'Building a dream in the wilderness': Why young people in China are seeking a 'hermit' lifestyle

Shirley Chan, an associate professor specialising in Chinese studies at Macquarie University, says his comment reflects the Chinese government's effort to "revive and improve the condition of rural areas" against the backdrop of overdevelopment in big cities.

A Buddhist temple on a mountain near China's southern city Heyuan became Shucen Liu's refuge at the start of this year. "It is always going to be a way for me to adjust … When I am feeling suffocated in the cities, I will switch to a different system of living," she says.There has been a recent surge in the number of young people visiting temples in China, which was once a realm frequented by the older generations.

Mr Tian says he originally chose the location for his home to "intentionally keep a distance from the outside world".It became "a place that everyone can go to", Mr Tian says.More than 80 per cent of people who stay are youth, Mr Tian says. "Building up the valley is like building a dream in the wilderness … everything eventually gives way for a process of inward exploration.The reality of hermit livingRather than a romantic utopia, Ms Tu says living in the mountains always requires a "gift from nature" and it comes with many practical difficulties.Relying on a thin pipe that draws water from the top of the mountain, Ms Tu says drought or a blockage often leaves her cottage without water.

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