Retirement homes in China are not just for the elderly, as a new trend has emerged of burned-out professionals seeking a place where they can “retire” extremely early, typically in their 30s. The facilities embrace lifestyle philosophies such as “Fire” (financial independence, retire early) or “lying flat”, the famous Chinese phrase referring to the life approach to do the bare minimum to get by. The “nursing homes for the youth” are not unique to tier-one cities and can be found in provinces as different as Yunnan and Shandong, in southwestern and eastern China, respectively.
They tend to focus on the mental well-being of their clients and typically feature bars, cafes and karaoke rooms, offering an outlet for people to socialise, vent and relax. The Post explains what these “nursing homes” say about the future of China’s workforce. Most residents at these retirement homes are young adults in their 20s and 30s, and it is unlikely they plan to spend decades living in the facilities.
For some, the concept of “retirement” serves only as a temporary retreat, and they view their stay as “gap years” or “gap months” along their career path. “Some people may wonder why these young people are ‘retiring’ so early, but many people in their thirties are feeling lost. I was once one of them,” said 32-year-old Lu Leilei, who opened a nursing home in Yunnan province, which began operations earlier this year.
At Lu’s facility, morning routines beg.
