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% increase from 2010, according to the Seventh National Population Census published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) 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 a new home in the ancient town of Dali, far from the expat enclaves of Beijing and Shanghai. He commented that Dali is not a big city, but it has good infrastructure and a lifestyle that is closer to nature. “That really appealed to me, especially for my child’s education,” said Bachstatter. His path to organic farming was sparked by personal health concerns. After gallbladder surgery and digestive issues, he began paying closer attention to what he ate, and how food was grown. “I wanted to feel better, so I focused on clean, healthy food. That led to a broader lifestyle change,” he said.
Drawn to Dali’s ecological farming community, he began cultivating organic vegetables in villages, using sustainable techniques rooted in soil health and biodiversity. While many people might imagine an idyllic and unhurried rural lifestyle, Bachstatter’s life is far from simple. It involves constant learning, trial-and-error farming, and an ongoing quest for deeper spiritual and physical well-being. One of the most meaningful parts of his life in Dali is the bond he’s formed with the land, and with those who work it, he said. He plans to expand his farming operation, focusing on experimenting with more sustainable farming practices, including hydroponics and agro-ecology. He also wants to create a network of organic farms in the region, sharing best practices and promoting sustainable living to change the way food is produced in China and build a more sustainable future, he said.
Over in Huangshan, Anhui province, Adrien Brill, a 35-year-old American has traded the bustle of teaching in Chengdu, Sichuan province, for the serenity of rural China – and found purpose, community, and creativity in making pizzas. After various business ventures including an English-language training center, he gained some exposure during the pandemic in 2021 when he launched a TikTok channel called Wen’s Kitchen where he cooked daily meals and explored village cuisine. The new-found fame led to a collaboration with local officials promoting rural revitalization, and in 2023, the opportunity came to open a pizza shop in Nanxinan. “I didn’t choose the restaurant business. The restaurant business chose me. It started with a video we shot at the launch of our pizza shop. It went viral overnight. The next day, we had hundreds of people lining up at our door. We had three tiny tables, no point-of-sale system, and handwritten menus. It was total chaos – but also magic,” he said. Among his signature pizzas are one topped with preserved mandarin fish and another with fermented tofu, both traditional Anhui delicacies.
In the summer of 2005, Canadian Brandon Collins-Green spent six weeks visiting his then girlfriend in Shanghai. After the visit, he was due to embark on an exchange program in Singapore as part of undergraduate commerce studies at the University of Toronto. While in Shanghai he decided to immerse himself in Chinese language and culture, by lodging with a local family who spoke no English. “Those first few weeks were tough. No one spoke English at all, and I had to learn quickly just to get by,” he said, adding that’s when he fell in love with the Chinese language. It was in 2012 when he first read the classic Dream of the Red Chamber, that his fascination with ancient Chinese literature began. “It was like stepping into another world. It was the start of something that would shape the rest of my life,” he said. He devoted himself almost entirely to reading the book and following online lectures about it, learning about its conversational style that made it accessible to readers despite its complexity. During his Master’s studies at Jiangxi Normal University from 2015 to 2017 a simple book on Tang poetry sparked his interest in translating poems into English and pairing them with his own paintings. He is still working on a PhD in ancient Chinese literature at Jiangxi Normal University, but his true passion has become his paintings with translations. He chose to live in Nanchang, appreciating its rich cultural history and local energy.
Carolina Di Condio, 28, from Milan met a man from Fujian during a three-month language course, married and moved to Xiamen. She says Xiamen embodies the Swedish concept of lagom – not too little, not too much. What truly makes her feel at home in Xiamen isn’t just the food or the language but the relationships she’s formed, making friends who feel like family. According to the National Immigration Administration (NIA) in 2024, a total of 711,000 residence permits were issued to foreign nationals residing in China in 2023, indicating that the number of foreigners living in China has recovered to 85% of the pre-pandemic level at the end of 2019. Choosing to settle down and build a life in a small town, however, may be the newest chapter in the story of foreigners in China, the China Daily reports.
