Discussion keeps the worldturning.
This isRoundtable. Helloeverybody, welcome toRoundtable.
Coming to you live fromBeijing.
I'm heryoung. Good to have you join us on a day'sshow.
Picture the pitch for youth nursinghomes.
Theonicspots, theonicviews, home cookmeals, and not a deadline insight.
With over 4 million curious internet users checking it out on social media isclear.
These retreats are the hottest thing intown.
But here's the million-yuanquestion.
Are these hideaways a healthy escape or an avoidance of real life and real worldresponsibilities?
And as the dust settles on Apple's launch of Vision Pro on the Chinesemainland, here's the plottwist.
The reception seems more lukewarm than a forgotten cup oftea.
It is a sign that maybe there are some questions about China's appetite for extendedreality.
Isn't really quite thereyet?
Or is it just the calm before a mixed realitystorm?
For thisprogram, I'm joined by LiYi.
And you shouldn't in thestudio.
First on a day'sshow. Hold upforks, or I meanfolks.
When you hear this term nursinghome, you're probably picturing dentures and glasses and bingonights, aren'tyou?
Well, thinkagain, China's latest trend is flipping the script on retirementliving.
Enter youth nursinghomes.
Andno, this is not anoxymoron.
These aren't your granny's retirementhomes.
There are zen retreats where burnt out 20 and 30 some things are escaping the ratrace.
Here's a twist that might make you do a doubletake.
If you've blown out 45 candles on your birthdaycake, you're probably too old for these so-called nursinghomes.
Itseems...Well, I know yournumber.
And certainly you still have many years togo.
But forme, thankfully still some years togo.
Anyhow, it seems like they're throwing a necessary shade at45.
Well, soguys, define this so-called nursing home for the young and help popular are they thesedays?
Yeah, I think when mentioning that this youth nursing home can be quite tricky for people outthere.
People might not really understand what itis.
And afterresearching, I just triedto, youknow, conclude it as a co-living home stay for young people outthere.
Because when you look at thoseexamples, actually a lotof, Imean, this youth nursinghomes, they reallyemphasize, Imean, they're offering a space for young people to relax and also pursue your spiritualfreedom.
And typically those homestays, they're set in suburban areas or simply quite scenic ruralareas.
So really providing a tranquil environment away from urbanhustle.
Andmeantime, it could be like a big mansion or a big house with multiple rooms that people living in this home stay canshare.
Andalso, there are large public spaces for groupactivities.
Because these youth nursing homes areliterally, Imean, organizing different activities for young people livinghere, both indoor andoutdoor, forexample, like practicing the Chinese martialarts, gardeningtogether, hiking towaterfalls, and also practicing meditationtogether.
So I think for these youth nursinghomes, they really emphasize this sense of community among these young people livinghere.
And typically living in this place are not really that expensive because the average pricing for these homestays, it typically about 1000 or 2000 yuan amonth.
And alsomeantime, they're offering cooking services for which consumers where young people can reallypay, according to the mealstandard.
Andmeantime, as yousaid, there are some search certain criteria whererules, forexample, if you are above the age of45, then you are not reallywelcomed.
Andmeantime, if you don'tsocialize, I'm sorry you are also notwelcomed.
Sobasically, I think these so-called youth nursing homes are really offering a space for young people who want to meet new people and also to maybe relax a little bit and to have a break from theirlife.
There's one morecaveat.
So you mentioned there is a ceiling of age that's45.
What's wrong with being45?
I really don't like the hidden messagehere.
And also there's a basement agerequirement, that is if you've justgraduated,congratulations.
But if you've not workedtoday, and you're not invitedeither.
So it's kind ofspecific.
And youshouldn't. So what do you think about thisplace?
Does this sound quite utopian toyou?
Do you like thisidea? Ohyeah.
And it actually reminds me of some kind of reality shows that gathering a lot of people into a like isolated island or to atranquil.
tranquil.Well, Iwent,okay, neither of them is what you should is trying to getat.
To make a lot of these people to have atime, a period oftime, to experience some tranquility and enjoy them their time or with people aroundthem.
So another unique feature that I saw is that it also has that kind of volunteer exchange accommodationrule.
They allow residents to offset costs through contributions like singing or cooking orcleaning, something likethat.
So it is actually one to make you a kind of village or a home stay to make everybody in this home stay feel very comfortable and calm and make them to have the time to think about what's going to be next or what's their lifestyle or something likethat.
