SHANGHAI: Lee So-hee, 29, flew from Seoul to Hangzhou to have her nose done.Chinese women’s noses look “three-dimensional”, “refined” and “especially natural”, she said, adding that “a lot of South Korean girls lately” had been travelling to China for medical aesthetic procedures.She made the trip in 2025 and was pleased with the results.“I heard analyses that I never heard (before) in South Korea,” Lee said.
She had also considered facial contouring, a procedure that reshapes the face. But after examining her, her doctor advised against it, saying her cheekbones were already somewhat asymmetric. Instead, he recommended a less invasive, non-surgical facelift.The advice “spoke right to my heart”, Lee said. “That’s why I decided to come to China.”Seoul may be widely recognised as the world’s plastic surgery capital, but a growing number of foreigners are travelling to China for cosmetic procedures, drawn by what they say are more natural-looking results, experienced doctors and competitive prices.
Pedestrians walk past a beauty clinic at SOHO Fuxing Plaza in Shanghai on Jul 9, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Tan Wen Lin)
China’s medical aesthetics industry was valued at 311.5 billion yuan (around US$46 billion) in 2023 and is projected to reach 1.3 trillion yuan by 2030, according to market research data.“China’s natural aesthetic ideals are gaining new appeal among foreign clients,” said Linda Yu, general manager at China marketing agency Red Ant, adding that Chinese doctors are increasingly recognised for their “extensive clinical and professional expertise”.During this year’s Spring Festival holiday, spending on medical aesthetics by inbound visitors using foreign-issued bank cards doubled from a year earlier, making it one of the fastest-growing categories, according to Tencent's WeChat team.But the trend remains niche, Yu said, noting that South Korea “still leads globally” while countries like Thailand and Malaysia compete on cost.Only a small number of foreigners travel to China to get medical aesthetic work done and many are first-time clients, said Lai Ming Yii, a strategy consultant at Shanghai-based market research firm Daxue Consulting.“(The trend) is real - but early and small,” Lai added.
