Dream lifestyles in Dali end in disappointment

Some moves to idyllic lakeside city in Yunnan province end with a return home

"If you are not satisfied with your life and don't know why you have lost your smile; if you are unhappy and don't like being where you are, go west - with Dali your destination."

These lyrics form part of a song in the Chinese blockbuster movie Breakup Buddies, which was shot mostly in Dali, an attractive city in Yunnan province, and released in 2014.

The film inspired many middle-income earners tired of the hustle and bustle of urban life to quit their jobs in big cities and move to Dali.

However, unlike in Breakup Buddies, many people's dreams of finding a better life in Dali - which has provided the perfect backdrop for romantic trysts in hundreds of movies - have not had happy endings, and they are beginning to leave for a variety of reasons.

Chu Xiaogui, an author of popular books who moved to Dali from Beijing with her husband in December 2015, said she had since witnessed many friends leaving and returning to their hometowns.

As a professional writer, Chu has interviewed dozens of people from across the country who moved to Dali. She and her husband, who help organize activities such as gardening, hiking and cycling for newcomers, have a big circle of friends who have relocated to the city.

"People have different reasons for leaving, ranging from the need to take care of elderly parents who have stayed in their hometowns, to taking their children back to big cities for better education," she said.

People are also leaving because after two or three years without work, they need to find paid employment.