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24 Life and Society
Life of
Chinese
Nationals
Consultant: Dr. Chiu Chi Shing
Ming Pao Education

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24 Life and Society
Life of
Chinese
Nationals
Preface
Life and Society is a new subject designed for the junior secondary level which combines
the learning targets in Personal, Society and Humanities (including Personal and Social
Development, Resources and Economic Activities, Social System and Citizenship). The aim
of publishing this series of textbooks is to provide rich and systematic knowledge for students
to acquire a solid foundation for Liberal Studies and other Humanities subjects such as
Economics, Geography and History when they get promoted to the senior secondary level.
Learning should be interesting. This book provides content and learning activities designed to
cater for students with diverse learning abilities. It consists of pictures, cartoons and texts as
well as group discussions, debates, questionnaires, polls, etc. For each module, a concept map
is constructed in a form that students can foster a good learning habit. Most importantly, many
of the learning situations are tailor-made to relate closely with students’ daily experiences.
However, there are some strands students may not feel familiar with and that calls for extra
effort and deep understanding.
Learning in the 21st century is no longer about memorising and reciting. It requires the
knowledge and skills of searching, applying, exploring and creating. To achieve, the learning
activities and questions in this book are sequentially designed to help students possess higher
order thinking skills by exploring the questions from different perspectives and levels. Such
approach is in line with the criteria and requirements of the new senior secondary curriculum
and HKDSE. Through studying this subject, I hope students will not only obtain the knowledge
needed for examinations, but can also become individuals with positive values, lofty sentiments
and humanistic qualities.
Finally, I hope all of you are fully confident in learning, interested in unexplored knowledge
and learn to be an active learner.
Consultant
Dr. Chiu Chi Shing
Editor’s Notes
Life and Society Series provides a wide range of examples, cases in current affairs and visual
information largely connected with students’ daily experiences which guide them on the analysis of
social phenomena as well as clarification and review of their values. The features are as follows:
1. Encouraging independent learning and knowledge construction

The warm-up activity in our series adopts the latest current affairs such as news reports for students to
prepare before class. Students can also read further explanations and relevant information of the main
concept words highlighted in blue. In addition, they can get to know special terms and vocabularies
underlined with a grey dotted line in a bilingual way. This promotes a habit of independent learning and
enables deeper exploration in class and thus improves the interaction between students and teachers. In
this way, students become knowledge constructors to enhance their learning motivation and promote
teaching effectiveness.
2. Use of higher order thinking towards cultivation of good values

This series adopts exploratory and collaborative formats to carry out the learning activities. Besides
encouraging interaction in the learning process, it also emphasises nurturing in students the application
of higher order thinking and concepts. Students can therefore learn to think and integrate their
knowledge. Among all these, its significant part includes moral and sentiment questions indicated with
Values to help students establish positive values and respect different points of view.
3. Fun and diverse learning activities with practical and rich learning materials
The learning activities in this series are conducted in different forms consisting of psychological tests,
data analyses, forums for current affairs, city tracks, sharing of videos and songs, drawing of concept
maps, role plays and conflicting dilemmas, etc., to promote students’ interest in learning. The learning
materials adopted address the cognitive skills and interests of junior form students and include a variety
of news reports, commentaries, cartoons, pictures, video clips, songs and statistical data. They cover
various angles with both positive and negative points of view. Moreover, to help students know the
relevant knowledge better, each module provides an extraction of key words with further explanations
and reference websites for advanced learning and extended reading.
4. Scaffolding questions to cater for learning differences

Questions in this series are well designed according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each question indicates one
or more cognitive skills as follows: 【Recall】【Understand】【Apply】【Analyse】【Synthesise】
【Evaluate】. There are also indicators covering other advanced and generic skills like 【Summarise】
【Problem Solving】【Deduce】【Create】【Compare】【Reflect】【Use of IT】. Questions are set in
terms of difficulty levels, allowing students to access their learning progress so that improvement can
be made. Discussion questions come in a variety of patterns which include multiple choices, true or
false, fill in the blanks, matching, pairing, simple discussion, information response, concept map, etc.
The question words used make reference to the criteria of Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment
Authority which provides students with an interface of the assessment mode of Senior Secondary Liberal
Studies.
Module 24
Life of Chinese Nationals
Warm-up Activity 5
1 An Overview of the Life of Urban and 6

