Megatropolis blues

The pull of the big city is irresistible for many, but making the big move can bring heartache

The attraction is understandable enough: Dazzling lights, being freed from the clutches of meddling parents and the endless fun that supposedly comes with big-city independence. Then there are the career opportunities and the cachet that comes with being able to say you have worked in Beijing rather than Beihai or Shanghai rather than Shangluo.

But is living in the fabled metropolises of China all it is cracked up to be?