Before my journey into anthropology, I majored in urban planning, urban design, and urban informatics.  Following my studies, I spent five years in Beijing working as a community planner and smart city engineer. These experiences sparked and deepened my interest in urbanization, modernization, community engagement, stakeholder dynamics, and state-society-individual relations. I believe there is no approach more suited to exploring these themes than anthropological theory and ethnographic methods.

My current research explores the emerging trend of urban-to-rural migration among young people in China. Specifically, many young people are relocating from cities to towns and rural areas, where they are building communities around themes such as digital nomadism, spiritual or religious practices, and web3 startups. Such movement marks a significant departure from the dominant mobility pattern of China’s rapid urbanization era, which revolved around moving to large cities, pursuing careers in giant companies, and securing formal urban registration and its associated social benefits.

Through ethnographic inquiry, I examine how these migrants navigate the tensions between state-led rural revitalization initiatives and grassroots cultural practices; articulate aspirations for affordable living, spiritual fulfillment, and community; and challenge conventional paradigms of mobility and marginalization.