Shishang Xiansheng Explained

Frequency:Monthly
Category:Men's magazine
Publisher:Trends magazine group
Country:China
Language:Chinese

Shishang xiansheng (时尚先生; Mr Fashionable) is a Chinese monthly men's magazine. It is the first men's magazine in the country.[1] In addition, it was the sole magazine targeted Chinese men until 2000 when Da Dushi, another men's magazine, was launched.[1]

History and profile

The magazine was started in 1993 as a supplement to Shishang yieng, a women's magazine.[1] [2] The founding company was the Trends magazine group.[1] From 1997 Shishang xiansheng became a separate title.[2] Two years later the magazine began to be published as the Chinese version of the American men's magazine Esquire.[1] [2] [3] Upon this an English script Esquire was added to the background of its title.[4]

Shishang xiansheng is a venture of Trends Media Group, International Data Group (IDG), and Hearst.[4] The magazine is published by the Trends magazine group on a monthly basis.[5] Its target audience is affluent Chinese men in their 30s and 40s.[2] The stated objective of Shishang xiansheng is to provide a harmonious balance between the material and spiritual wealth, which reminds the official discourse of Chinese state "to grab with both hands, with both hands tough."[6] It mostly covers the topics of fashion and accessories.[6]

The magazine established an award, Man of the Year, in 2004.[7] In 2005 Wang Feng was appointed the editor-in-chief of the magazine.[4] In 2008 a movie, Esquire Runway, was produced by the publishing company to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the magazine.[8] Shishang xiansheng was the best selling men's magazine in China in 2010 with a circulation of 680,000 copies based on the reports by the publishing company.[5]

Notes and References

  1. News: Men's magazines all the rage in China. https://web.archive.org/web/20170222062706/http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130114-395343.html. dead. 22 February 2017. 19 February 2017. Asia One. 15 January 2013.
  2. Book: Geng Song. Derek Hird. Men and Masculinities in Contemporary China. 2013. BRILL. 978-90-04-26491-5. 57,70. Leiden.
  3. News: Jeremy Goldkorn. Esquire China. 19 February 2017. Danwei. 2 February 2004.
  4. Shuang Li. The New Generation of Lifestyle Magazine Journalism in China: The Professional Approach. PhD. 2011. University of Westminster.
  5. Web site: World Magazine Trends 2010/2011. China 2011. FIPP. 19 February 2017.
  6. Book: Tracy K. Lee. Constructing Consumerist Masculinities: Men's Lifestyle Magazines in Contemporary China. Monash University. 19 February 2017. 2008. 1885/27981. 9781876924676 . Conference paper.
  7. Tracy Lee. Geng Song. Consumption, Class Formation and Sexuality: Reading Men's Lifestyle Magazines in China. The China Journal. July 2010. 64. 64. 159–177 . 10.1086/tcj.64.20749251. 140530345.
  8. Derek Elley. Review: 'Esquire Runway'. 19 February 2017. Variety. 27 June 2008.