Chinese Youth Migrate to Dali to Practice Lying Flat
Young Chinese professionals are migrating to Dali to escape intense work pressure as the government warns against foreign influence encouraging youth idleness.
Young people in China are increasingly migrating to Dali in Yunnan province to adopt a lifestyle known as tangping, or lying flat. This movement involves doing the bare minimum to escape the intense professional and academic pressures of the traditional rat race.
While Dali has become a hub for this trend, many participants report a desire to return to the workforce. However, they face a weak job market characterized by high youth unemployment and a mismatch between available manufacturing roles and the white-collar positions they seek. The rise of AI further threatens the availability of entry-level professional roles.
The Government of China is attempting to counter this trend by providing vocational training and subsidizing companies that hire recent graduates. Simultaneously, the Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China has condemned the movement, claiming that "foreign anti-China hostile forces" are encouraging youth idleness.
