Although China has reformed and opened up for over 30 years, its tide of going abroad had never faded away. Now, there are still too many Yunnan people who would like to study or work in South-eastern countries, and then would live in developed countries as their first choices.

This group of Yunnan people's dreams are grown from foreign countries. "Opportunities of education, foods, and jobs outside China are fairer and better than those in China," they thought.

This group of Yunnan people who decided to go abroad for studying, working or living are at various ages and with different backgrounds.

Cai Biao, a father who sent his daughter to study in an international high school in Kunming, felt regretted that he should have sent her daughter to study in that school when she was younger.

Nowadays, more and more young Kunming kids are sent abroad by their parents, even if some of these kids are still in kindergartens.

"If the parents are willing to make an on-the-spot investigation on overseas schools, we could help arrange," Chen Jing, a principal from an agency which provides services of studying abroad.

Zhang Peng, a Kunming student, took China's college entrance examination in 2005, finally went to study abroad in Malaysia under his parents' demands. "90% of my classmates in Malaysia would leave for European or North American countries after they finished their college studies. They just took South-eastern countries like Malaysia, Singapore, or others as a springboard, " he said.

Most of Yunnan people, those are dreaming to go abroad, considered South-eastern countries bringing many advantages for them. "South-eastern countries are near to Yunnan, with lower payments for living and studying there, and are with less limitations on visa application. These countries seem like international stages full of diverse values," they referred.

However, a survey data showed that around 60% of Yunnan people who have studied abroad would come back to work in Kunming again, but would not to live in foreign countries permanently.