Qiao Shifu is a foreign blogger who has lived in China long-term. He fell for Yunnan on his first visit and kept returning. In 2026 he made a big decision: back to Yunnan for good, settling in Yuxi — a quiet, warm city full of everyday life.
His videos show daily life in Yuxi: a bowl of xiaoguo rice noodles in the morning, a walk by Fuxian Lake, evening chats with neighbors. "Yuxi has no big-city noise but has what big cities lack — warmth. It reminds me of home, yet gentler," he says.
After settling down, he films Yunnan's culture deeply: markets, flower streets, Yi villages, ham and mushroom seasons. Foreign viewers learn the name "Yuxi" for the first time; Chinese viewers rediscover beauty around them.
From traveler to settler, Qiao Shifu voices a group of foreigners' hearts: China isn't just a destination — it's a place to build a life.
"Master Joe" (b. around 1990), American, a foreign blogger settled in rural Yuxi, Yunnan. He became famous filming Yunnan village life - a representative of "foreigners in rural China".
His choice: after years in China, he left the big city to settle in a Yunnan village. He learns farm work, shops at markets and mingles with neighbours, filming village life.
Why he rose: his videos are quiet, real and healing - morning roosters, field work, market bustle and neighbourly chat. In the fast internet age, this "slow life" comforts urban audiences.
Significance: his choice shows a new direction for some foreigners - seeking another possibility of life in rural China, not just first-tier cities. His videos show the world the vitality and warmth of Chinese villages.
Lesson: he proves "lifestyle" is itself content. No need to chase trends - live well, record sincerely, and you will move people.
A hidden value in his videos: the markets, sowing and harvests he films form a "foreigner-perspective archive" of Chinese village life. For foreign viewers who have never seen rural China, these images are more credible than any promotional film. Ordinary life recorded honestly is the highest form of national imagery.
For those wanting to slow down: Joe says the biggest change in Yuxi is "time slows down" - a day holds many small things: feeding chickens, watering plants, tea with neighbours. He suggests city-weary young people spend a week in a Chinese village to relearn the weight of the word "life".
Summary: his videos have no narration, yet countless people understand "life" from them. If you feel anxious, watch three minutes of his videos - you will believe the world offers another way of living, simple and solid.
He plans to stay in Yuxi long-term, because "here I learned what life is".
His lens holds no "poetry and distance" filter - only soil, sweat and cooking smoke - yet this very plainness lets people far away see the rural China real loveliness.
