This commune has become a model for state-backed efforts to provide alternative ways of living and working that can entice young people back to the workforce. Residents, however, said they were mostly there to avoid stress and find new ways to live and work. Unemployment has been a particular concern as young Chinese, many of whom studied through brutal coronavirus lockdowns, graduate and emerge into an unwelcoming market. He regularly calls on young people to work hard and spearhead a national project of scientific and technological advancement. But creating attractive job opportunities for graduates who don’t want to work on the assembly line has been a challenge.