China in motion: Why running helps newcomers feel at home in Chinese cities

When you arrive in a new city, belonging does not announce itself. It arrives quietly, in fragments, often before you realize what you are looking for. When I moved to Beijing last year, I did not yet understand the language well, and my social world was still small. The city felt vast and unfamiliar. But early one morning, before the streets filled and the day took hold, I went for a run.

At first, running had little to do with fitness. It was a way to orient myself.

For many newcomers to Chinese cities, daily life can feel overwhelming. The scale is larger than expected, routines are unfamiliar and cultural cues are subtle. In cities where millions share the same streets and parks each day, visibility and routine create familiarity faster than conversation ever could. Running offers something simple and grounding: a way to move through the city without explanation or fluency. You do not need to speak to participate. You just need to show up.

With each run, the city began to soften. A route is not just a path; it becomes a living map. You learn where the pavement curves, where trees offer shade, where shared paths widen or narrow, and where the air carries traces of breakfast stalls or early traffic. The city stops being abstract and starts to feel personal.

Repetition brings recognition. Running the same route several times a week, I began to see the same faces: an elderly man stretching carefully beside a public exercise area; a couple running together through the local park; a security guard who nods as I pass. Not because we have spoken, but because we recognize each other. These are not friendships, but they are connections. Quiet acknowledgments that say: you belong here too.

Most days, I run alone. But on certain days, I run with a group. These group runs are often fixed into the city's rhythm: a Monday evening loop, a weekend morning run, organized simply through a message shared online. Some runners come every week. Others join when they can. The pace is flexible, the commitment informal. For newcomers, this structure matters. Knowing that a familiar group gathers on certain days creates an anchor, a social rhythm to return to without pressure or expectation.

Research supports the idea that running, and physical activity in public spaces more broadly, helps newcomers develop a sense of place. Research on urban running suggests that routes and shared physical activity can strengthen a sense of attachment to a city. Studies in migration research also show that regular use of public space, including walking, cycling and running helps newcomers build spatial and emotional ties in unfamiliar environments. Social interaction during physical activity, such as group runs, has also been shown to increase motivation and reinforce a sense of community, supporting longer-term participation and belonging.

In Chinese cities, public spaces are inherently social. From early-morning fitness routines to evening strolls, parks, green corridors and pedestrian routes are active throughout the day by people of all ages. Many of these routes reflect long-term urban planning that integrates recreation into residential areas rather than separating it from daily life.

By running – alone on some days, together on others – newcomers become part of this rhythm rather than observers of it. They are no longer simply passing through the city. They are moving with it.

Urban health research consistently shows that regular physical activity in safe, accessible outdoor spaces supports mental well-being, reduces stress and improves cardiovascular health. Beyond the science, routine itself plays an important role. Running the same route, or meeting the same group on the same day each week, creates predictability. Predictability matters when much of daily life still feels new.

There is also a quiet inclusivity to running culture in China. Runners move at every pace imaginable. Group runs are rarely exclusive and newcomers are welcomed without ceremony. You can join, fall back, or peel away without explanation. This openness allows people to participate without feeling exposed or out of place.

There are no introductions, no titles and no expectations. Everyone is simply moving through the same city, at their own speed, for their own reasons.

Over time, running becomes less about learning the city and more about living in it. Routes shift with the seasons. Groups evolve. Faces come and go. The city changes and so do you. What began as a quiet coping mechanism becomes a habit, and then something deeper: a sense of belonging.

Belonging rarely arrives all at once. It builds gradually. First comes recognition of a street, then a turn, then a familiar turn and then a familiar face. Running can accelerate this process by bringing the city down to human scale. What once felt too overwhelming becomes navigable. What once felt anonymous begins to feel known.

For newcomers, running offers an unexpected form of connection. It allows you to feel oriented and grounded before you feel fluent, confident, or fully settled. It shows how everyday movement can turn unfamiliar spaces into something livable.

Belonging does not always begin with understanding. Sometimes, it begins with movement and with knowing that on certain days there is a familiar route and a familiar group waiting.

Editor’s Note: Denique Daniëls is a multimedia editor for CGTN Digital. This article opens China in Motion, a recurring column that explores contemporary Chinese life through movement – from running and walking to the design of public space, health culture and community. By observing cities at a human pace, the series captures how ordinary routines shape the experience of life in China.