Singling out a lifestyle

The second woman is Wei, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year and had to face surgery on her own. The middle-aged insurance consultant, based in Beijing, seems to be the epitome of the woman who has made it. But she is eager to become a wife and mother. Despite attending several online and in-person matchmaking events, she, too, has yet to find the ideal husband.

"Behind them, there are the issues and questions facing contemporary women, not least about how their role changed over time," Dai says.

The final woman, Ye, is a retired professor from the Beijing Film Academy. Born in 1964, Ye's marriage failed and she has no children. Living alone in Beijing, the retiree enjoys her life and lives it to the fullest, plunging herself into the things that she loves. She started learning how to dance and wants to "feel young" into her 60s, and even her 70s.

"In Ye's story, I see my future. Her attitude toward getting old inspires me," Dai says, adding that, by each representing a unique journey, the three women are brave and independent in facing their life choices, no matter whether they are a temporary arrangement or a long-term lifestyle option.

According to the latest China Statistical Yearbook released by the National Bureau of Statistics, there were more than 125 million people living alone in China in 2020-25.3 percent of all households, compared to about 6 percent in 1999.Although there are no statistics about the percentage by gender, an increasing number of women, young and old, are embracing diversified lifestyles, instead of getting married straight after graduation and having children.

Dai herself joined the group when her last relationship ended in 2016, and the magazine she worked for in Shanghai also closed.

"It was when I first noticed an increasing number of women like me settling down alone in big cities, facing similar questions or stigma," Dai says.

Even in today's China, there is some stigma attached to being a single woman, especially for those who are in their late 20s and older.

She started the Women at Home photography project in 2016 to document the lives of women who live alone. So far, Dai has spent time with 44 urban women in their homes, discussing their stories about their intimate relationships and sharing their secrets, desires, pain and happiness.