In recent years, the housing prices in Hegang, Heilongjiang Province, have fallen to just tens of thousands of yuan, making Hegang the top choice for young people in mainland China to “buy a house and lay flat.” As housing prices have generally declined in mainland China, the prices in remote areas have become more “Hegang-like,” such as Fuxin in Liaoning Province, where many young people have bought houses at “bargain prices” and chosen to “lay flat.”
According to incomplete statistics from ifeng.com, as of June this year, a total of 24 cities in China have appeared in discussions on social media platforms about “buying a house for tens of thousands of yuan,” including Fuxin in Liaoning Province, Huainan in Anhui Province, Gejiu in Yunnan Province, and Hebi in Henan Province.
Data from Anjuke, one of China’s largest real estate information platforms, shows that in Fuxin, Liaoning Province, the current price for new houses is 3418 yuan per square meter.
These cities with “affordable” housing prices are gradually becoming the first choice for young Chinese people to buy houses. So far, the viewing volume of the “Hegang buy house” topic on the social media platform Xiaohongshu has reached 10 million, while the viewing volume for “Fuxin buy house” has reached 17 million.
ifeng.com analysis shows that low-priced cities that are popular on the internet are mainly cities that have risen in the past due to resource exploitation.
A self-media person named “Linger” recently said that she spent 37,000 yuan to buy a house in Fuxin with full payment after staying in Shanghai for 15 years without any happiness. As an ordinary worker, she felt oppressed in Shanghai, scrimped and saved every month, and lived poorly. She spent three hours commuting every day, feeling crowded and tired. However, she couldn’t save any money or afford to buy a house.
After buying a house in Fuxin, she met many female friends who had similar experiences. The reason they bought houses was to have a sense of belonging and a “home” of their own.
Self-media person “Bean” posted a video on July 3, saying she spent 15,000 yuan to buy a new house in Fuxin with full payment and now leads a simple life.
A Liaoning netizen named “Naige Shui” recently said that she spent 28,000 yuan to buy a house in Fuxin and now lives a laid-back life during the day. She often goes shopping at local department stores and night markets at night.
According to Central News Agency, 24-year-old Qin Xue (pseudonym) left a fashion design company in Hangzhou to take a break but couldn’t afford the rent in Hangzhou, so she chose to invest in property in Fuxin, Liaoning Province, purchasing a house for 24,000 yuan, which also came with second-hand furniture.
Qin Xue said that after buying the house, the pressure to save money disappeared, and she started doing things she wanted to do. She set a limit of six months, and if she couldn’t support herself with the job she loves, she would go back to Hangzhou and “work like a horse.”