

One late night in the laboratory, Xiao Wang, a laboratory technician at a research institute, was frowning at the petri dish. He urgently needed a batch of moldy oranges for fungal research, but the supply cycle of the university laboratory was two weeks. On a whim, he searched for “moldy oranges” on Xianyu and actually found a local seller offering scientific - grade moldy samples. Three hours later, the samples were flash - delivered to the laboratory, perfectly meeting the experimental requirements.

At an anime exhibition in Guangzhou, college student Xiao Lin rented a Sony A7M4 camera for 30 yuan on Xianyu. This was already her third time renting equipment to chase her idol. “I saved more than 30,000 yuan in purchase costs, and the photos I took were even collected by the fan - photographers as their photo library.” There are many equipment - light - asset players like Xiao Lin. According to Xianyu data, in 2023, the transaction volume of electronic equipment rentals on the platform increased by 217% year - on - year, with imaging equipment rentals accounting for 43%.

When Wang Leehom hunted for a second - hand piano on Xianyu, when the crew of “The Chess Player” found 20 - year - old KFC collectible toys on Xianyu as props for the show, when a Porsche owner drove three kilometers out of the way to pick up a 50% - off coffee bought through a proxy - these unexpected scenarios are reshaping China's largest second - hand trading platform.

“Human exploration of Xianyu is less than 1%” is not a joke. There are magical items here. Someone sold a yellowed phone case, noting that it came with the patina of time; someone listed the Lego set given by their ex, requiring the buyer to disassemble it in person.

The trading of magical items naturally gives rise to magical stories.

“My baby was born prematurely and hospitalized. I bought ten pieces of baby clothes with tags still on from Xianyu. When the seller found out, she gave me all the remaining clothes for free and later sent me local specialties.” This heart - warming story with many likes shows the most touching side of the platform. These emotional connections beyond transactions form Xianyu's unique 'theater of the world'.

Some users sold their mother's sewing machine on Xianyu, and 27 comments saying “It reminds me of my grandma” flooded the comment section below the item. When someone listed tickets to a “Museum of Broken Hearts”, the buyer requested “Please attach one of your sad stories”. This emotional flow behind transactions makes Xianyu no longer a cold trading tool but a carrier of emotional connections, and the relationship between people becomes mysterious and magical.

In the player circle of “Cyberpunk 2077”, the Xianyu store of “Qiansihu” has always been famous for its delicate 3D - printed model parts. In May 2022, unfortunately, the store owner passed away due to illness. Soon after, netizens found that the store started to list new items again. It turned out that the store owner's mother, who was over fifty, took over her son's account. She wanted to understand her son's hobbies through his Xianyu store. The description of the store's items was also changed to “Models designed by my son, mom will handle the shipping”.

The small store has become a bridge connecting the two worlds of life and death. In September 2023, many players who had been following this story excitedly informed the mother through private messages on Xianyu: CDPR, the developer of the game “2077”, heard this story and created a cyber image for Qiansihu in the latest version of the game. He became a cybernetic doctor in the H8 Clinic of the super skyscraper, achieving immortality in the virtual world.

Two years later, the store is still in operation. The mother taught herself 3D - printing technology from scratch and inherited her son's store. Now, on the homepage, you can still see many netizens blessing the aunt for good health in the comment section and praising the product quality as “what you see is what you get”.

Beyond transactions and emotions, a unique circle culture has also formed on Xianyu. Consumers with different hobbies connect here to form interest groups, accommodating millions of possible lifestyles.

Slang words in the otaku circle like “Guchi”, “Pain bags”, and “Seaview rooms” have formed a unique communication code on Xianyu. The classic line “I'm a student, can you make it cheaper” has evolved into the so - called “Xianyu Literature” that is popular across the internet. Even an annual buzzword like “Shidongran Yu” (Deeply touched and then sold on Xianyu) has emerged. The language system and cultural symbols spontaneously created by users have built a cultural barrier that differentiates Xianyu from other platforms.

02. How Does the Accidental Magic Become a Daily Occurrence on Xianyu?

In today's internet world, why can Xianyu nurture such an imaginative “magic” ecosystem?

Firstly, it's the platform's C2C gene: A relationship fission triggered by 45 conversations. “On Xianyu, there are an average of 45 chats behind each transaction.” This data, repeatedly mentioned by Xianyu CEO Ji Shan, reveals the platform's core competitiveness. Chatting is not just for bargaining. Shared interests bring the buyer and seller closer. This non - efficient design unexpectedly gives rise to a trust economy. Behind each transaction, there will be a relationship leap from “transaction - communication - friendship”.

Si Tu Shasha, a girl from Jiangsu, is a senior perfume enthusiast. In the past 10 years, she has collected over ten thousand bottles of perfume, and 90% of her collection was bought from Xianyu, with a total value exceeding that of an apartment. The prices of some of the out - of - print perfumes in her collection have increased by more than ten times. While tasting and selling perfumes on Xianyu, Si Tu Shasha attracted 310,000 fans during transactions. The circle she created, “Perfume Temptation”, has nearly 500,000 members.

