Digital nomads inject vitality into rural revitalization in SW China's Yunnan

Waking up to the warm sunlight at 9 a.m., volunteering at a hillside café, strolling along a graffiti-covered path in the village, enjoying a bowl of vegetarian food from an ancient temple, and soaking in hot springs with water that's even drinkable. This is the lifestyle of Tan Xin, a travel designer, during a half-month stay in Longshan village in Anning city, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

In 2013, Tan left a job at a travel company in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province to move to Yunnan. During the 2025 Spring Festival, Tan came across a stunning photo of Longshan village on the social media platform Xiaohongshu and was immediately drawn to it. Tan decided to visit a digital nomad center in the village to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle.

The digital nomad center offers facilities such as workspace, courtyards, shared kitchens, and dormitories to meet the needs of digital nomads for both work and leisure. Since its opening in June 2024, it has hosted nearly 100 digital nomads from over 10 countries, including Pakistan, Russia, and the United States, as well as visitors from across China.

Photo shows a viewing platform in Longshan village, Anning city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Xian)

The digital nomads have activated unused properties in the village. The houses of three families have been rented and transformed into an art park which has become a popular spot for visitors to take photos.

The influx of visitors has opened up new income opportunities for local villagers. More agritainment facilities have been established, and villagers who once relied on farming are now earning 2,000 to 3,000 yuan (about $414) a month by helping clean the digital nomad center, maintaining the hillside café, and selling local products to tourists.

Li Chuanyi, founder of Newrathon Tech who was among the first to settle in the village, learned that local villagers were struggling to sell walnuts. Using his social media platforms and other resources, Li helped the villagers sell 500 kilograms of walnuts during a live-streaming session.

"The arrival of digital nomads helps rejuvenate rural communities. Most digital nomads are highly skilled professionals—such as tech workers, artists, and entrepreneurs. We hope to harness their wisdom and abilities to create a new lifestyle driven by passion and value creation," said an official from the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Anning Municipal Committee.

Photo shows the digital nomad center in Longshan village, Anning city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Xian)

In September 2024, Anning launched Yunnan's first digital nomad talent hub at the digital nomad center in Longshan village. The hub has created a talent database to track digital nomads' profiles, skills, and resource potential. It matches the right people with suitable local projects, helping them apply their innovative ideas and broad perspectives to areas like rural revitalization, grassroots governance, urban marketing, and investment attraction.