Theory can be generated. Experience can only be lived. 理论可以生成，但经验只能靠体验。

At the start of the year, in Chiang Mai — the "digital nomad capital of the world" — I hosted the only Chinese-language session of NomadSummit's NomadWeek, introducing China's community practice to nomads from around the globe. 年初，在“世界数字游民之都”清迈，在 NomadSummit 的 NomadWeek 里，我发起了全场唯一一个华语活动，向全球的数字游民介绍中国社区的实践。

In those exchanges I saw a gap: while we are still searching for our "calling," overseas nomads and tech talent are asking how to scale their businesses. But their feedback also showed me what makes Chinese communities different: 1) China already has many digital nomads and nomad-curious explorers; 2) local governments actually have policies supporting them. 交流中，我看到鸿沟差距——当我们还在寻找“天命 calling”时，海外的数字游民、科技人才们寻求的是如何更好规模化自己的企业；但同时，这些全球数字游民们的反馈，也让我看到了不一样的中国社区差异点：1. 中国已经有很多数字游民和数字游民探索者；2. 地方政府有对应的政策支持数字游民。

In October, a lifestyle magazine invited me to write for its new issue. I took the chance to talk with digital nomad community founders across Asia, Africa, and Europe, to see what nomad communities look like from a global lens. The result, unexpectedly, was disenchantment. 10月，一本生活方式杂志邀请我为新一期主题撰稿。借此机会，我跟亚非欧三大洲的数字游民社区发起人聊了聊，来看看「全球视角下，数字游民社区会有什么不一样」，然而最后，反而让我对数字游民生活方式“祛魅”了。

A disenchantment tour across three continents 三大洲的“祛魅”之旅

Europe — Lisbon 欧洲——里斯本

Ash, founder of Nomad Lisbon, was once a lonely nomad himself. After six years of drifting around the world, he settled in Lisbon in 2017 and, out of loneliness, did something deceptively simple: every Thursday night, at the same bar, he hosted a digital nomad meetup. Free, for everyone. 里斯本数字游民社区 (Nomad Lisbon) 的创始人 Ash 曾是孤独的游牧者，他在世界各地漂泊了六年，2017 年定居里斯本后，因为孤独，他做了一件看似简单的事：每周四晚上，在同一家酒吧，组织数字游民聚会。所有人，免费参加。

No fancy venue, no elaborate membership system, no carefully packaged brand story. Volunteers help run and host the events; partner restaurants and bars kick back a small commission to cover basic costs. Years later, it has become one of the most active nomad communities in Europe. 没有豪华场地，没有复杂的会员体系，没有精心包装的品牌故事，志愿者帮忙统筹和主持活动，合作的餐厅和酒吧会分一点佣金给社区维持基本开销。就这样，多年后，它已经成了欧洲最活跃的数字游民社群之一。

Insight 1: A community doesn't need to pursue perfection or complexity from day one. What it needs is certainty — a fixed time, a fixed place, a ritual. When people know that "every Thursday night, I'll meet my kind there," connection happens naturally. 启发1：社区不需要从一开始就追求完美和复杂，它需要的是一个“确定性”——确定的时间、地点、仪式感。当人们知道“每周四晚上去那里就能遇见同类”，连接就自然发生了。

Asia — Seoul 亚洲——首尔

If Lisbon showed me the power of simplicity and repetition, Seoul Nooks showed me what deliberate design can do. Founder Yeji positions the community as a "family lab of one's own choosing." 如果说里斯本让我看到简单和重复的力量，首尔角落（Seoul Nooks）则让我看到更多“设计”的可能性：创始人 Yeji 将社区定位为“自主选择的家庭实验室”。

There's a strict application process, a two-month minimum stay, regular town-hall meetings for co-governance… The community also practices Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to help members work through conflict and emotion. Behind these institutional designs lies deep insight. 这里有严格的申请筛选流程、两个月的最低居住期限，有定期举办的市政厅会议实行共同治理……社区还实践非暴力沟通 (NVC)，帮助成员处理冲突和情绪。这些制度设计背后是深刻的洞察。

Insight 2: Community culture can be institutionalized. It shouldn't depend entirely on a founder's personal charisma — it should be crystallized into rituals, rules, and governance structures. That's what makes it sustainable. 启发2：社区文化是可以被“制度化”的。它不应该完全依赖创始人的个人魅力，而应该通过仪式、规则、治理结构固化下来，这样才能可持续。

Africa — multiple locations 非洲——多地

AfricaNomads surprised and moved me the most. Its four founders have all lived and worked on the continent for years, and they know many people "dream of coming to Africa but stop at fear and uncertainty." Their answer is curated coliving — a safer entry point into Africa for digital nomads. 非洲数字游民社区（AfricaNomads）最让我意外和感动。四位创始人都在非洲大陆生活工作多年，深知许多人“梦想来非洲，却因恐惧和不确定性止步”。他们用“策展式”共居的方式为数字游民提供更安全进入非洲的入口。

