Places in Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi and Hainan have become popular destinations, combining comfortable climates with well-developed healthcare, transportation and everyday amenities. In Yunnan alone, local reports show seasonal-living visitors topped 5.51 million in 2025, up 41.4 percent from a year earlier, and stayed an average of 83 days.

　　Li Ying"an, 74, is one of many Chongqing residents who flee the summer heat. He describes life back home as "living in a steamer." He and his wife compared several cities" climates, healthcare and living costs before settling on Qujing in Yunnan, where they have now spent 11 summers.

　　Liu Yufen, from northeast China"s Jilin Province, spends her winters in China"s southern island province of Hainan to escape the cold and ease her joint pain. "Take a walk in the park next door in the evening, and you"ll hear Northeastern accents everywhere," she said.

　　A passenger poses for photos on a tourist train for seniors in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

　　FINDING NEW CONNECTIONS

　　Beyond accommodation, food and sightseeing, seasonal living is also meeting a deeper need for companionship and social connection.

　　Wang Fei, who heads a department serving seasonal residents in Anshun Economic and Technological Development Zone, puts it simply: climate brings retirees to a destination, but social connections can keep them there.

　　For many seniors, retirement can mean a shrinking social circle. Zhao Tianlong said many older people living in high-rise apartments in cities barely know their neighbors, while their children are busy with work and their own families. As a result, they often spend much of the day alone or with their spouse.