Rural Residents
2 Continuities and Changes in 29

Traditional Culture
Think More 45
Concept Map 46
Word Easy 47
Learning
Objectives
After studying this module, you should be able to:

Describe the similarities and differences between
urban and rural residents on the mainland in terms of
lifestyle;
Understand traditional culture as demonstrated by the
lifestyle of mainland residents and how it has been
influenced by social changes.
Module 24 Resource Bank

las.mpep.com.hk/24
Warm-up Activity
Warm -up
Activity
A1 Top News 16 December 2013
China’s urbanisation progress will slow down

【Summary reports】From 12 to 13 December
2013, the Central People’s Government
decided to lift the settling restrictions on small
cities, allowing residents without urban hukou
to become urban residents. It is reported
that the speed of rural-urban migration has
reached a peak. The urbanisation progress
would slow down.
As rural and urban development is unbalanced,
there is a great disparity between rural and
urban residents in several aspects of life. For
instance, since 1985, the average salary in
Shanghai and Beijing has increased 56 times
(5,500%) while that of remote regions such
as Gansu and Qinghai has only increased 25
times (2,400%). Therefore, a large rural labour
force has rushed to work in cities.
The period with the most drastic growth in
rural-urban migration was between 1990
and 2000. According to data from the World
Urbanisation Prospects: 2011 Revision of the
United Nations, there has been an average
rural-urban migration of 15.8 million people Urban population accounts for half of the total population on
in China in the past 20 years. The progress of the mainland of China.
urbanisation is predicted to slow down in the
future. Rural residents will be able to enjoy the
rights of urban residents.
Urbanisation
Household registration system
(Hukou system) in China Urbanisation refers to an increasing number
of people migrating from rural to urban areas.
The household registration system divides This increases the scale of cities and causes
mainland residents into agricultural and non- social changes. In the process of urbanisation,
agricultural household (hukou). People who live rural population gradually transforms to urban
in rural areas register as agricultural hukou while population and agricultural activities change to
people who live in urban areas register as non- non-agricultural activities. The culture, lifestyle
agricultural hukou. and values of cities gradually spread to villages.
Independent
Learning
1. Do you know any urban and rural areas on the mainland of China? What impressions
of them do you have?
2. Why is allowing ‘rural residents’ to become ‘urban residents’ an important policy?
3. What effects will the rapid migration of population have on life and culture of rural and
urban residents on the mainland?
5
Life and Society 24 Life of Chinese Nationals
An Overview of the Life of

1
Urban and Rural Residents
Think t It
Abou ,
o l d i n 10 days Kong
of g ng
a s e d 3 00 tons ld shops in Ho A tr ue
purch ide go
d c u s t omers qu e u es outs r
pover t ecord of vill
n g
Mainla y scene of lon y on th a
e main ge
n a r
aordi land
the extr On one hand, our school appeals for
us to participate in mainland poverty
alleviation schemes. On the other
hand, the news reported that there
were numerous Individual Visit Scheme
tourists continuously coming to Hong
Kong. Many of them were on a shopping
spree. What is the life of mainland
residents actually like?
Fig. 1.1 Mainland urban residents Fig. 1.2 Mainland rural residents
are rushing to purchase carrying corn stalks.
gold accessories.
Learning
Activity 1
To get rich after reform and opening up
Study the following information carefully and answer the questions.
Source 1
Go to YouTube. Search and listen to the song 《走進新時代》 (Chinese version only) to get to
know the feelings of mainland residents towards reform and opening up.
http://www.youtube.com
6
Chapter 1 An Overview of the Life of Urban and Rural Residents
Source 2
Overall economic power strengthened,

