CHANGSHA, Hunan: Leaving the bustling financial hub of Shanghai for the lesser-known city of Changsha in central China’s Hunan province may appear to be a step backwards to some, but not for one young couple.

Ms Shi Honghong, 29, and her husband Xie Chaofeng, 30, made the bold move about three years ago. Today, they have no regrets.

Shanghai, classified as a first-tier Chinese city along with Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, is a “prosperous city" that many Chinese aspire to live in, said Ms Shi.

But while income levels in Shanghai may be higher, Ms Shi also noted that the high housing prices in the city were one of the main push factors, especially as she and her husband looked to start a family.

The couple recently moved into their new 120 sqm home in the Changsha suburbs, bought for about US$225,000, about a fifth of what they would have have to pay in Shanghai.

The affordable housing in Changsha has been a key draw for many who have relocated to the city. Prices are kept in check as the local government unlike many others, does not rely on land financing and real estate for revenue.

THE APPEAL OF CHANGSHA

The couple said they were also drawn by the better quality of life that Changsha appeared to offer.

“Rather than just existing in a city, truly living in the city is the more important thing,” she told CNA.

“Compared to Shanghai, Changsha has a more down-to-earth atmosphere with a vibrant everyday life, and the pace of life is more relaxed. Although there may still be some overtime work, it's easier to find a balance between work and life.”

The couple is among a growing number relocating to the city.

In the last three years, cities in China’s central region have seen the strongest population growth. Changsha took the top spot in 2022, while Hefei, the provincial capital of neighbouring Anhui, came in tops last year.

As China marks the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic this year, Changsha is among the nation’s central cities that have gone from relative obscurity to becoming integral to China’s development.

“We already see that many of the first- or second-tier cities in the coastal areas already reached a kind of growth limit in terms of population, in terms of economic development,” said Dr Chen Gang, deputy director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.

“But for the second- and third-tier cities in the inland provinceshaha777, there is huge development room and space for them because the population are refocusing in those areas and there's very strong technological and industrial clustering conditions to support their future developments.”

Ms Shi Honghong and her husband Xie Chaofeng moved from Shanghai to Changsha in 2021. (Photo: CNA/Olivia Siong)

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