Time for a cool change

In for the long haul

Wang Jiayan is among the few outsiders who have made the move permanent. The 42-year-old from the Ningxia Hui autonomous region has lived in the area continuously for six years.

He bought his first house, without visiting it, for 15,000 yuan after seeing an advertisement on a short-video platform in 2020.

Wang supports himself with his savings. Once the house was bought, he said, daily living has cost very little.

He has kept his home close to its original state, preferring a wood-burning stove and doing manual chores to a modern renovation. In summer, he rises at 3 or 4 am and tends his vegetable garden. He is usually in bed before 9 pm.

Wang's existence, however, is not solitary. "They treat me like a son," he said of the older residents nearby.

The care and concern is mutual. He has a car and drives his neighbors to hospital when they need help. When he fell ill, they came to check on him — one household brought steamed buns, another dumplings.

"People are social animals," Wang said. "Helping one another makes us happy."

He has no plans to return to city life. "I will live here for good," he said."I like this place very much."

Unlike most outsiders, Wang looks forward to the coldest months. He enjoys chopping wood and stoking the stove when the streets grow quiet.

"Winter is when it is quietest," he said. "Burning firewood is where the warmth of everyday life comes from."

By contrast, Fan plans to leave Bishui by mid-September and return south.

Most of the summer residents will also be gone, but Wang will remain. From his courtyard, he has watched the newcomers grow younger. Many tell him that work and competition in the cities have exhausted them.

Bishui's low costs allow some to spend a summer, or even a year or two, outside their old routines — living differently, slowing down and thinking about what should come next. But family responsibilities and the need to earn an income eventually draw many away.

"Most young people cannot stay here for long," Wang said. "Some come only in summer. Others stay for a year or two to regain their balance, but many eventually return to the cities."