Quickquestion,guys. How does this differ from a youth hostel or a traditional retirement home for olderfolks?
This is a very good question because when I tried to do more research on thisconcept, actually a very typical home stay owner in thisindustry, he was actually one of the fewpioneers.
Maybe we can call it as pioneers that try to promote this youth hostel and try to promote this youth nursinghomes.
And according tohimself,actually, what he was trying to do is only to offer something called digital nomassassociation.
So basically that's what he was trying todo.
But instead he tried to promote hisbusiness.
So that's why he named his hotel as a youth nursinghome.
So inessence, I would say it's just a basically a home stay for young people and typically for those people who don't have to work on a dailybasis, or they can just workremotely.
Yeah, just call it association not kind of nursing home because when we are getting to the fact of this kind ofestablishment, there are no nursingpart.
There are no serviceprovider, there are no healthcarecenters, something likethat.
It is actually some place that can gather a bunch of youngpeople, age under45, to enjoy the time and to actually avoid from the hustle and bustle and to maybe think about their life plan or something likethat.
Right, also there's a brilliant point that you should have mentioned before we turn on themic.
Do you want to say the irony you found of this businessmodel?
Yeah, because I think first of all the concept and the whole set of this nursing home are attractive to youngpeople.
And I think the point is that the boss of this or the owner of this nursing home is actually doing hisentrepreneurship.
While calling young peopleto,okay, you can take abreak.
You can live your life here in my home'sday, but he is actually doing the hardwork.
He's actually makingmoney, he's profiting from otherpeople.
Oh,poor, this is notcharity.
Andthen,yeah, this is reallyinteresting, but also I just think this is really abrilliant, a marketing scheme because this is prying on people's vulnerability in a way because a lot of people and young folks who've just moved into a new city or who've worked in a big city like Beijing or Shanghai where housing prices high and even if you'veworked, let'ssay, 10years, maybe for some folks you still feel the dream of home ownership is still a mileaway.
Andthen,therefore, these ideas or these popular notions that are circulating on social media becomes very attractive of just taking abreak.
And for mostpeople, when youstop, you don't make money becausefor, youknow,they're...
I need to pay forthem. And youalso,yeah, you're paying for yourtaking, hitting the pause button and this becomes a business for somebodyelse.
Andyeah, there's a little bit of an interesting capitalist ironythere, more orless.
And I really found it interesting when you should have pointed at that out forus.
Andthen, why do you thinkpeople, especially the youngerfolks, are drawn tothis?
Because with the popularity of discussiononline, thisis...
It kind of...it was a little bitexplosive.
So, what do you think are the reasons that make people find this very attractive or even just the notion of going to this place called a youth nursing home to be quitenice?
What I think a major reason is that these group of youngpeople, they'rejust...
Imean, there's a desire for a sense of belonging and connection because it is also what makes this sort of youth nursinghome, nursing homes different from anyother, youknow, home stay for young people out there because when those businessowners, they tryto, youknow, poplarize thisconcept.
Naturally, you willthink,oh,here, maybe I can just make some friends who just share similar experiences likeme.
Maybe weboth, youknow, stand at the crossroads of our life and trying to figure out what to do for the rest of mylife.
So, we just want to find a place to just have a good rest and stop and also to have thisself-reflection.
So, it isalso, youknow, these sort of nursinghomes, called andcalled, try to provide for young residents out there because theyare, youknow, offering this sort of group activities for you to socialize with people outthere.
So, it's not like that isolatedfrom, youknow, average or ordinary homes dayor, youknow, typical those spaces for digital nomads because when you talk about digitalnomads, I would say a major problem or a struggle for them is that they have to struggle with the sort of isolation because usually when they tryto, youknow, find their places to live in affordability andflexibility, these are very important factors forthem.
So, maybe forthem, it's not really that easy tofind, youknow, people who are on the same page withyou.
But when you choose to stay inthis, youknow, sort of youth co-living homestay, let's call it in thisway, and maybe you can just define a group of people with the similarexperience.
Also,yeah, these kind of homestays, they mostly located in these suburban or rural areas far from the city and they are away from the ubiquitous hustle and bustle and the complex interpersonalrelationships.
And this may be help people who are looking forward toa, youknow, tranquil life to slow down and calm down and savor the joys of theirlives.
