Some youths who fled from big cities to small and medium-sized cities due to stress are now coming back to the big cities, after they found things are not what they imagined, People's Daily reported.

Zeng Jing, 26, left Guangzhou at the end of last year and moved to Changping town in Dongguan city, due to high living pressures such as housing and transportation. But when she arrived and lived in the town, she became disappointed.

"There are very few entertainment places in the town. I could not find any fun after supper," she said. What's more, she found it hard to find a boyfriend there. Men available to date were far from her requirements in terms of educational background and vision.

Zeng returned to Guangzhou in October and continues struggling. But she feels different, "despite hard work, I do not feel depressed as before. Instead, I cherish every day here now."

Zhao Wen could not adjust to life in small cities due to a different reason. Zhao left Beijing and went to Tai'an, Shandong province, where he did sports marketing with his uncle.

He applied for approval from the local government for a new project, but after half a month, he got no reply. Finally his uncle managed it in two days by treating, flattering and sending gifts to the official in charge.

Big cities are more open and fair compared to medium-sized and small cities, where connections play a bigger role, said an anonymous expert.

There are no statistics showing how many people flee from big cities or how many flee back. But it has attracted much attention and become a hot topic in the media.

Medium-sized and small cities need more talents compared with populated big cities. Local governments should build a fairer competition atmosphere to attract talent, for the development of both the city and the people, said one analyst.