Work-life balance is new goal for many

Young professionals appear to prefer freelance work to experience a new way of boss-free job and control over work and career growth. But older professionals opt for freelancing mainly to strike a perfect work-life balance.

In a 2015 study on Chinese people's happiness conducted by Tsinghua University, respondents chose freelance work as one that would produce maximum happiness for professionals.

Cheng Chao, 39, owner of a Shanghai-based cross-border business consulting firm, agreed. He has been a freelancer for more than 10 years now.