Andalso, the label of retirement home or nursing home isactually, Ithink, creating a clustering effect because it is attracting a large group ofpeople.
Youknow, they come from all corners of thecountry, just like E.Esaid, withdifferent, youknow, maybe minds or growth trajectories and professionalbackgrounds, and they can bringtogether, youknow, similar feelings and commonneeds.
And, youknow, it's actually gathering a group of people with similar ideas or just to create a vibe of old friends living together like friends that theseries.
Because it is always creating a positive and friendly atmosphereof, youknow, with all of your good friends living together in aapartment.
Right. Andalso, this might be a quick remedyto, youknow, the loneliness that peoplefeel, especially when you've moved away from your ancestralhome, your hometown to a new city and then you're setting up your lifethere.
And then it's difficult to find deep connections in bigcities,immediately, for a lot ofpeople.
And I just find this to be fascinating as we're doingresearch.
And there are so many of these sort of invisible ages of mindseverywhere, Ifeel.
And then maybe this is a little bit offpoint, but I just feel that in a lot ofways, our society is built and articulated for theyoung.
Like, and inChina, I find this to be a little bitcontradictory.
Because on socialmedia, you see a lot of people venting their frustrationabout, let'ssay, turning35, and then you feel your opportunities significantlydwindle.
But look at oursociety, there are so many people in their like 40s and50s, and it'slike, do they notexist?
Of course theydo. But alsohere, Imean, when I looked at some of the interpretations of people about this phenomenon and then they say one merit that this type of arrangement can bring is break the agebarrier.
And I was curious what age barrier would itbe?
And then apparently this was one guy who was born in the 1980s and he's a pottery artist from QuimingCity.
And he went there to one of these youth retirement homes and apparently his age gap with everybody else makeshim, gives him a rare opportunity to understand the youngpeople.
And he's finding tips to better interact with hisson.
And I just find this kind ofinterpretation, kind ofmind-boggling.
So how young are these peopleanyway?
And it makes it sound like it's only those who are in their 20s who are doingthis.
Or maybe some of those folks in their30s.
But ohyeah, if you're born in the early 1980s then that makes you a 40-year-old something likethat.
Andyeah, maybe there is a little bit of frustration when it comes to how you view age assuch.
But also maybe this is connected to people's lifetrajectories.
When you're in your 20s and your30s, at least our society now gives us a little bit more allowance of time because so many people are graduating later in life and then building a career maybe later inlife.
We don't just start inour, youknow, when you're18.
Andso, but when you reach 40 and apparently a lot ofpeople, if youhave, youknow, a family to support when you have kids or you have mortgage to payoff.
And that makes it more difficult for you to hit pause and go somewhereelse.
And leave everythingbehind.
Somaybe, maybe this is a little bitageist, but also it kind of coincideswith, youknow, the main sort of stations in life for mostpeople.
So the deeper Iwent, theletter, a little lessfurious.
I felt aboutthis. What about youguys?
That actually makessense, youknow, that makes me realizethat, ofcourse, people who age above45, they maybe are having afamily.
Or this is mainly a group of people that need topay, Ithink, theirlife, ofcourse.
And in thatway, I think the owner is trying to say avoidance is not the way that you shouldchoose.
And you should basically accept and a face that the reality that you arehaving.
Or the people who justgraduated, you are not having any incomeyet.
So you should not be the one who is paying me to stay here and doingnothing.
So Ithink,yeah, in thatway, I think with yourexplanation, I think that makes sensenow.
Butalso,sorry, there'sanother, I just feel forfolks, youknow, calmdown, calmdown.
But the thingis, ifyou're, let'ssay, youknow, above the age of 40 or in the later part ofyour, youknow, 30s orwhatnot, and you do have themortgage, you do have the family assuch.
Imean, these folks probably still need to get some resttoo, or at least take their mindoff, youknow,this,this, the pressures and stress inlife.
And maybe this is not the best arrangement forthem.
But what's a way out for thesefolks?
Well, I think the thingI'm, I'mconcerned, youknow,also, youknow, tryingto, youknow, echo the question you earlier mentionedabout, Imean, where are those elderly peoplego?
And it seems like the society is sortof, and also including this sort offacilities, and they're well prepared for young people outthere.
But I'm thinking maybe one reason is that it is because youngpeople, they sort of dominate the presentation on socialmedia.
Sobecause, youknow, whenwe, whenwe, youknow, look atthis, youknow, youth nursing homesphenomenon, it's still a phenomenon that is more trendy online instead of in realityworld.
