HONG KONG — So ubiquitous in China are pedestrians glued to their cellphones, they have earned a nickname: the heads-down tribe.

In their natural habitat, tribe members can be seen texting, watching videos and conducting financial transactions, all while dodging cars, tripping at potholes and jamming up subway station entrances. The World Health Organization calls such behavior “distracted walking,” and it is a growing health concern in China, where pedestrian deaths make up a significant number of traffic-related fatalities.

This spring, the managers of a giant shopping mall in Xi’an, a city in the northwest province of Shaanxi, implemented a novel strategy to protect members of the tribe: pedestrian lanes specifically for cellphone users.

Colorfully painted paths outside the Bairui Plaza shopping mall have been designated for walkers who cannot be bothered to look up from their devices.