Summary of "Life in China 🇨🇳 I Just Turned 36 — No Job, No Friends, No Partner..."

Short summary

A 36-year-old man named Zaza moved from a small county in northern China to live alone in Shenzhen (about 1,500 km away). He deliberately rejects conventional markers of Chinese “success” — a stable job, house, car, marriage — and explains why those choices were intentional rather than accidental.

He left a stable corporate job because it made him feel like his time didn’t belong to him, then started his own business even though the income became unstable. In short, he traded financial security for personal freedom and curiosity. He chose not to buy property or take a mortgage to avoid being locked into a life or city he didn’t want, and he stayed single to protect his need for space and autonomy.

Loneliness exists for him, but he treats solitude as a practice: cooking, walking, observing life, and quiet routines helped him learn who he is without external validation. The video is presented as a personal, honest account (not a recommendation that everyone follow his path) and ends with a question about whether you are living the life you truly chose or the life chosen for you.

Are you living the life you truly chose or the life chosen for you?

Choices and reasons

Left a stable corporate job because it felt like his time didn’t belong to him.
Started his own business despite unstable income to gain freedom and satisfy curiosity.
Refused to buy property or take a mortgage to avoid being locked into a specific life or location.
Stayed single to maintain space and autonomy.
Views solitude as an intentional practice rather than a failure or deficit.

Solitude as practice

Zaza acknowledges loneliness but frames solitude positively. His regular practices include:

Cooking for himself
Walking and observing daily life
Quiet routines that allow reflection
Using solitude to discover and understand his own preferences and values without seeking external validation

Practical lifestyle tips and takeaways

Distinguish stability from suitability: a “safe” job can still cost you your sense of self.
If you value mobility and choice, avoid long-term financial locks (for example, mortgages).
Be honest with yourself about what you want — different people thrive under different structures.
Accept that choosing freedom brings uncertainty and anxiety; acknowledge those costs rather than denying them.
Practice solitude intentionally: make time for cooking, walking, quiet reflection, and observing daily life to understand yourself better.
Don’t equate being single or alone with failure — it can be a conscious choice that enables autonomy.

Travel and food highlights

Shenzhen: chosen as a deliberate home for its anonymity, diversity, and acceptance of varied lifestyles (noted as a first-tier Chinese city).
Local food highlight: pork trotter rice — described as a high-calorie, quick-to-serve local staple; popular restaurants often have long lines.

Notable names and mentions

Speaker: Zaza (the narrator)
Location: Shenzhen (moved ~1,500 km from his hometown in northern China)
Food/product: pork trotter rice
Aside: an audio clip in the subtitles references a psychiatrist’s line about “moral narcissism” and psychopathy — likely unrelated or auto-generated.