"Do You Need to Escape from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou? A Discussion on My Views on City Choices"

This article is Lu Canwei's 130th original piece.

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Today I saw Teacher Tiny write about "Why I Want to Escape from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou," mentioning several issues such as housing prices, living costs, job opportunities and income, quality of life, and living space. Recently, many friends have been asking me whether I would consider returning to Shenzhen.

Taking this recent topic as an opportunity, I’d like to share my own views. First of all, I spent my childhood in Shenzhen and witnessed its gradual development. I remember back in the day, Nanshan had nothing; the area near Haiya Department Store was all flat land. When I took the school bus past there, I always found it strange why such a tall building would be built on flat ground.

But strange as it was, I still happily went to the rooftop of Haiya Department Store to play King of Fighters; that was the era of arcade games. For children who grew up in the city, the infrastructure is quite important, especially after living in Shanghai for many years, I have become more aware of the importance of convenient transportation.

Work Environment

With the development of information technology, the future work environment will definitely become more flexible. Many years ago, in the era of slow internet speeds, we had to turn off our mobile data most of the time and only turn it on when needed, followed by searching for Wi-Fi everywhere. Now, almost everyone has more than one mobile phone, and with the arrival of the 5G era, the internet will only become smoother.

This means we are already in an era where we can work anytime and anywhere. Poor signal and lack of internet can no longer be excuses for late submissions. The fixed 9-to-6 work schedule will become less common, and more people will start to adopt flexible work arrangements. Some may work 996, while others consider working until 3 PM as overtime.

With the current speed of the internet and the prevalence of various remote work software, many companies have begun to accept remote work. This means we are no longer limited to specific office locations; we can open our laptops in various cafes. I have even tried working in a bar while enjoying a drink and watching people dance, while unfortunately troubleshooting online issues.

Of course, non-fixed office settings cannot completely replace fixed office spaces, which is why co-working spaces are on the rise. You can rent a spot for one or two thousand, allowing you to have a place for your many personal items, such as those who like to keep personal belongings on their desks.

However, the best option is still to create an office space at home. Ergonomic chairs, electric standing desks, capacitive keyboards, large monitors, and speakers are all essentials. But these items only add to moving costs; if you don’t move often, it’s advisable to invest in a set.

Since there are no location restrictions, we no longer need to live close to the office. We can live in larger spaces at lower prices, and without commuting, we don’t have to deal with traffic jams or crowded subways.

So when it comes to choosing a city, I value infrastructure. Convenient transportation is mainly for occasional outings, and having nearby facilities like shopping areas, gyms, and cafes is sufficient.

Housing

Many people consider housing for various reasons. For example, many people in Shanghai cannot afford housing there and thus move to cities like Suzhou or Hangzhou for development. My view on housing is that you first need to confirm your own needs; living and buying are not the same.

If it’s purely an investment, then the living experience of the house is not an important factor; location and potential appreciation are what matter. There are many choices here, but the most important thing is to look at the city’s development itself. There is no definitive conclusion about which city has the best housing; after all, you may not be able to afford it. It’s like Moutai, which costs 200,000 for a single bottle; would you consider investing directly in it? Even if you want to buy, it’s better to start with funds, and later you might consider swapping for locations around the city.

For living, the main consideration is the surrounding living environment, including the size of the house and the community itself. Whether it’s rent or mortgage, you should mainly consider what you can afford.

Opportunities

When it comes to development opportunities, in terms of the overall environment, Shenzhen and Shanghai are definitely the top choices. I believe these two cities will continue to be at the forefront in high-tech fields in the future.

If you are a freelancer, then the city’s development doesn’t have too many requirements, as information spreads so quickly and transparently now.

However, if you are starting a team, then Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are the main hubs. Although remote work is on the rise, it cannot replace offline work. This mainly depends on where talent gathers; where there are talents, that’s where the city is.

Moreover, future development will not be limited to a single headquarters; different business headquarters will be based on the city’s attributes, but the core decision-making standards will definitely follow policies.

In Conclusion

The future will not be about staying in one place, as work will definitely take us to different locations, and work will increasingly move online. Living will not be a long-term process; housing is more of an asset investment.

For example, one might live in Hangzhou while purchasing property in Shanghai, spending certain months in either city, which is more about the local educational environment.

Of course, the most important thing is to go where you can make money; other options are not essential.

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