Wang Dong hasn't worked for months and doesn't plan to, whiling away his days at a lakeside town as one of a growing number of young Chinese "retiring" in the countryside.

Extended breaks from work were long unheard of in China, with its fiercely competitive office culture and where officials vaunt the blood and sweat behind the nation's rise.

But some are pushing back, giving themselves mental space to recover from burnout, feed the soul and consider other ways to contribute to society.

"All of us have different things going on at any one time and we need to pay attention to our present moment," the 29-year-old Wang said at a self-styled "youth retirement home" in Dali in China's scenic southwestern Yunnan province.

"It's been very meaningful for me to experience things during this period that can't be judged in material terms," he said.

Wang pitched up at the hostel this year after growing jaded with his job in hospitality.

Since then he has passed the time by visiting a temple, practising traditional tea preparation, going on outings with new friends or........

© International Business Times