Young people in China embrace ‘hermit’ lifestyles, seek escape from pressures of modern life

In a misty forest on a “deserted and wild” mountain in China, 27-year-old Meimei Tu and her partner built a cottage to fulfil a dream. “We did everything: building the roof, mixing the concrete and planting a lawn,” Ms Tu says. “I love the mountains so much, and I like to stay in solitude and immerse myself in my own world.” Meimei Tu built her cottage with her partner in the mountains near China’s south-western city of Chengdu. ( Supplied: Meimei Tu ) Ms Tu is among a growing number of young people in China experimenting with yin ju, or…