To tang ping or not to tang ping?
Young people in China, struggling with increasingly out-of-reach goals in the competitive rat race, consider 'lying flat' and doing the bare minimum to get by in life
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Aw Cheng Wei China Correspondent In Beijing, Aw Cheng Wei
Living on 200 yuan (S$41) a month, not working for two years and playing a corpse on television when the mood strikes - such is the life described in a forum post that has gone viral recently, and led to youth in China questioning their choices.
"Tang ping" or "lie flat" is the true measure of life, according to the post in April on search engine operator Baidu's forum site Tieba. "Humans shouldn't have to work so hard. We should aim for a simple life, that is why I do things slowly. I (also) do not have to do anything for others."