In 2019, I still get asked the following:
“Do the Chinese have televisions in their homes?”
“Do they get cable?”
“Do they use bicycles to travel from one place to another?”
“Do they own cars?”
“Do they live in houses?”
Fortunately, these questions are often asked by people who have difficulty pointing to China on a map (and who might also point in the general vicinity of the UK when asked for the whereabouts of North Korea).
Naturally, I can’t speak on their behalf, but it would appear, to me, that people who ask the above questions may think that the average person in China lives like this:
But in reality, here’s what Shanghai, China’s financial hub and biggest city looks like in the evening:
The Reality of China
China belongs to a unique category on the global stage:
The biggest and richest cities are on the east side of China.
If only the eastern cities are taken into account, China would already be considered a Developed Country.
However, the western and inner regions of the country still lag behind their eastern counterparts.
When taken together, China is on the cusp of being a Developed Country but not quite there yet. It needs a bit more of a push before it is to be considered a Developed Country like its neighbors, South Korea and Japan.
So, how do the poorest people in China - villagers - live?
There are still pockets of people living in tiny, remote villages, usually up in the highlands.
These villages can be hard to reach, so it takes more time – and money – for the Chinese government to carry out development works in these villages.
Here are some pictures of people living in a tiny, remote, mountainous village:
So, let's take a step up: What does a poor town in the west region of China look like?
Here’s what a small, poor town in the Sichuan province – located right next door to Tibet – looks like:
The Chinese government KNOWS that the western and inner regions of China need significant development before it can even begin to approach the modern skylines and wealth of the richer eastern regions.
Development in the form of anti-poverty projects and new rural constructions results in many new and more developed rural areas in China that look something like this:
Okay, but what about the richer eastern cities of China?
Well, we can start off with the moment you arrive in China.
Let's say you arrive in Beijing.
This is Beijing’s primary international airport, Beijing Capital International Airport:
However, a second airport, Beijing Daxing International Airport, is currently under construction.
This second airport was built with the purpose of easing congestion at the primary airport.
It is predicted to be the world’s largest airport upon completion.
This is what Beijing Daxing International Airport looks like from the outside:
It is still under construction, but this is what it looks like on the inside:
Okay, but what do the cities look like?
China’s infrastructure is growing at a crazy rate – things may look different from month to month.
A picture taken 8 months ago in Shanghai could be outdated by now.
Therefore, all the pictures you see below could very well be outdated by now.
In fact, I think they already are.
So, what you see in the pictures below might not be how it actually looks like right now.
You’ve already seen the Shanghai skyline above.
Here’s the Guangzhou Skyline:
Public transportation is easily accessible in the cities and high-speed bullet trains will take you to your destination in comfort and style:
Shenzhen is located directly north of Hong Kong (and is also very accessible from Hong Kong) and has been earmarked as one of China’s innovation-focused, high-tech cities. It is home to Shenzhen High-Tech industrial Park, which comprises some of China’s largest tech companies, including China’s tech giant, Tencent.
But in case you think Chinese cities are just a bunch of monochromatic buildings bunched up together and people walking about doing a lot of shopping, here’s an example of the many “Green” spots that can be found in the various cities:
Just like in many Asian cities, Chinese cities feature a juxtaposition between modern, gleaming skylines and more traditional, ornate architecture:
This juxtaposition of aesthetics can also be seen in the people and in everyday situations:
Income Inequality?
In China, the figures often point to the top 1% of the richest Chinese owning 31% of the country’s wealth.
This is a big income gap, and the Chinese government is working hard to bridge this gap, as one can see in how it tries to develop the poorer western and inner regions.
富二代 (fù èr dài) literally translates to Rich Second Generation. These are the children of the nouveau rich in China, whose parents belong to that 1%.
If you meet an international student in your city from China, he or she is likely to be 富二代. Of course, this is by no means a certainty, but chances are high that he or she is.
They often drive flashy cars, wear designer clothes, and get invited to the poshest, biggest parties and events. And they probably own an apartment or two, or three, in YOUR country.
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Conclusion:
China is a huge country.
There are 1.4 billion people living in China.
In comparison, the US has a population of 330 million, which is about 25% of China’s population.
As such, it would be ridiculous for me to try and encapsulate the entirety of China and the Chinese in 20 pictures.
That is not my intention at all.
I merely wished to show you that contrary to what some people might believe, the Chinese do own televisions, they do live in houses, they do have access to public transport, and the vast majority of them live in very modern cities and have access to the very latest in technology.
I hope this has been an educational article for you.
Thank you for making it this far!
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