Yunnan, China – A โฃChineseโฃ man who amassed multiple advanced degrees from prestigious universities โadn held high-paying jobs has voluntarily abandoned a life โof wealth and privilege to โขlive โคas a homeless individual in Dali, Yunnan province. Zhao Dian, 32, formerly enjoyed a financially secure upbringing and a triumphant academicโ andโข professional career, but nowโฃ lives on approximately 100 yuan (Rp. โ233,800) per month.
Zhao spent his childhood in Shanghai โขbefore relocating toโข New Zealand at โขage 10. He earned two bachelor’s โdegrees and three master’s titles in โfinance while studying โin Sydney, New York, Beijing, and Paris, according to SCMP reports from September โฃ29, 2025. Despite parental pressure to succeed and readily available opportunities for โขa luxurious lifestyle, Zhao foundโค himself increasingly dissatisfied with the pursuitโ of conventional achievement.
“Washing dishes canโ bring happiness, so why should you wait forโค an ideal job?” Zhao stated.
After years abroad, Zhao โฃexperienced feelings of loneliness โฃand found solace among Chinese โขexpatriates.A turning point came while working inโข the โฃkitchen โof a Chinese restaurant in Paris, where โhe discovered fulfillment โฃin simple tasks.โ In 2023, he returned to China, initially โฃworking at a beer festival and in a hotel before ultimately choosing to live on the streets of โDali.
Zhao maintains a minimalist routine, waking โat 7โค am and sleeping at 9 pm, occasionally โขusing hostel facilities forโ bathing and laundry. He relies on free vegetarian restaurants for meals and has approximately 2,500 yuan (Rp. 5,845,000) remaining from his previous earnings.zhao believes his low-cost lifestyle has significantly increased his overallโ satisfactionโ and attributes a sense of aimlessness among many young people to a flawed educational โsystem.
