Behind millions of dots, stories of longing

Chen Yuan and Li Chun. [Photo/China Daily]

Every year in early January or early February the world gets to hear of one of the planet's most remarkable migrations, as that great flock of beings called the Chinese head for the welcoming warmth of homes that are represented by millions of tiny dots on a map of their sprawling country.

According to the software company Tencent Holdings Ltd, which owns the instant messaging app QQ, about 53.3 million of its users left the four mega metropolises of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen for the Spring Festival last February, the great bulk of them presumably heading for their hometowns, and nearly 10.8 million did not return once the holiday was over.

Behind these figures are millions of stories of people living far from home, either by choice or by necessity, some making spectacular successes of their lives and lapping up the surroundings they find themselves in, others just getting by and possibly considering whether the shift was worth it all. Here are three of those stories:

In 2013, Hu, who wants to be identified only by his surname, returned to his hometown, Changsha, Hunan province, after completing a doctorate in Shanghai, something that took five years.

"I never expected to return," the engineer, 32, says. "I felt as though many years had passed since I left."

The parents of his girlfriend faced the prospect of their only child marrying and living in a city 900 kilometres away, so Hu respected their wishes and broke his work contract to return home.

Soon after, his father had a stroke and Hu looked after him in hospital every day after work.

"At that time, I realized how much my father needed me, and at home I could fulfill my duties as a son."

He likes the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, he says, and sometimes misses his friends there, but he has got used to a more leisurely life and his wife is now expecting a baby.

One factor that reduces the pressure of living in Changsha is its housing prices, which are 80 percent lower than those in Shanghai, he says.

"I can go fishing in the countryside and eat home-grown vegetables, without worrying about whether they are safe. Whether you decide to stay or leave, you really need to make up your mind as soon as you can."

Someone who feels no such time pressure is Cheng Sijuan, 31, who lives in Beijing. She says she is prepared to wait for five to eight years before she and her husband move back to her hometown of Chongqing.

They have worked in a State-owned finance company in Beijing for five years since graduating from university. They are waiting for the right job opportunities in Chongqing, she says, but that requires patience because the industry they are in has a much lower profile in the southwestern metropolis.

Plan B is to wait for promotion in Beijing then seek a transfer to Chongqing, because if they make the move now that will adversely affect their working conditions.

"In this game I always feel as though I am a mere spectator," Cheng says. "My roots are in my hometown because I'm more attached to it emotionally."

As her parents grow older and they face health issues, she becomes more homesick, she says.

"If I'm home, I can not only take care of them but also teach them to use new technology such as social media."