Are pollution, work pressure and housing prices driving people away from Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai?
"I don't want my child to suffer from environmental pollution like I did when I was young," said Xu Ke.
The founder of a startup, Xu has been living in Beijing for more than 16 years. However, 2017 is a turning point for him. Tired of the pollution, Xu has decided to move to Shenzhen, Guangdong Province with his wife and three-year-old daughter for "a better life."
Just days after Chinese New Year, the familiar phrase "fleeing from BSG" has once again become a hot topic on Chinese social media.
The three initials stand for Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, China's three mega cities. The slogan was popular years ago when an increasing number of young Chinese began to doubt the meaning of life, fed up with the pressure from working and living in big cities. Now, years later, it seems the old trend is re-emerging.
Fleeing air pollution
Xu grew up in Shanxi Province, a place well known for its coal production and consumption. The air was so bad when he was young that his nostrils turned black every time he played football outside.
He swore he would leave and stay away from pollution when he grew up. So, when his child began to suffer from the choking smog in Beijing, it was time to move.
"Our daughter started to wear masks when she was only one year old. She doesn't like it, and when we need to go out on a smoggy day, she cries and refuses to wear it, which makes me feel sad," Xu said.
He also finds it hard to go anywhere with his family when the haze comes. As the indoor air in many public places like shopping malls, museums, and restaurants is not any better than the outside, Xu and his family can barely enjoy themselves on the weekend.
"It's really depressing," said Xu. He added that he plans to leave Beijing by the end of 2017.
Sharon Long, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom, left Beijing for the same reason. But unlike Xu, who is moving to another city, Long went to an entirely different country.
She moved to Belgium with her Belgian husband and young son in November 2014 because they constantly got sick due to the bad air in Beijing.
"We had the air purifier running all day, and every time our son wanted to go out and play, we would check the weather and put a mask on him, but that still didn't change anything," Long said.
"Although life [in Belgium] is very different from life in Beijing, at least we don't have to worry about our family's health."
Fleeing to better job markets
Xu came to Beijing to attend university in 2001 and settled down in the city after graduation. Working in the Internet industry, Xu found no better place for his career.
"BSG were the center of everything in the past. They had the best industry resources and best platforms," he said. "Young people really didn't have much choice but to come to first-tier cities."
After working for years, Xu is glad to see more and more cities present promising prospects for industry development.
"Popular second-tier cities, such as Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and Chengdu in Sichuan Province, are all good options. Beijing is no longer the only one," Xu said.
He added that the favorable policies toward small businesses and entrepreneurs and lower living cost in non-BSG cities make them attractive to startups and individuals.
After visiting Shenzhen several times, Xu was impressed by its high-tech industry and environment, booming private enterprises, geographical advantages and huge potential for further development.
Xu believes that "decentralization and well-balanced development" in different areas will be the trend in the country.
