A photo of a house located in a village outside of Hangzhou, China. (Photo: Qian Forrest Zhang)
Commenting on urban youth in China and their growing interest in countryside living, SMU Associate Professor of Sociology Qian Forrest Zhang said rural areas in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and around Chengdu have become attractive alternatives to city life, offering larger homes, greener surroundings and modern amenities. He noted that people now move to rural areas for retirement, vacations, jobs and alternative lifestyles, but cautioned that urban tourists enjoy similar kinds of consumption activities without really seeing the agricultural side of the countryside.
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