Because when you lookat, Imean, friends aroundyou, I don't really know anyone who wentto, and who has planned to go to theseplaces.
However, it's becoming a trend on social media because people are discussing aboutit.
People are curious aboutit.
Andmeantime, ofcourse, it's sort of make people feel related toit.
Because we all havethis, youknow, longing for a quite tranquillife, especially when we are working in bigcities.
Butmeantime, maybe there are some facilities built for other people aswell.
Andalso, also for middle agedpeople, theyalso,they, they might also have their own placesto, youknow, maybe have abreak.
Andjust, they don't really discuss it so openly and so eagerly on the social mediaplatforms.
So, tome, the platforms that could also be one reason that I wouldthink.
Yeah, hopefully for middle aged folks that you've accumulated morewealth.
And also more paid annual leavedays, because if you worked above 20 years in thiscountry, then you should be entitled tomore,like, 15 paid annual leavedays.
And, youknow, seize that opportunity to take care ofyourself.
And for middle agedfolks, I think because you're probablysupporting, youknow, you have theyoung, you have theold, and they're all depending on you orwhatnot.
And thentherefore, they don't like tomoat.
They don't like tocomplain.
But, but take care ofyourselves.
And here's thekicker. Is this the ultimate self care move or just a fancy way tosay, I quit adulting or at least for the next six months or something likethat.
Iactually, youknow, realizethat, youknow, when we are take a closer look at these so-called youth nursing homes or retirementhomes, it actually reveals thatthey, ofcourse, as Isaid, lack the basic facilities and functions of nursinghomes.
So they don't have these kind of caregivers or doctorsand, but essentially linking these kind of retirement with use is more likely a marketing gimmick to attractconsumers.
So the young people who are enthusiastic about this are also well aware ofit.
So they are not aiming for these kind of retirement or nursingservice, but have othermotives.
The freedom or relaxation brought by this kind of physical liberation or spiritual release are what these kind of people are truly longfor.
And no matter it's about figuring out your next steps or simply just give yourself somerest, this type of nursing home mainly provides young people with a place to rest andsocialize.
And about this issue of middle agedpeople, and I think this is also the issue that young people who are joining these kind of homestay are facing because these kind of youth retirement is onlytemporary.
After a period ofadjustment, youknow, we need to return to their original paths or reconsider how to interact with our reallife.
So in thisregard, I saw a scientist Xiang Biao's proposal to rebuild the neighborhood is worth considering because he believes that it is understandable for young people to escape their immediate environments for variousreasons.
But avoidance does not solveproblems, but and can actually intensify feelings ofemptiness.
So maybe you can create or rebuild your neighborhood by chatting with your neighbors or talk to the community securityguard, observe the dynamics of street shops and soon.
And by observing and understanding the details aroundthem, they can rebuild their relationships with their surrounding society and drawing strength fromreality.
Butyeah, I was trying to challenge this sort ofconcept, like going to an isolated place and escape from reality and try and in order to solveproblems, meet inreality, I don't really think that makessense.
But now after thisdiscussion, I suddenly realized that it is maybe because there are a lot of criticism and concerns about thisphenomenon.
It is because here inChina, especially in traditionalconcept, we believe that when person should really follow a consistent trajectory in yourlife, we think that aftergraduation, then you should just work at your company for the rest of your life and you should really climb the careerladder.
So that's why this has become athing, becoming a topic of discussion on social mediaplatforms.
But now I think we all experience from time totime, you want to take a break from your life either because of your work or because of your personallife.
So it just makes sense that these youngpeople, they try to give themselves a break wherever theyare.
So it's just that they're right todo, Ithink.
Also, this probably bears more research andreflection, but it's interesting that the concept of retirement for young people has become veryappealing.
And I guess when you'reyoung, you know you have still decades ahead that you need to put your head down and do work to earn aliving.
And then just the thought that you can just bethere, earn a monthly income andretire.
That just soundsfabulous.
But for a lot ofpeople, youknow, going to a remote reclusive area like this or getting that monthly retirement yield is still quite a far awayconcept.
And I guess just finding some small moments of peace in daily life is what everybody cando.
And having this vacation is more about a state of mind than a physicallocation.
But I reallywould. I thinkpersonally, I adhere to this idea of taking a break and taking up the hitting the pause button when that'sneeded.
