As China’s property market falters and youth unemployment rises, AP uncovered a growing movement of young professionals opting out of high-pressure urban life — relocating from megacities to sparsely populated towns where housing is cheap and expectations are lower.
Albee Zhang, fresh off a nine-month Nieman-AP fellowship, led the reporting from Washington, navigating time zone challenges and tracking down sources willing to speak about their unconventional choice. Zhang identified young Chinese who described themselves as “retired” in their 20s and 30s, trading career ambition for a quieter, low-cost existence in semi-abandoned housing complexes.
Beijing-based investigative journalist Dake Kang partnered with Zhang and traveled to one such development roughly two hours from Shanghai. His on-the-ground reporting captured the stark reality of these vast, largely empty apartment blocks and the subdued lifestyle embraced by residents seeking distance from economic pressure and burnout.
The resulting story illuminated a generational shift, blending economic analysis with intimate portraits of people redefining success in an uncertain economy.
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