Reference News Network August 5 report: The Singapore Management University website of the "Lianhe Zaobao" on August 3 published an article titled "From the Cubicle to the Mountainside: Chinese Youth Go to the Countryside for Another Possibility," excerpted as follows:

Amid the green mountains and clear waters of Yucun in Anji, Zhejiang, a couple of "85后" (post-1985s) lovers run a bike-themed café and guesthouse called Blue House. Three years ago, they moved here from Shanghai because of their love for cycling.

The manager Zhuo Li said that what attracted them to stay was not only the ideal cycling environment, but also the ecologically friendly and leisurely rural life.

Similar stories of moving to the countryside also happened to "90后" (post-1990s) Bao Jingwen and Zhang Hang. Three years ago, this pair of friends moved to Yucun from Hangzhou, renting a three-story house with a courtyard, with an annual rent of about 10,000 RMB.

In Bao Jingwen's view, the countryside does not mean backwardness. For example, regarding online shopping, Hangzhou and Yucun are both in Zhejiang, and many packages can be delivered the next day.

Currently, Bao Jingwen and Zhang Hang's main job is creating self-media content. Bao Jingwen said, "I used to work every day in a cubicle, now the whole outdoor area is my office, and the creative atmosphere is very good."

Zhuo Li and Bao Jingwen both participated in the "Global Partner" program launched by the village in 2022. This program introduces external talents in fields such as culture, tourism, and digital economy. According to information, more than 60 projects have been implemented, attracting over 1,200 "new villagers" to reside and work in the village.

Zhang Qian, a sociologist at the Singapore Management University, stated in an interview that in China, more and more urban residents are actively choosing to move to the countryside, especially in the surrounding villages of the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Chengdu-Chongqing, and Beijing-Tianjin metropolitan areas.

He analyzed that this phenomenon is influenced by push factors such as high housing prices, employment, and living costs in cities, as well as pull factors from the countryside, such as the superior ecological environment, emerging industry opportunities, and increasingly improved infrastructure.

Chen Jingjing, founder of the indigenous management consulting studio who studies China's rural revitalization, believes that initiatives like Yucun's "Global Partner" program and the active recruitment of "village CEOs" in some parts of China provide opportunities for city dwellers to start businesses and find jobs in the countryside. More and more young people who choose to move to the countryside hope to explore a future-oriented lifestyle in the countryside, where the cost of living is lower and the living environment is more livable.

In this wave of urban residents moving to the countryside, there are also "digital nomads" who enjoy living a mobile life. They are often freelancers who can work remotely as long as they have internet access.

Entrepreneur Xu Song and his partner Ade have recently established digital nomad communities in Anji, Huangshan, and Wuyi Mountain in Zhejiang, Anhui, and Fujian provinces, respectively, setting up shared office and accommodation areas to meet the needs of digital nomads for work and life.

Although the countryside has a pleasant environment, low cost of living, and a slower pace of life, it does not mean that "new villagers" can just relax. Bao Jingwen, who has lived in Yucun for nearly three years, frankly said that to truly stay, one must have clear goals and plans; relying solely on temporary enthusiasm is not sustainable.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534961941065679375/

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