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Alice Yan

A woman has quit her job as a senior manager for a large Beijing company to work on an uninhabited island in the East China Sea.
Despite paying just 3,000 yuan (US$430) a month, the remote job has sparked an outpouring of envy online.
Yue Li, who was born in the 1980s, posts online about her new job as a quality inspector at a fish feeding base on the uninhabited Dongzhai Island, the City Express reported.
There are other islets nearby with no residents and the nearest inhabited one is Daishan Island, which is about 40 km away.

Yue’s job includes inspecting the fish feeding equipment, recording water temperature and sea waves, and monitoring the growth of the fish.
Before taking up the job in mid-December, Yue was a senior manager at a major Beijing-based property developer where she had worked for two decades.
She left the lucrative city job due to the pressure of work, said Yue.
“I was on business trips for 300 days of the year. While I was in Beijing, I spent four hours commuting between the office and home every day. At that time, I was at the extreme points of both my physical and mental health,” said Yue.

“I asked myself: is this the life you want?” she added.
Months ago, when she travelled to Zhoushan in eastern Zhejiang province, she saw a recruitment advertisement for the quality inspector position.
Yue said she was attracted by it because the job, with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan and only four days off every two months, offers her plenty of leisure time.
“I will be away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I can also spend lots of time reading books and enjoy the setting sun and the sea,” Yue said.

After working and living on the lonely island for a month, Yue acknowledged the conditions were challenging.
For most of this period, the weather was stormy and when it rained heavily, water leaked from the roof of her kitchen.
Once the wind speed reached Level 9 and she could not light a fire to cook.
Her daily necessities are provided by a ship which comes very infrequently.
Also, rats are rampant on the island. The day after Yue arrived, she found her toothpaste had been stolen by vermin.
However, she still enjoys her island life because she spends a lot of time fishing and catching crabs.
Yue often shares images of her harvest of seafood on social media. She once caught 10 big crabs with her cage trap.

“The supply of eels and crabs is super-rich here. There is more than enough for me to eat,” said Yue in a video clip.
“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,” she noted.
Many internet users expressed admiration for Yue’s life.
“This is the dream life of every fishing enthusiast,” one person said.
While another said: “Sister, do you need a bodyguard? I can be that. I will not charge you any money, as long as you allow me to fish with you.”


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China woman leaves city job to live on uninhabited island, relishing off-grid lifestyle

A Chinese woman has  made headlines after quitting her job at a property development company in Beijing to work as a quality inspector at a fish feeding centre on a remote island in the East China Sea. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin 

Quality inspector Yue Li checks one of the cages she uses to catch fish and crabs. photo: dskbhz

Yue fishes while sitting in a deck chair nursing a refreshing and warming mug of hot coffee. Photo: dskbhz

A close-up image of one of the many fish Yue catches on the uninhabited island. Photo: dskbhz

Yue describes the supply of crabs, above, in the waters around the island as “super-rich”. photo: dskbhz

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Huang removes a customer’s order from his motorcycle’s cargo container. Photo: Douyin

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Huang on his motorcycle. He says he loves the sense of freedom his job gives him. Photo: Douyin

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Former property development executive swaps rat race for ‘harsh’ and ‘stormy’ remote island; lives off plentiful supply of eels, crabs


Former property development executive swaps rat race for ‘harsh’ and ‘stormy’ remote island; lives off plentiful supply of eels, crabs.


China woman leaves city job to live on uninhabited island, relishing off-grid lifestyle

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Former property development executive swaps rat race for ‘harsh’ and ‘stormy’ remote island; lives off plentiful supply of eels, crabs

Former property development executive swaps rat race for ‘harsh’ and ‘stormy’ remote island; lives off plentiful supply of eels, crabs