residents’ living standards raised drastically
Before the implementation of reform and opening up in 1978,
China was one of the poorest countries in the world. Since
then, the mainland of China’s economy has taken off. Its Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) surpassed that of France, the United
Kingdom, Germany and Japan in succession between 2005 and
2010. China has become the 2nd largest economy in the world.
However, due to its huge population, its Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) per capita has been less than other developed countries.
Nevertheless, there has been rapid growth in GDP per capita in Timely Update
China. From 1978 to 2012, it increased from US$155 to US$6,091. las.mpep.com.hk/24/info1/en
GDP and GDP per capita of several countries in 2012
GDP GDP per capita
Countries
Value (US$ million) Ranks Value (US$) Ranks
United States 16,244,600 1 51,748 10
China 8,227,102 2 6,091 83
Japan 5,959,718 3 46,720 12
The World Bank
As China has strong economic power, the lives of mainland residents have improved significantly.
Their consumption demand has increased continuously. Many international luxury brands opened
branches in China one after another. Some countries are even finding ways to attract Chinese
tourists to visit their countries to travel and spend. For example, some shops accept Chinese
tourists’ UnionPay cards and hire salespersons who can speak Putonghua.
Summary of local and overseas news
Source 3 Timely Update

las.mpep.com.hk/24/info2/en
The ownership and utilisation situations of telephones and the Internet on the mainland
between 2006 and 2012
National fixed-line and Telephone
Internet users Internet
Year mobile phone users prevalence rate
(billion) prevalence rate (%)
(thousand) (unit / hundred people)
2006 828,890 63.0 0.14 10.5
2008 982,040 74.3 0.3 22.6
2010 1,153,390 86.5 0.46 34.3
2012 1,390,310 103.2 0.56 42.1
National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Internet Network Information Centre

www.stats.gov.cn/english
7
Source 4
Tourism situation on the mainland between 2006 and 2012
Number of domestic Percentage growth Number of Chinese Percentage growth
Year visitors (100 million compared to outbound visitors compared to
person-times) the previous year (%) (10,000 person-times) the previous year (%)
2006 13.9 15.0 3452.0 11.3
2008 17.1 6.3 4584.0 11.9
2010 21.0 10.6 5739.0 20.4
2012 29.6 12.1 8318.0 18.4
National Bureau of Statistics of China

Timely Update
Source 5
Medical and health services on the mainland between 2006 and 2012
Year 2006 2008 2010 2012
Number of health care
institutions in the country 918,097 891,480 936,927 950,297
(unit)

Timely Update
1.
According to Source 1, how do the lyrics describe China’s current state?【Use of IT】
【Understand】
2.
According to Source 2, what is China’s overall international economic status today? What
effect does its economic strength have on the lives of mainland residents?【Understand】
【Compare】【Analyse】
3.
With reference to the above information, indicate the changes in the lives of mainland
residents in recent years. Give reasons for these changes.【Compare】【Analyse】

8
Values 4.
While China has become the 2nd largest economy in the world, have the living standards of
mainland residents reached a comparatively high level in the world? Why?【Analyse】
【Deduce】
Learning
Activity 2
Differences in rural and urban areas
The implementation of reform and opening up has drastically improved the living standards of
mainland residents. However, there is a disparity in the pace of development between rural
and urban areas, resulting in differences in everyday life in the 2 places. Study the following
information carefully and answer the questions.
Source 1
Infrastructure in mainland cities is relatively
comprehensive. Many places are highly
accessible with efficient transport systems. More
and more residents own private cars and can
travel easily. However, these have intensified
problems such as air pollution and traffic
congestion in cities.
Mainland urban residents generally have strong

consumption abilities. Large scale shopping malls
with international brand stores, beauty and fitness
centres, leisure and entertainment facilities, food
square as well as large-scale supermarkets have
been established in many cities.
Behind the prosperity, there are also people

who cannot afford to purchase a property and
can only live in cramped rented flats. Popular
terms such as pigeonhole, capsule apartment,
ant tribe and mouse tribe have been created to
describe this phenomenon. Some residents who
have purchased a property become ‘mortgage
slaves’ due to the high property prices.
9
More tion
Informa
Know more about popular terms on the mainland
Go to the following websites to know more about the meaning of popular terms on the
mainland as stated in Source 1:
1. Input 我不要膠囊公寓我想有個家 in the search bar and watch the video (Chinese
version only) at YOUKU.com.
http:// www.youku.com
2. Only College’s Teacher Blog: 《蟻族過了，鼠族流行》 (Chinese version only)

http://las.mpep.com.hk/24/blog1
3. Only College’s Teacher Blog: 《卡奴，房奴，孩奴，車奴，證奴──你佔了幾樣？》

