Foreigners shun bright city lights for rural charms

Foreigners settling in China are increasingly turning their backs on bustling metropolises for the simplicity, authenticity and affordability of lower-tier cities and rural areas, statistics show.

As of 2020, there were approximately 846,000 foreign nationals living on the Chinese mainland, a 42.42 percent increase from 2010, according to the Seventh National Population Census published by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2021.

Yunnan province alone accounted for 376,000 long-term foreign residents. One of them is Patrik Bachstatter, a 33-year-old Swedish expatriate who has found not just a home but a new calling in the ancient town of Dali, far from the expat enclaves of Beijing and Shanghai.

Bachstatter met his wife in the Philippines, and the couple moved to China in 2018, living first in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and later in Sanya, Hainan province, and then Qingdao, Shandong province. But it was Dali with its clear air, mountains and strong sense of community that offered a more lasting connection.

"I read that Dali is known as the 'California of China'. It's not a big city, but it has good infrastructure and a lifestyle that's closer to nature. That really appealed to me, especially for my child's education," said Bachstatter.