Recently, a new trend called “bank soil” has quietly emerged on the internet in mainland China. Some merchants are selling it at high prices under the guise of “wealth creation,” turning “bank soil” into a popular product sought by many for psychological comfort in the wake of economic downturn. After the news was exposed online, it sparked widespread attention and led to the removal and deletion of related products and promotions.
According to a report by the “Chinese Consumer News,” in recent times, many shops selling “bank soil” have appeared on social platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, as well as e-commerce platforms like Taobao, JD, Pinduoduo.
The so-called “bank soil” refers to soil collected from the entrances of banks or nearby green areas. Depending on the type of bank and geographic location, the price of the soil varies, with some being sold for as high as 888 yuan for a portion, while others are priced at just a few yuan. The names and logos of China’s five major banks – Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, Agricultural Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank, Bank of China – have also appeared in the promotion of “bank soil.”
A customer service representative from an online store named “Shengcai Fang” stated that the “five major banks’ wealth-attracting soil carries the meaning of enhancing wealth and dispelling negativity, but cannot be scientifically proven.” Another online store named “Daodexin Wuxing Ge” even claims in their product description to have a “wealth creation rate of 999.999%.” Some bloggers are giving guidance on how to place the soil based on the individual situation of buyers.
Some online stores have even released videos of soil extraction to prove the authenticity of “bank soil.” For example, a blogger on Douyin named “Zhao Cai Tu, Yinhang Tu” updates videos of “representative requests for bank soil” almost daily, garnering 13,000 followers.
“Bank soil” has suddenly become popular on Chinese internet, especially among some young people. On the Taobao platform, “bank soil” has even made it to the trending searches.
According to a blogger selling “bank soil” who explained to The Paper, the popularity of “bank soil” among some young people is mainly due to a concept: banks are seen as places of wealth accumulation, and their soil is considered to hold mysterious powers of wealth attraction and fortune change. Therefore, people collect soil from the entrances of banks to bring some wealth luck.
However, Yang Huaiyu, a senior industry analyst, told the “Chinese Consumer News” that the online sales phenomenon of “bank soil” is irrational behavior, catering to some people’s desires for wealth and good luck. Buying “bank soil” has become a way to seek psychological comfort, attempting to control uncertainty through external items. Packaging ordinary soil as special products with high price tags for sale to profit greatly from consumers’ psychological needs is considered fraudulent and an over-marketing endeavor.
After the exposure of related information, videos on social platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Kuaishou have been deleted, and related products on Taobao, JD, and Pinduoduo have mostly been taken down.