(Chinese version only)
Source 2
As mainland villages lack comprehensive planning,
there is inadequate infrastructure. Most of the
villages are not connected to highways. With no
cement or asphalt roads, the mud roads are wet
and muddy in rainy days and dusty in periods of
drought.
Mainland rural residents live a simple life. They love

to watch television, chat with neighbours and play
chess or mahjong to pass the time.
In such a vast territory, there are developmental

differences between villages in Eastern and
Western China. Coastal villages have more
rapid economic development, better housing
and facilities. The economy of inland villages
lags behind. A great proportion of the young
labour force goes to work in cities. The ones
who stay behind are mostly the elderly and
children. Houses thus lack maintenance and
become shabby.
10
More tion
Informa
Know more about urban and rural areas
Go to the following websites. Search for information about cities and villages on the mainland:
1. Webpage of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government (Chinese version only)
http://www.shanghai.gov.cn
→ 「上海概覽」 → 「城市建設」
2. 山野村夫園地網誌：《淳樸山村中粉坪──騎車好去處》(Chinese version only)
1.
Indicate whether each of the following pictures shows mainland city or village. Share your
reasons with classmates.【Analyse】【Deduce】
1 2
3 4
11
Values 2.
With reference to Source 1 and 2, what are the respective strengths and weaknesses of
urban and rural development on the mainland? If your family were going to move to the
North, would you like to live in a city or village? Why?【Compare】【Evaluate】
Learning Work, income, consumption and

Activity 3 education situations
Part 1
Source 1
Employment situation of urban and rural residents on the mainland in 2006
City Village
Primary industry
3.7% Tertiary
industry
13.6%
Secondary
Tertiary Secondary
industry
industry industry
15.6%
52.2% 44.1% Primary industry
70.8%

Timely Update
Source 2
In the early days, when the People’s Republic In order to solve the problem of unbalanced
of China was founded, national economic development between rural and urban areas, the
development focused predominantly on agriculture government has taken active measures to foster
(primary industry). Later, as the state advocated urbanisation in villages. More and more village
industrialisation, secondary industries became the labourers have left the fields and entered township
key development industries of the state. In recent and village enterprises or gone to cities to take up
years, the government has been actively promoting jobs in secondary or tertiary industries.
the development of tertiary industries to stimulate
Summary of local and overseas news
domestic demand.
12
More tion
Informa
Three strata of industry on the mainland
Production activities in a country can be divided into primary, secondary and tertiary
industries. According to the Rules of the Classification of Three Strata of Industry issued
by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the definition and categorisation of the three
strata of industry are as follows:
Primary industry refers to agriculture,

forestry, livestock ranching and fisheries,
yet does not include service industries
related to these industries.
Fig. 1.3 Agriculture
Secondary industry mainly refers to

mining, manufacturing, construction as
well as electricity, heat, gas and water
production and supply industries.
Fig. 1.4 Construction industry
Ter t iar y industry refers to service

industries, which mainly includes retail and
wholesale, transport, storage and postal,
accommodation and catering, finance, real
estate, education, cultural, sports as well
as entertainment industries.
Fig. 1.5 Retail industry
Go to the website of National Bureau of Statistics of China. Read《三次產業劃分規定》

(Chinese version only) and 《國民經濟行業分類》(Chinese version only) to know
more about the three strata of industry on the mainland:
http://las.mpep.com.hk/24/industry
http://las.mpep.com.hk/24/job
13
1.
According to Source 1, which industry has the most and the fewest number of employed
urban and rural residents respectively on the mainland?【Understand】
2.
What are the differences in the employment situation between urban and rural residents?
Why are there such differences? 【Compare】【Analyse】
3.
With reference to the above information, deduce the changes in the employment situation of
rural and urban residents in the future. 【Analyse】【Deduce】
Part 2
Source 3
Comparison of household income per capita between rural and
RMB (yuan) urban families on the mainland between 1978 and 2012
30,000
30,000
30,000
25,000
25,000
25,000
Urban
20,000
20,000 families
20,000
Rural
15,000
15,000
15,000 families
10,000
10,000
10,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
0
0
0 1978
1978 1990
1990 1995
1995 2000
2000 2005
2005 2010
2010 2011
2011 2012
2012 Year
1978 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2011 2012
Timely Update www.stats.gov.cn/english
14