But their ambition goes further. They partnered with a Chinese solar company to donate solar systems to 250 off-grid households in Lamu, Kenya; they hire local chefs, guides, and artisans so nomads absorb local culture through daily interaction; they organize members to join women's cooperative workshops, lending design and marketing skills to local projects. 但他们的野心不止于此。他们与中国太阳能公司合作，向肯尼亚拉穆的250户缺电家庭捐赠太阳能系统；聘请本地厨师、导游、工匠，让数字游民通过日常互动理解当地文化；组织成员参加妇女合作社的工作坊，用设计和营销技能帮助本地项目。

Insight 3: Growing the nomad economy into a "symbiotic economy" makes a more complete network. This thinking applies not only to Africa but to China's own urban-rural nomad hubs — Dali, Anji, Huangshan. 启发3：将数字游民经济发展为“共生经济”会是一个更完整的网络。这种思维不仅适用于非洲，也适用于中国的大理、安吉、黄山等城乡结合之间的数字游民聚集地。

What I became disenchanted with 我究竟“祛魅”了什么

The first thing to die was the idea that "only copying leads to success." Lisbon's simplicity, Seoul's institutions, Africa's sense of mission — each has strengths, none is perfect. The African community has no fixed venue; Lisbon may lack deep connection; Seoul's high entry bar may exclude some people. 首先让我祛魅的是：“只有复制才能成功”的念头。我看到里斯本的简单、首尔的制度化、非洲的使命感——它们各有所长，但没有哪个是完美的。非洲社区不是固定场域、里斯本或许缺少深度连接、首尔的入住高门槛可能排斥一部分人……

These communities — different cultures, geographies, and directions — raised a series of questions in my head: Does perfect hardware + ample funding + a luxurious venue = a "perfect community" = a successful one? Does international = Westernized? Is picking a good team and providing facilities enough to set it and forget it? …No. 这些不同文化、不同地域、不同发展方向的社区，让我脑海中冒出许多疑问：有完美的硬件、充足的资金、豪华的场地 =“完美社区”= 成功的社区吗？国际化 = 西化吗？选好团队、提供设施就可以“一劳永逸”吗？……并不是。

The second thing to shed is the fear of difference. Communities are grown, not manufactured. Internationalization isn't about erasing differences — it's about creating value within them. We need to create digital nomad communities for the Chinese context: a distinct model combining local rootedness, an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and an explorer's spirit. 其次，需要祛魅的是“对差异的恐惧”。社区是“生长”出来的，国际化不是抹平差异，而是在差异中创造价值。我们需要创造属于中国语境的数字游民社区——一种结合了在地根植性、创业生态系统和探索者精神的独特模式。

Looking back at China: three underrated advantages 回看中国：被低估的三个优势

Frankly, most Chinese nomad communities are still at "1.0" (providing space and wifi) or "2.0" (organizing events); only a handful reach "3.0" — having a real community culture. Revisiting my nine months of community operations and my earlier Panoramic Digital Nomad Insight Report, I mapped out three seriously underrated advantages of our own: 坦率说，中国大部分数字游民社区还停留在“提供场地和网络”的1.0阶段，和“组织活动”的2.0，仅仅几个社区能达到“拥有社区文化”的3.0。我重新审视自己9个月的社区运营经验和此前撰写的《全景式数字游民洞察报告》，梳理出属于我们自己的三个被严重低估的优势：

1. Stronger local rootedness 第一：更强的在地根植性

Nomads roaming mainland China sometimes stay in one place for a year or two, even settle down. The "new residents" of Dali speak the Bai language, join the village torch festival, befriend guesthouse owners, even open businesses locally. Because they're nomading within a familiar country, deeper local ties and more sustainable community relationships come naturally. That long-term co-building is an overlooked constructive force for urban renewal and rural revitalization — with government playing a crucial binding and supporting role. 在大陆地区游牧的数字游牧者，有时候在一个地方一待就是一两年，甚至定居。例如在大理的新移民们，他们会说白族话、参加村里的火把节、和客栈老板成为朋友，甚至在当地开店创业。由于本身就是在熟悉的国家环境游牧，反而有更多潜在更深的本地连接和更可持续的社区关系。这种长期的共生共建对城市更新和乡村振兴来说，是一股被忽视的建设性力量。在此间，需要政府在其中作为很强的粘合剂角色和支持角色。

2. A more complete entrepreneurial ecosystem 第二：更完备的创业生态系统

This was the deepest difference I felt in my research. China's macro environment offers unique soil for nomad entrepreneurship: a complete manufacturing supply chain that can turn an idea into a sample within a week; dramatically lower startup costs (labor, rent, cost of trial and error) compared to the West; and, most importantly, one of the world's largest and most active young-community ecosystems — a new brand can go from zero to hit within months. 这是我在调研中最深刻的差异感受。中国的宏观环境为数字游民创业提供了独特的土壤：完备的制造业供应链让产品从 idea 到样品可能只需要一周；相较欧美而言大幅降低的创业成本（人力、租金、试错成本）；更重要的是，中国有全球最活跃、规模最大的年轻人社群生态之一，一个新品牌可能在几个月内完成从0到爆款的跃迁。

