A different side to the cosmopolis

"Time seems to pass more slowly when you're in the countryside. I feel like I can ponder about life and think about what I want to pursue."

Xing does not plan on being an employee for the rest of her life; she plans to set up her own farm-style minsu by the end of this year. The planned 15-room building would occupy two hectares of land. With local authorities striving to transform Chongming into a world-class ecological island, Xing is optimistic about her business venture because she expects more tourists to visit.

"I also want to inspire other farmers to renovate their own houses to a minsu. It will help them earn extra money in addition to the income they get from farming."

Another area where more and more such businesses are emerging is in eastern Shanghai, near the Disneyland Resort. Since the theme park opened in 2016 many nearby villagers have transformed their houses into bed and breakfast establishments to provide an alternative to the pricey hotel rooms at Disneyland. As part of efforts to regulate the growing market, the Pudong New Area government issued guidelines regarding the development of such businesses in 2016. Authorities issued the city's first minsu business license last year.