In Shenzhen, a programmer has been living in his car for three years, stating that he cannot afford to buy a house in Shenzhen. By living in his car, he has saved nearly a hundred thousand yuan.
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Zhang Yunlai, 41 years old, originally from Yangjiang, Guangdong, has been working as a programmer at a small company in Nanshan, Shenzhen for six years. In addition to his job, he also manages his own social media account, where he shares his “car-living life.”
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Video footage shows him parking his car in a park at night, lowering the back seats, laying down a mattress, and sleeping inside the car. To prevent suffocation, he leaves a gap in the car window.
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“I didn’t live in the car to save on rent, but it does save on rent,” Zhang Yunlai recently told Red Star News. In his first two years in Shenzhen, he spent over 2000 yuan renting a single room, only three meters long, less than ten square meters, with no separate bathroom and poor conditions. Three years ago, after buying a car, he started living in it.
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“If you park for 9 to 11 hours overnight, it costs about 6 yuan,” Zhang Yunlai said. Although the space is small, having his own space is crucial, and the environment is better than his previous rented room. At night, the park is very quiet, and being close to the sea feels like having a “seaside room.”
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According to Zhang Yunlai, after work from Monday to Thursday, he eats near the office, goes to the gym to shower, finds a good place to park in Shenzhen Bay Park at night, and uses the public restroom to freshen up. On Friday evenings, he drives about 300 kilometers back to his hometown in Yangjiang to be with his family, then drives back to Shenzhen for work on Monday, taking his dirty clothes home to wash. “Calculating it monthly, it costs only a few thousand yuan, saving nearly a hundred thousand yuan over three years.”
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He admits that he cannot afford a house in Shenzhen, but in his view, over three years of “car-living life” isn’t that bad.
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“Although a bit tired, having a lot of time, more time to spend with family makes it very worthwhile,” he said. He views his time in Shenzhen as work for earning money, and real life is back home.
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Zhang Yunlai mentioned he will continue camping in his car in Shenzhen until the day he returns to develop in his hometown.
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This topic has sparked discussions online. Many netizens expressed admiration, with comments such as, “I’m really moved, driving home 300 kilometers every week to be with his wife and children, working alone in Shenzhen. It’s truly admirable and responsible.” Others praised his practicality, noting that saving money from not renting a place in Shenzhen allows for other opportunities in his hometown. Some remarked on the challenges of living in a car, highlighting potential health risks from car interiors.
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One netizen questioned, “What is the meaning of life?” with another responding, “Still paying off mortgages, car loans, all sorts of loans.”