3. Stronger drive and explorer spirit 第三：更强的行动力与探索精神

In the West, people who choose nomad life often already have mature careers and clear direction — nomading is a way to optimize quality of life. In China, a large wave of lifestyle explorers are in the searching phase of their lives, choosing mobility out of uncertainty about the future and hunger for possibility. 在欧美，选择数字游民生活方式的人往往已经有成熟的事业和清晰的方向，游牧更多是一种“优化生活质量”的选择。但在中国，有大批数字游民生活方式探索者们正处于人生的探索期，带着对未来的不确定和对可能性的渴望选择了流动的生活方式。

That state makes them hungry — to learn, to connect, to see different ways of living. In my community I've observed: give them one pointer, one resource, one case study, and their execution is astonishing. After one talk, someone starts acting immediately; one late-night conversation can change someone's startup direction. In a phrase: this place is full of "growers on the road." 这种状态让他们特别“饥饿”——渴望学习、渴望连接、渴望看见不同的活法。我在社区里观察到：只要给一个点拨、一个资源、一个案例启发，他们的执行力是惊人的。一场分享会后，可能就有人立刻开始行动；一次深夜的对话，可能就改变了某人的创业方向。用一个词来概括，就是这边有很多“在路上的成长者”。

Attendees gathering at the first Digital Nomad Conference in China
Attendees connecting at the first Digital Nomad Conference 首届数字游民大会上聚集交流的伙伴们

If we can systematically combine China's entrepreneurial resources, supply-chain advantages, and this group's drive, we could build a globally unique "digital nomad innovation ecosystem" — not fenced inside industrial parks, but connecting national and global resources in motion, making every city and community an accelerator for these explorers. 如果能系统性地整合中国的创业资源、供应链优势和这群探索者的行动力，或许我们完全可能打造出全球独一无二的“数字游民创新生态”——不是在产业园区里画地为牢，而是在流动中连接全国乃至全球的资源，让每个城市、每个社区都成为这些探索者的加速器。

What do we need now? 我们需要的是什么？

At this stage, we need to re-understand community through a nomad lens. Three directions we can act on immediately: 现阶段，我们需要的是“用数字游民思维重新理解社区”。具体来说，我看到三个可以立即行动的方向：

  1. Urban micro-renewal + nomad-friendly districts. Instead of building more industrial parks, convert aging neighborhoods and idle spaces into "nomad-friendly blocks." Nomads bring vitality and spending to old districts; local communities give nomads authentic cultural experience. 城市微更新+数字游民友好街区。不是建更多产业园，而是将老旧社区、闲置空间改造为“数字游民友好街区”。数字游民的到来为老街区带来活力和消费，本地社区为数字游民提供真实的文化体验。
  2. Rural revitalization + contribution-based residencies. I call this "the new era of talent going to the countryside." Let nomads not just live in villages, but serve them. Many local governments are already pushing rural revitalization — I hope to see deeper exploration here. 乡村振兴+贡献型驻地计划。我称这部分方向为“新时代人才下乡”。（笑）让数字游民不只是“住在乡村”，而是“服务乡村”。现在不少地方政府已经在推动乡村振兴、人才落地，期待能看到更多更深的探索。
  3. International exchange + two-way cultural bridges. Having introduced Chinese communities to overseas nomads in Chiang Mai, I know the value of two-way exchange. China needs more "bridges who can tell stories" — translating Chinese nomad practice for international communities, and localizing great overseas cases here. It's folk diplomacy: more credible than official publicity, more flexible than commercial deals. 国际交流+双向文化桥梁。作为在清迈向海外数字游民介绍中国社区的实践者，我深知双向交流的价值。中国需要更多“会讲故事的桥梁”——既能把中国数字游民的实践翻译给国际社群，也能把海外优秀案例本土化落地。这是比官方宣传更可信、比商业合作更灵活的民间外交。
A community exchange event in Chiang Mai, Asia's digital nomad capital
An exchange event in Chiang Mai, Asia's digital nomad capital 亚洲数字游民之都清迈的一场活动交流会上

What can I do? 我能做什么？

Three years of exploration and deep participation in different corners of this field have clarified my own position: I'm not building "China's Nomad List" — I'm building the connector of the nomad ecosystem. 通过过去3年的探索，同时深入参与不同形态的业内共建后，我逐渐清晰了自己的定位：我不是要做“中国的 Nomad List”，而是做“数字游民生态的连接器”。

After disenchantment comes building 祛魅之后是建设

I hope people stop seeing digital nomads as merely "people traveling with laptops," and start seeing them as a global experiment in rethinking how we work, live, and belong in the 21st century. We don't need to copy Lisbon, Seoul, or Africa. We need to create a nomad community culture for the Chinese context: a culture of rooting while in motion, of seeing the collective in the individual — a new "network of mobile innovation." 我希望大家对于数字游民的印象，不再只是“一群背着电脑旅行的人”，而是将其视为深入思考“如何在21世纪重新定义工作、居住和归属”的一场全球实验。我们不需要简单复制里斯本、首尔或非洲的任何一种模式，而是要创造属于中国语境的数字游民社区文化：一种在流动中扎根的文化，在个体中见集体的文化，打造新的“流动创新网络”。