A look inside 'empty-nest' youth lives in Beijing

Sun Jiayao, 30, takes a walk after his lunch break, near his work in Beijing, on April 25, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Sun moved to Beijing to study in 2009, and continued to work in the city after he graduated. He now lives at a single room apartment with a monthly rent of nearly 2,000 yuan ($290).

"I feel it depends whether it's good or not to live alone," he said.

"I sometimes feel lonely since it's hard to find someone to talk with when I am down, and I am used to seeing doctors when I am sick."

"I still remember when I had to repair my broken rental room door by myself. Particularly during winter, I feel even more lonely when I leave and return to my dark room."

The young man said people earning livings in big cities, like Beijing, will undoubtedly experience a period of living alone, otherwise known as the "empty-nest" period, but will gradually find people to accompany them.