Guan Yinglu was an ambitious young professional working around the clock at a shipping company in Shanghai when she realized she wasn’t living the life she wanted. A few years ago, she moved back to her hometown in Luzhou, a smaller city in southwestern China.
Now the owner of a bakery, 30-year-old Guan makes about a third of what she previously earned, but is happy she gave up some of her salary for more work-life balance.
“Life is quite easy,” Guan said, now that her living costs are lower and she’s closer to family.
Weary of China’s so-called 996 culture of working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, a growing number of China’s new generation of professionals is choosing to trade a fast-paced, high-pressure career in big cities for a slower, more relaxed life in small towns.