Comparison of the per capita annual cash living expenditure between
rural and urban families on the mainland in 2012 (RMB, yuan)
Consumption items Urban families Rural families
Food 6,040.9 1,863.1
Transport and communications 2,455.5 652.8
Culture, education and recreation 2,033.5 445.5
Clothing 1,823.4 396.1
Residence 1,484.3 1,054.2
Household facilities and articles 1,116.1 341.4
Healthcare and medical services 1,063.7 513.8
Others 657.1 147.5
Total cash consumption expenditure 16,674.3 5,414.5


Comparison of the average number of durable consumer goods owned

per 100 households between rural and urban families on the mainland in 2012
Categories of
Urban families Rural families
durable consumer goods (unit)
Mobile phones 212.6 197.8
Colour televisions 136.1 116.9
Air-conditioners 126.8 25.4
Refrigerators 98.5 67.3
Washing machines 98.0 67.2
Computers 87.0 21.4
Telephones 68.4 42.2
Cameras 46.4 5.2

15
Source 6
2 students are chatting in a mainland school…
Xiaomin, the summer holiday is coming. Where will

you go? I will travel to Europe with my family!
Wenjuan, I come from a village. I cannot

Wenjuan afford to travel to foreign countries. Also, my
family will soon be unable to pay my school
fee. My father said that I might have to drop
out of school in the next school term…
Xiaomin
Don’t worry. There will always be a solution. There
is a Western restaurant nearby and the dishes
there are very tasty. Let’s go there to have lunch!
Dinning out is very expensive and I have

Wenjuan already prepared my lunch at home. Maybe
you can go with other classmates.
Xiaomin
4.
According to Source 3 to 5, determine whether each of the following descriptions is correct
or not. If it is incorrect, indicate and correct the mistake.【Synthesise】【Compare】【Analyse】
(1) There is an obvious growth in the household income per capita of urban families on the mainland,
especially between 2005 and 2010. While the growth rate of the household income per capita
of urban families has been increasing, the household income per capita of rural families has
not. Therefore, the household income per capita disparity between urban and rural families is
increasing.
(2) Generally speaking, urban families have higher consumption abilities. They own more durable
consumer goods than rural families. Urban residents can enjoy greater material comforts than rural
residents.
16
5.
With reference to Source 3 to 6, discuss the income and consumption situations of urban
and rural residents in groups. What are the differences in their living standards?【Compare】
【Summarise】【Deduce】
Part 3
Timely Update
Source 7 las.mpep.com.hk/24/info9/en
Comparison of education levels of people aged 6 or above between rural and urban residents on the mainland
City Village
University postgraduate level
0.64% Non-formal education University undergraduate University
2.84% level (regular course) postgraduate level
University undergraduate 0.02%
level (regular course) 0.50%
6.73% University undergraduate Non-formal
level (specialised course) education
Primary
University 1.54% 7.25%
level
undergraduate level
19.77% Senior
(specialised course) Senior Primary
secondary secondary Junior level
9.35%
level level secondary 38.06%
Junior secondary 7.73% level
22.05%
level 44.91%
38.61%
Tabulation on The 2010 Population Census of The People’s Republic of China

by National Bureau of Statistics of China
6.
With reference to Source 7, what are the differences between urban and rural residents in
education?【Compare】【Analyse】
7.
Further to the above question, what effects will the differences in education have on the
living standards of rural and urban residents?【Analyse】【Deduce】

