Zhang Yang in his 30s
Zhang Yang is from a village in Shenyang city, northeast China's Liaoning province. He attended the graduate school in Beijing and stayed in the city following graduation, which is a typical path for a beipiao.
Recently, he switched jobs from a TV station to an Internet video company as the director of overseas operations. He explained that he wanted to make a new beginning before getting old.
"I love Beijing because it is all-embracing. Historic side-streets may be right beside the commercial streets full of high-rise buildings. Beijing attracts various resources from across the country and there are many good job positions. I can look forward to a better future here," Zhang stressed.
But sometimes he also gets frustrated by the capital’s heavy traffic, air pollution and high cost of living.
"The city is too large and too crowded. Competition here is fierce. And I always feel myself a stranger without friends and families around," he sighed with emotion.
"The pace of work at the Internet companies is very fast. I put most of my energy into getting familiar with business and establishing teams. Sometimes I am too busy to even remember to eat. Sometimes I work overtime until very late hours," Zhang added.
Although the work is tiring, he, however, feels fulfilled every day.