Yue Li: From Manager to Island Life | Uninhabited Island Story

BEIJING, KOMPAS.com – For many people, a career as a senior manager in a giant property company is the pinnacle of success.

However, share Yue Lithis flashy position actually became a prison that drained his physical and mental health.

Tired of the stifling routine, Yue Li takes an extreme decision.

He resigned, leaving the stability of the capital, and chose to live on Dongzhai Island, an uninhabited island in the Sea China Timur.

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From behind the desk to the fish nursery

The gap between Yue Li’s old and new lives was stark. For 20 years, he got used to a crazy work rhythm.

“I went on business trips 300 days a year. When I was in Beijing, I spent four hours every day just going back and forth from work to home. My health was at an extreme point,” recalled Yue Li, quoted from SCMP, Monday (9/2/2026).

Now, Yue Li’s daily tasks are very far from the meeting table and property reports. As a quality inspector at a fish breeding base, he had to record water temperatures, monitor tides, and inspect feeding equipment.

His salary also dropped drastically to only 3,000 yuan or around Rp. 7.8 million per month.

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Fight with storms and rats

Living on an uninhabited island It turns out it’s not as beautiful as the photos on social media. The first month, Yue Li had to deal with extreme weather.

“When it rains heavily, water leaks from the kitchen roof. If the wind reaches Level 9, I can’t even light a fire to cook,” he said.

Facilities are very minimal. Logistical supplies only depend on ships that arrive very rarely.

In fact, on her first day, Yue Li had to accept the fact that her toothpaste was stolen by the rats that were rampant on the island.

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Find freedom in simplicity

Despite having to fight storms and silence, Yue Li admits that she has no regrets.

He now has abundant free time to read books and enjoy the sunset, which was impossible for him when he was still working in Beijing.

He often fulfills his food needs himself from nature.

He often shares moments when he succeeded in catching eels and large crabs using traps.

“The crab supply here is abundant, more than enough for me to eat. I have sought freedom and inner peace in this simple but harsh environment,” he said in a video clip.

Yue Li’s decision sparked a wave of admiration and envy from Chinese netizens.

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