18/08/2026
For Xu Yan, a new life began with a question: what does it really mean to live well?
After years of a fast-paced urban life, she left the city and moved to the countryside, where she began working the land with her own hands.
The transition was anything but easy. There were uncertain harvests, financial setbacks and moments when giving up crossed her mind. Yet she never regretted the choice.
On the farm, Xu Yan discovered a different rhythm—working with the seasons, reconnecting with nature and finding meaning in work that felt tangible and real.
But her vision goes beyond her own life. She hopes more young people can see agriculture not simply as farming, but as a profession, a way of life and an identity—and believes Nanjing is giving young people room and support to explore that possibility.
A New Life Takes Root is a story about choosing differently, growing through uncertainty and finding a life that feels truly your own.
Watch Xu Yan’s full story.
