American Photography 42 Winners

China’s Shifting Relationship to the Countryside

In Yunnan province, southwest China, nestled between snow-capped, 10,000-foot peaks and the shores of glistening Erhai Lake, lies the valley of Dali, an ancient town with a storied history. Dali has been home to the Bai people for thousands of years, who supposedly settled in this idyllic rural environment after fleeing warring dynasties in the north. Today, this modest town, where people have lived off the land for generations, is on the brink of massive change. Young Chinese (often digital nomads) are flocking to Dali to escape the relentless ‘996’ life cycle (work 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week), high cost of living, cutthroat competition, record youth unemployment and suffocating political environment of the country’s megacities.

China’s Shifting Relationship to the Countryside

In Yunnan province, southwest China, nestled between snow-capped, 10,000-foot peaks and the shores of glistening Erhai Lake, lies the valley of Dali, an ancient town with a storied history. Dali has been home to the Bai people for thousands of years, who supposedly settled in this idyllic rural environment after fleeing warring dynasties in the north. Today, this modest town, where people have lived off the land for generations, is on the brink of massive change. Young Chinese (often digital nomads) are flocking to Dali to escape the relentless ‘996’ life cycle (work 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week), high cost of living, cutthroat competition, record youth unemployment and suffocating political environment of the country’s megacities.