A 38-year-old programmer working in Beijing, who spends weekdays sleeping in his car and returns to his home in nearby Tianjin every Friday, has gained significant attention on mainland social media.
Advertisement
The man, known as Yin, typically departs from Tianjin at 5.30am on Monday, driving 130km along the highway to reach his workplace in Beijing. He returns home after finishing work on Friday afternoons.
Yin has maintained this lifestyle for nearly three years, having switched to a more spacious electric vehicle in the latter half of 2022. Before this, he rented a flat in Beijing for 2,500 yuan (US$350) per month, as reported by the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
His wife and two sons live in Tianjin. Yin explained that he needs to work in Beijing because job opportunities for programmers are limited in Tianjin.
“I have been living in my car for the past three years. As long as your car is spacious enough and you can easily find charging stations, the experience is no worse than staying in a hotel,” Yin stated.
Advertisement
He often parks in a nearby park and wakes up at 6.30am each day, taking a stroll around the park before preparing his breakfast in the car using a small electric cooker.