After working in Beijing for 20 years, woman quits, moves to uninhabited island for 'inner peace'

The woman's job now includes monitoring fish‑feeding equipment, recording water temperatures and sea conditions, and helping track fish growth. (AI-generated image)

A Chinese woman who spent two decades working as a senior manager with a property developer in Beijing has abandoned city life for an uninhabited island in the East China Sea, seeking what she describes as freedom, solitude, and “inner peace”. Her move, reported by the South China Morning Post, has drawn widespread fascination and even envy online.

The woman, identified as Yue Li, had worked for nearly 20 years at a major Beijing-based property developer before resigning under the weight of an exhausting schedule. She spent around 300 days a year on business trips, and even when home, her daily commute consumed four hours — all of which pushed her to the “extreme points” of physical and mental strain.

Increasingly questioning her lifestyle, Yue asked herself whether this constant motion reflected the life she truly wanted.

Choosing the remote and the rugged

Her turning point came during a trip to Zhoushan in Zhejiang province, where she noticed a recruitment ad for a quality inspector at a fish‑feeding base on Dongzhai Island — an isolated, uninhabited outpost. Drawn by the promise of solitude, time to read, and the chance to watch sunsets over the sea, she accepted the role despite its modest salary of 3,000 yuan (about Rs 40,000) a month and just four days off every two months.

Her job now includes monitoring fish‑feeding equipment, recording water temperatures and sea conditions, and helping track fish growth.

Harsh, but liberating existence

Island life, however, is far from idyllic. Yue has endured stormy weather, leaking roofs, high winds that prevent cooking, infrequent supply shipments, and even persistent rat infestations — one chewed through her toothpaste the day after she arrived. Still, she says these hardships are outweighed by the peace she has found through fishing, catching crabs, and embracing a slower rhythm of life.

‘Inner peace' over city chaos 

Despite the isolation, Yue shares her daily island routine online, where many admire the courage it took to step away from the pressures of urban life. For her, the trade-off is clear: “This life experience will definitely be a highlight of my life. I have sought my freedom and inner peace in this simple and harsh environment.”