Dream lifestyles in Dali end in disappointment

In recent years, thousands of people have moved to Dali from big cities. The exact number is not known, but a rough estimate from the local government shows that about 40,000 newcomers are living in the city.

Many people decided to leave their jobs and move to Dali from large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, due to work pressures and surging property prices, which have been hotly debated nationwide in recent years.

According to Chu, most of those moving to Dali are middle-income earners with higher-education backgrounds. "They are not billionaires, but they can afford to buy a house and live a decent life, even without a job, for three or five years," Chu said.

"Most important, they came to Dali with the idea of living a slow, simple, idyllic lifestyle that is different to that in the big cities. Some say their dreams have already come true, but others feel they made the wrong decision."

With an increasing number of newcomers arriving, Dali's tourism and real estate markets have prospered since 2015. According to the local government, 24 percent of property in the city was bought by new arrivals in 2015. Two years later, the number had risen to 60 percent.

Housing prices have surged from 6,392 yuan ($952 at the current rate) per square meter in December 2015 to 11,788 yuan per sq m in the same month last year.

A source at Yunnan Shili Real Estate Development Group, who requested anonymity, said more than 80 percent of the commercial property on its books in Dali had been bought by nonlocals.

Many people buy on impulse, as compared with housing prices in big cities, those in Dali are low, the source said, adding that she has seen some tourists buying property during their travels.