On Xianyu, a 95 - post girl from Qingdao shared her collection of twenty thousand pieces of designer clothing. In her opinion, each piece of clothing represents an era or a style, containing the designer's concept. On Xianyu, she gradually formed her own interest circle. More importantly than the transactions, she made like - minded friends through Xianyu. “I actually regard Xianyu more as my own utopia for my collection and a circle of friends to attract like - minded people. Even some clothes worn by celebrities and models come from my wardrobe.” she once said in a media interview.

This strong social attribute based on the C2C model naturally makes Xianyu an incubator for interpersonal relationships, laying an emotional foundation for the magical ecosystem.

Meanwhile, the weak algorithm intervention brings about a free - growing ecosystem like a tropical rainforest and also gives Xianyu a unique business model.

Different from the precise push or traffic pool mechanism of other platforms, Xianyu's “weak - intervention” strategy has created a rare decentralized ecosystem on the internet. For example, a handmade pain - board seller can still be accurately searched even if their work only has 3 likes. A novice dog - walking proxy who marks “Part - time job for a college student” can also get natural traffic.

Just as a tropical rainforest allows ferns and trees to coexist, Xianyu gives niche services like “Pet sterilization bad - guy performance”, “Blind - date proxy”, and “Help pluck white hairs” the same exposure opportunities as popular products.

At the end of 2024, it was reported that the number of registered users on Xianyu had exceeded 600 million, with those born after 1995 accounting for over 40%. This young - age structure is the best evidence of the ecological diversity. The weak algorithm intervention allows every niche demand to find a living space, providing fertile ground for magical gameplay. This fertile ground has become a huge 'gravitational field' for young people.

The arrival of young people further stimulates the creativity and vitality on the platform, bringing more magic to the surface. Thanks to the platform's gene and the choice of the weak - algorithm path, combined with the fact that Xianyu perfectly matches the characteristics of contemporary young people, such as the need for side jobs, the pursuit of cost - effectiveness, and the love for abstract culture, more young people are flocking to Xianyu. This young - age environment makes Xianyu a wave - making field for the Z - generation to create magic.

On the platform, the post - 1995 generation has derived diverse business forms. Some post - 1995ers earn pocket money by offering scolding services for lovelorn people. Someone has developed a second career by becoming a “Boss Intention Analyst” to decipher workplace jargon. Some have standardized the “Emotional Venting Service”. These practices are not only side jobs for making money but also attempts by young people to explore emotional connections and interest circles.

Xianyu follows an open - world logic similar to “The Legend of Zelda”: It doesn't preset a development path, allows each user to become a node in the ecosystem, and lets the magical gameplay grow naturally through the positive cycle of “User behavior - Platform response”.

Xianyu has always followed the logic of co - construction and co - existence with users: One of the main reasons why users are always willing to revisit Xianyu is that they can define this place themselves. Xianyu's product iterations have always been centered around user needs. The birth of the side - job channel, the Xianyu Night Market, and even the “Magic Fish is Here” tab on Xianyu also originated from users' creativity and inspiration on the platform.

This user - driven development model has given rise to a unique co - construction ecosystem. As Ji Shan said: “Users will show us a different Xianyu. There is a group of users innovating and creating on Xianyu, and the platform should just support them.” Users have transformed from mere users to co - constructors of the platform ecosystem, bringing new scenarios to Xianyu with their unique creativity.

The emergence of the new entrance “Magic Fish is Here” also proves that the magic on the platform is no longer just an accidental event. Xianyu is a continuous “magic - making machine”.

03. Magic Makes Xianyu an “Exception” in the Internet

As Xianyu's magical ecosystem has evolved from users' spontaneous actions to the platform's proactive layout, this “magical fish” is also bringing a new business narrative to the entire internet.

What has this magic brought to Xianyu? Official data shows that currently, the number of registered users on Xianyu has exceeded 600 million, with a daily average GMV of over 1 billion yuan. Every day, more than 4 million pieces of second - hand items are listed. According to the “2025 Spring Report on China's Mobile Internet” released by QuestMobile, the monthly active user scale (MAU) of Xianyu exceeded 200 million in March 2025, and its MAU growth rate ranked first among e - commerce apps.

From a business perspective, Xianyu is also redefining the boundary of “second - hand items”. On Xianyu's Outlets channel, out - of - stock Anta shoes are cleared at 99 yuan, and slightly defective Banana Republic products are sold at a 50% discount. Second - hand brand items on Xianyu have become a “money - saving shortcut” for young people. Second - hand rights and interests have also developed into a new track on Xianyu. From airport lounge access to concert queuing services, the standardized trading of non - standard services is taking shape. Data shows that in 2024, the transaction volume of Xianyu's Outlets channel increased by 370% year - on - year, and 120 new sub - categories were added to the card and voucher category.

Personal skills also have a new place to shine here. A programmer took on code - writing orders on Xianyu and earned over 30,000 yuan per month. A makeup artist launched “Online Makeup Tutorials” and attracted more students. From selling second - hand items to selling one's abilities, Xianyu is building a platform for everyone to have a side job.

Objectively speaking, in the current internet business landscape, Xianyu stands out. It is neither a simple second - hand trading platform nor a traditional internet community. This means that there is no upper limit to Xianyu's development, and it is not restricted by traditional business models and competitive landscapes.

No one stays young forever, but there are always young people in the world. The magic of Xianyu lies in its strong appeal to young people. Young people like to have side jobs, pursue