They Left City Jobs to Bring China’s Dying Villages Back to Life

Rapid urbanization has left many villages hollowed out. By 2024, young people made up less than 20% of the rural population. But since 2017, a reversal has begun: A wave of youth returned, bringing fresh ideas back home. Some embraced traditional rural life; others saw opportunity in cultural tourism.

We traveled to Youtian village in Songyang—known as “the last hidden gem of Jiangnan”—to meet two of these pioneers and explore their new lives in the countryside.