Envious suburban lifestyle of urban angst

Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

More and more Chinese young people in cities nowadays yearn for a relaxed rural life. For many of them, the Chinese vlogger Li Ziqi's lifestyle is what they desire. Li is a young girl living a laid-back life in a village where she grows and produces almost everything with her own hands. She has gained over 27 million followers on China's Twitter-like social media Sina Weibo - many of whom are Chinese urban youth. This reflects a cruel reality in modern Chinese society: Many young urban Chinese feel stressed because of the urban rat race. High housing prices, exhausting yet underpaid jobs, and pressure from society are all burdens they shoulder. There is nothing wrong with a craving for a peaceful countryside life where people put simplicity above stress. But young Chinese should also learn to cope with the stress instead of escaping from it.