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Visiting Dreame in China
by Michelle Brändle
5 things from China I wish we had in Switzerland
20.2.2026
Translation: Natalie McKay
China has its own unique priorities and traditions. Whether it’s power naps at the airport, or elegant private gardens. I’d like to bring some of these things to Switzerland.
Tech brand Dreame invited me to Suzhou and Shanghai for four days. Enough time for me to experience some mind-blowing concepts. Here are my top 5, written in pinyin in brackets to help you learn a bit of Mandarin.
One (yī): convenient technology
There’ve been one or two occasions where I’ve arrived at an airport far too early, or had a few hours to kill because of a cancelled flight. Sometimes there’s nothing better than using this time for a power nap.
Shanghai airport has small nap stations you can rent. I think idea makes a lot of sense. Especially because you can quickly charge your phone there too. Or shield yourself from the outside world to recharge your social battery.
I have an amusing encounter with Chinese technology in my hotel room. The frosted glass separating my bathroom from the living area has a switch in the bathroom. When I press this, the frosted glass becomes transparent.
This LC glass contains liquid crystals in a film between two panes of glass. The power supply makes the glass transparent. When no electricity’s running through the glass, the crystals scatter the light, making the glass opaque. Ingenious!
And this isn’t just a gimmick, it actually serves a purpose. I like it when rooms look bigger, and I can see everything. This technology’s also used in public toilets in China so you can tell whether they’re free just by looking at them. The mechanism that automatically makes the toilets transparent if you smoke in them is ethically questionable. That could be quite embarrassing…
Two (èr): blending tradition and modernity
While we celebrate Carnival here in Switzerland, China has its Lunar New Year celebrations. In Shanghai, I attend one of the lantern festivals marking the end of these New Year festivities.
Although this tradition dates back over 2,000 years, the celebrations couldn’t be more contemporary. Walking through the Old City, I admire beautiful and extremely elaborate light installations on every corner.
I’m overwhelmed by how much attention to detail goes into the decorations. Many of the installations tell ancient stories and show mythical creatures popular in China. The festival symbolises the first full moon of the year and represents family cohesion. However, it’s also seen as Chinese Valentine’s Day, when young people meet in search of true love.
Hopefully this’ll help combat loneliness in the country. This epidemic seems to be getting more and more serious – not only in China (linked page in German). A Chinese emergency app recently made headlines (linked page in German). It checks daily whether you’re still alive, and is designed to ensure that people living alone don’t die unnoticed.
The garden culture in Suzhou also has long traditions. This is where I visit a private garden originally created and tended to by a wealthy man – as a hobby. Due to his gambling addiction, he later lost it to someone else. This continued over the centuries: the garden changed hands again and again in games of chance. Gambling addiction’s a big problem in China, my local guide tells me.
The garden’s still there today. I find the crowds of visitors exhausting, but it’s fascinating that places like this still exist. The entrance fees fund the upkeep of the garden. It’s a win-win. Many of the pavilions (亭, tíng or xiè) also tell stories and traditions from a China of days long past.
Three (sān): drinking culture we could all learn a thing or two from
I’m impressed by the many colourful drinking bottles I see everywhere. In the Dreame factories alone, I discovered a huge variety of different vessels. This makes hitting your daily water intake twice or even three times as much fun. I want to do it too!
Small but mighty: the kettles I come across in Suzhou each have a little temperature display on the handle. This isn’t just practical when boiling water for tea, the display doesn’t disappear afterwards. So even half an hour later, I know whether the water’s still hot enough for a second cup of tea. Very simple, yet very handy.
Speaking of tea and water: water itself is often drunk warm in China, as this is said to be better for the stomach. I certainly find it pleasant. And then there are the free water dispensers at airports. There’s also a hot version in Shanghai.
Four (sì): courage to be different
There are many cars on the streets of Suzhou and Shanghai. Instead of the same old grey and black, you often see bold colours and brightly wrapped vehicles. I love it!
China’s definitely a pioneer when it comes to exciting smartphone concepts. So I simply must get my hands on a personal highlight that unfortunately hasn’t made it to Europe yet.
I visit the Huawei store in Shanghai – and immediately fall in love with the foldable Pura X. It works slightly differently to previous folding phones, and can be used with a stylus. Huawei has a hard time in Switzerland due to restrictions on its use of Google services, but I still like its concepts.
And while I’m on the subject of Huawei, I have to take a look at the crazy router I wrote about a few months ago. While the routers we get in Switzerland are a real eyesore, Huawei makes more of an effort. I like the X3 Pro even better in person than in the pictures.
Five (wǔ): sugar-sweet branding
Cute company mascots are everywhere in China. When I visit Dreame, for example, their AI mascot greets me right outside the door – a warm welcome indeed.
Even everyday things like vending machines or advertising posters feature charming little animals. It immediately makes a brand seem more approachable, and the world a little more colourful. Of course, this isn’t an accurate reflection of reality: in Shanghai, I learn that working days in China are extremely long – and employees only get a few days of annual leave. So it remains to be seen whether most people’s everyday lives are as colourful and inviting as the mascots suggest.
Header image: Michelle Brändle
Ever since I learned how to hold a pen, I've been doodling away in bright colours. Thanks to my iPad, digital art has also become part of my life. That's why I love testing tablets – from the graphic design range to the regular kind. When I feel the urge to express my creativity without lugging lots of equipment, I go for the latest smartphones and start snapping away.
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