Netizens Pitch a Major Revamp of Alipay’s “Five Blessings,” Calling on Afu to Add a “Health Blessing”

In recent years, collecting the “Five Blessings” has become as much a Lunar New Year ritual as making dumplings or putting up Spring Festival couplets. If you don’t scan a few blessing cards during the holiday, it somehow feels incomplete—like eating dumplings without vinegar, missing that final touch.

A few days ago, Alipay officially announced this year’s Five Blessings campaign. But instead of the usual festive buzz, the comment section took an unexpected turn.

In previous years, people would already be flooding the internet in search of the elusive “Career Blessing.” This time, however, younger users showed no hesitation in shifting the focus entirely. Their message to the organizers was loud and clear: “Forget the Career Blessing—we want a Health Blessing.”

Scroll through social media and the scene feels like a massive wish-making ceremony for today’s health-conscious, slightly fragile generation.

“I’m a working professional, and I fully support collecting the Health Blessing.”
“Health Blessing, please come my way—this year I just want to stay healthy.”
“Manifesting the Health Blessing! All I ask for is a clean medical checkup report.”
“Fellow fragile humans unite—this blessing is my lucky charm.”

Some users went a step further and asked the blunt question: “If there’s a Health Blessing, which one gets replaced?”

Career Blessing: “So… should I leave?” (cue the jokes)

Naturally, product brainstormers appeared right on schedule. One suggestion quickly gained traction: “Tie it to step counts—no 10,000 steps a day, no blessing card.”

The creativity didn’t stop there. Many users directly called on Ant Group’s mascot, Afu, to personally deliver a “Health Blessing.” With the comment section overflowing with demands, all eyes are now on Alipay’s product team. The question is no longer whether users want it, but whether the Health Blessing will actually happen.

And surprisingly, this wave of online wish-making might not be as far-fetched as it seems.

Beneath the humor and memes lies a very real reflection of public concern and anxiety around health. Over the past 11 years, the Five Blessings campaign has succeeded by turning the abstract idea of “good fortune” into something tangible—something you can scan, collect, exchange, and share.

During the Spring Festival, families scan blessing characters together and trade cards, reinforcing a sense of warmth and connection. When it comes to health, it also happens to be one of Ant Group’s strongest impressions from the past year.

Ant’s health-focused AI, “Afu,” launched less than six months ago and has already become the country’s largest health management app by user scale.

According to the latest data, Afu now has over 30 million monthly active users, with more than 10 million health-related questions asked every single day. Whether it’s a headache, a cold, or confusion over a complicated medical report, many people instinctively turn to Afu for answers. “Health is a blessing” has effectively become “If it’s about health, ask Afu.”

Even more interesting is a recent comment from Ant Group CEO Han Xinyi. In an interview, he casually revealed that the original proposed name for this AI product was, in fact, “Health Blessing.”

It’s one of those moments where everything seems to come full circle. With public demand already at a peak, launching a Health Blessing now would feel almost effortless—both riding the momentum and giving Afu an extra push forward.

After all, few internet traffic pools are bigger than the Spring Festival Five Blessings campaign.

An AI-Driven Spring Festival Needs More Than Red Packets

To be fair, after 11 years, the Five Blessings campaign does need fresh ideas to keep people engaged.

This year’s Spring Festival is shaping up to be the most competitive yet for China’s tech giants. Following last year’s viral AI moments, this holiday season has essentially become an AI arms race.

ByteDance’s Doubao has secured interactive cooperation with the Spring Festival Gala, putting it firmly in the spotlight. Tencent, meanwhile, has announced cash giveaways through its Yuanbao platform, making it clear it won’t miss out on the holiday battle.

There’s little doubt that this will be the most AI-driven Spring Festival to date.

If Ant Group truly integrates the Health Blessing with Afu, it could create something genuinely new. Imagine earning blessing cards by completing daily health check-ins through Afu—or even exchanging step counts for cards, as users suggested. Blending festive rituals with ongoing health companionship would be simple, engaging, and genuinely beneficial.

At the end of the day, no matter how fiercely tech companies compete over AI, red packets, or traffic during the holidays, what really lasts are products that understand real needs and offer lasting value.

Collecting the Five Blessings is about joy and celebration. Turning to Afu is about peace of mind and well-being. Red packets can be smaller, but health checkup results must be all green. Career Blessings are optional—but a Health Blessing feels essential.

As an AI-powered, red-packet-filled Spring Festival approaches, APPSO would like to wish everyone an early Happy New Year: may you hold prosperity in one hand and health in the other—no blessings missed, and no wellness left behind.