Homebound youth stir rural revival

Another young returnee, Guan Jiyang, fills the air with the comforting smell of fresh mantou (steamed buns).

The man, who is in his early 30s, once worked in Guangdong province's bustling furniture industry, a world of client banquets and relentless deadlines.

"The pressure was high," he recalls, his hands deftly shaping dough infused with purple rice. "It was a cycle of work and social drinking. I felt drained."

The same government policy that beckoned Gao home also appealed to Guan, who found his inspiration in a family legacy.

His mother had made traditional mantou for over 20 years. He saw an opportunity not to replace her craft, but to elevate it.

"Many people see bread as sophisticated, but mantou as plain," he explains. "I thought, why can't we make a Chinese-style steamed bun that is both beautiful and tasty?"

He and his mother now wake up at 5 am daily to source fresh ingredients, committing to a recipe that uses no food additives, only whole foods like red dates, local red beans and various nuts.

His shop is a family affair, with his brother handling their social media presence on the short video platform Douyin, while Guan and his mother manage production.

Since opening in July, the business has found its footing, earning about 1,000 yuan a day and attracting a loyal clientele of children, parents and the elderly who appreciate its natural approach.

The transition from factory floors to flour-dusted counters came with an adjustment, but Guan has no regrets.

"Of course there was a sense of disparity at first," he admits. "But now, I prefer it here. This life has more of a human touch."

Gao and Guan represent part of a larger movement that is vitalizing the countryside and is powered by incentive-based policies to support young people and migrant workers in returning to their hometowns to start businesses.

Yunnan province recently issued several measures to support college graduates and other youth in returning to their hometowns to start e-commerce businesses. The measures focus on addressing the practical difficulties young people face in e-commerce entrepreneurship. They emphasize strengthening the supply chain and product chain for e-commerce ventures in plateau-specific agriculture, cultural tourism, wellness and border trade.

This approach aims to help young people identify entry points for entrepreneurship. In May, Hubei province unveiled a plan for promoting the return of migrant workers to start businesses in their hometowns.

According to the plan, Hubei aims to achieve an annual increase in the number of new hometown entrepreneurship entities equivalent to about 2 percent of the migrant worker population.

By 2027, the province plans to establish more than 200 entrepreneurship parks and bases for returnees.

For Gao, opening his herbal tea business in the ancient street means more than a career choice. As he spent his childhood running over the flagstones with his friends, every corner holds his memories.

"Returning home to start a business has not only allowed me to realize my personal value but also brought me a profound sense of inner peace and belonging," Gao says.

As he sees his hometown has grown more vibrant and the old street has regained its charm, he has become certain that his decision to return was right.