Lu Qianyu is a commuter making a daily 100-kilometer round-trip for work.

Her job is in Shanghai and she lives in Kunshan, a town in neighboring Jiangsu province which can be reached in 19 minutes by high-speed train. Lu spends an hour getting to work and for commuters like her, Kunshan offers an affordable lifestyle while careers can be pursued in the more expensive mega-city.

Lu rented an apartment in Kunshan with her sister after graduating from college in 2005 but made a different career choice. Her sister's life and job are both in Kunshan, while Lu decided to try her luck in the big city, hopping among jobs ranging from telesales to cosmetic marketing.

Lu Qianyu stares into the distance from a high-speed train home to Kunshan, Aug, 2014. [Photo/CFP]