The trend of people leaving big cities to live in rural villages or towns. As disillusion grows with overcrowded cities and the struggle for urban hukou status, leaving for the countryside becomes a preferred option. In policy terms, it complements 'new-style urbanisation', a bid to steer growth away from megacities and develop poor rural areas. Counter-urbanisation measures include promoting rural entrepreneurship, and rural tourism for city dwellers who want to escape pollution and noise.