Chinese tech entrepreneurs find inspiration from peaceful suburban life

Liangzhu, a suburb of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, has grown into a major hub for tech talent as many tech entrepreneurs try to find inspiration in the peaceful rural life of the region.

Located just 20 kilometers from downtown Hangzhou and a two-hour drive from Shanghai, this is a place where you can choose your path - whether you want to grow small projects into large ones, or just keep things small.

David Chen, an independent software developer, has been working alone at his own pace for two years in Liangzhu.

Chen is currently developing a simple video game on his own while maintaining the web tools he built earlier.

Although he is not a professional coder, he can do what he does with the help of artificial intelligence.

"The AI would find relevant documentation on its own and give me product proposals. It then starts writing code. If there are no errors, that function is implemented," said Chen.

Like many young professionals in Hangzhou, Chen used to be a workaholic in an internet company - meeting after meeting, working under a lot of pressure, which he said was not helpful for creating new ideas at all.

"When a person is under a lot of pressure, he would be only good at running but not exploring. Only when you live, sense and experience life can you discover new opportunities," said Chen.

The stunning scenery and the leisurely pace of Liangzhu have attracted hundreds if not thousands of programmers and entrepreneurs, who call themselves "villagers".

Allen Wang, designer of fitness tracker app GrowPal, is a typical example of these "tech villagers".

Living in Liangzhu for eight years, he found entrepreneurial inspiration from his daily routines.

"Every time I go for a run, I think about what I should create. While running, I get a lot of inspiration," said Wang.

Wang created an app in 2021 with just another partner. Now his team of seven spans across Hangzhou, Beijing, Osaka and other regions, and they've never had a traditional physical office.

"From day one, I wanted to build a remote‑first company, with most of our time devoted to creativity and life. I think that's better," said Wang.

His strategy worked. The app now has more than 4 million users and ranks among the top health apps in online stores.

"I think if I hadn't come here eight years ago, I probably wouldn't have done what I'm doing now. The people I meet and the community around me make a real difference. They change how I think about my life and about my product's future. Liangzhu is more relaxed, and when you relax, creativity naturally follows," said Wang.

In recent years, Liangzhu has gained popularity among China's internet and AI industry community. Tech founders and AI entrepreneurs see it as a place to exchange ideas.

"Sometimes developers come over from all over China, even from America. They come out of admiration for the place," said Wang.

Chinese tech entrepreneurs find inspiration from peaceful suburban life

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media