‘Just eat, drink and have fun’: Childless couple in China retiring in their prime to enjoy life restart Internet debate on ‘lying flat’ culture

A well-to-do Shanghai couple’s decision to retire early after struggling to find work is the latest example of China’s ‘lying flat’ culture. The couple in their 30s and 40s, have no children and two cats as their only dependents and say they can live on the interest from their savings. — SCMP

A couple in China who have retired in their prime to join the “lying flat” movement have renewed debate about the controversial culture, called tang ping in Chinese, where people abandon career ambitions and do the bare minimum to get by.

The 33-year-old woman, surnamed Chen, and her 43-year-old husband live in Shanghai, where Chen previously had a job as a game designer, and her husband worked in real estate.

They both lost their jobs last year and, after several months of unsuccessful job hunting, decided to leave the workforce and live off their 3mil yuan (US$43,000) in savings, The Paper reported.

The couple do not plan to have children and said their two pet cats are their only dependents.

The report said they don’t worry about their elderly parents as they receive government pensions and are covered by the public medical insurance scheme.

Chen and her husband own a flat in the city, have a car, and no debt. They receive around 10,000 yuan (US$1,455) in monthly income from the interest on their bank savings.

The couple have adapted to their new “lying flat” lifestyle by eating all their meals at home and not going to restaurants and have reduced all non-essential spending and only spend around 6,000 yuan a month. Chen said they estimate that their bank savings will be enough to support them for 30 years.

“I am not a person who likes large responsibilities, so I don’t want to have a kid. I just want to eat, drink, have fun and enjoy life,” Chen said.

“After changing to ‘tang ping’, my nerves that were strained before have completely relaxed. I don’t get woken up by the alarm clock. I don’t worry about any text messages from clients or my boss,” she added. “I sleep until I wake up naturally every day. I allocate my time freely. My body and my soul have been freed.”

Chen said since she and her husband stopped participating in the workforce, they have developed a peaceful mindset and have no anxieties.

“We are free and feel at ease every day. Psychological health could enhance physical health,” she said.

The couple’s parents support their decision not to have a child. “They said they are too old to help us care for a kid. Moreover, they back us for doing what we choose,” said Chen.

“Lying flat” movement has gained popularity among China’s younger generations in recent years as many have become jaded with the constant struggle to deal with the pressure of China’s intensely competitive education and workplace cultures.

“Some people ask us, ‘What about when you are 70 years old?’ My answer is that we will look at that when we reach 70. Be happy in the moment. If I will live a hard life as a result, then that’s my choice,” Chen said.

Mainland Chinese Internet users are divided over the couple’s early retirement choice.

“I envy their life. I also want to do the same, but I don’t have sufficient money to do that,” commented one person on Douyin.

Another person said: “I am 43 years old, the same age as her husband. My kid is two years old. Looking at my own life I came to understand their attitude. Tang ping is a pretty good way to live.”

“I hope people who have earned enough money like this couple will follow them and retire early, leaving moneymaking opportunities to the massive numbers of ambitious young people,” a third person said.

Some felt the couple were naive and overconfident about their future.

“They are very brave to make this decision. Three million yuan is not a big amount. It cannot handle any big risks,” said one person on Weibo.

“First, no financing product can guarantee to provide them 10,000 yuan per month. Secondly, they don’t consider inflation as a factor. Lastly, their plan can only work smoothly with one important condition that they don’t develop a serious illness,” the person said. “Relying on three million yuan to live for three decades shows the couple’s lack of common sense in economics.”

Another critic said: “A sense of security does not come from how much money you have, but from the money you will make in the future from a stable, well-paid job. Only spending money without making money will use up all your savings.” – South China Morning Post