17
Focus of
Learning
China has a large population. According to the Statistical Communiqué
of the People’s Republic of China on the 2013 National Economic and
Social Development, the total population of the mainland was 1.36 billion
in 2013. The urban population comprised 53.7% of the total and rural
population comprised 46.3%.
After a long period of wars and chaos, mainland residents generally had
poor lives in the early days of the People’s Republic of China (1949). In
1978, China implemented a policy of reform and opening up. Since then,
there has been rapid economic development and significant improvement
in the lives of urban and rural residents.
However, in the early days of reform and opening up, the development
strategy focused on the development of southeast coastal region enabled
it to develop first. Such measures, together with geographical and natural
conditions, have led to differences in pace in economic development
among various provinces on the mainland. There are differences in
residents’ living standards between cities, between villages as well as
between cities and villages. The disparity between the urban and rural
areas is greater.
More tion
Informa
Heilongjiang
Jilin
Liaoning
Xinjiang Beijing
Inner Mongolia
Tianjin
Hebei
Ningxia Shanxi Shandong
Qinghai
Gansu
Shaanxi Henan Jiangsu
Tibet Shanghai
Hubei Anhui
Sichuan
Chongqing Zhejiang
Southeast coastal region
Jiangxi
Hunan Central region
Guizhou Fujian
Yunnan Western region
Guangxi Guangdong Taiwan
Hong Kong
Macao Northeastern region
Hainan
Fig. 1.6 The pace of economic development is different among various regions in China. The southeast coastal region
has the most rapid development and is the most prosperous.
18
Differences in the lives of urban and rural residents will be explored here
through the aspects of work, income, consumption and education.
1.1 Work
A. Work of urban residents
Urban residents are mainly involved in secondary industries (including
mining, manufacturing and construction, etc) and tertiary industries
(service industries). In the past, manufacturing had the most employed
people in cities. In recent years, its status has been gradually replaced by
service industries as the state has adjusted its development strategy to
actively promote the development of tertiary industries.
Fig. 1.7 Industries that urban residents are involved in. (Left: textile industry. Right: catering
industry)
Employers of urban residents are mainly state-owned

Self-employed individuals
enterprises and private enterprises while some of them are
generally refer to self-producing
self-employed individuals. After opening up, an increasing and self-financing units which
number of urban residents have worked in enterprises are run individually.
opened by merchants from Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan
as well as from foreign countries.
Timely Update
Major employment situation of urban residents in 2012 las.mpep.com.hk/24/info10/en
Number of employed people
Types of enterprises
(thousand)
State-owned enterprises 68,390
Limited liability corporations 37,870
Private enterprises 75,570
Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan funded units 9,690
Foreign funded units 12,460
Self-employed individuals 56,430
Table 1.1 National Bureau of Statistics of China
19
B. Work of rural residents

Rural residents are mainly involved in primary industries and most of
them earn a living by farming. When the household responsibility system
was implemented in 1980, a large labour force existed in villages. With
the development of township and village enterprises, a great number
of excess labour has been attracted to work in secondary and tertiary
industries there. Prosperity and better economic development in cities has
also attracted a large number of rural residents to leave villages and work
in cities to earn more, especially the new generation of rural residents.
These rural residents who are involved in secondary and tertiary
industries are called ‘rural migrant workers’.
Factory
Township and village

enterprises
Factory
Factory
Factory
City enterprises
Fig. 1.8 Migration of rural migrant workers
http://las.mpep.com.hk/24/migrantworkers01
20
Timely Update
Major employment situation of rural residents who are
not engaged in agriculture in villages in 2010
Number of employed people
Types of enterprises
(thousand)
Township and village enterprises 158,930
Private enterprises 33,470
Self-employed individuals 25,400
1.2 Income and consumption

A. Income and consumption of urban residents
After reform and opening up, most urban residents have directly benefited
from the significant and continuous growth of the national economy. You may refer to
Their incomes have also been growing continuously. Especially from Source 3 in Part 2 of
1990 onwards, there has been obvious growth in the income of urban Learning Activity 3
(p.14) for a detailed
residents. look at income
increases among
The living standards of most urban residents have risen along with their urban residents.
income growth. Their focus has shifted from ‘eating and housing’ to
multi-layered consumption of ‘wearing and transportation’. They also
care more and more about health and are spending more on health care.
Fig. 1.9 Similar to Hong Kong, some mainland urban

residents buy luxury apartments through hire
purchase.
Fig. 1.10 A growing number of mainland urban residents are going

on domestic and foreign trips.
21
B. Income and consumption of rural residents

Rural reform has increased the rural
residents’ channels of income. Together
with the elimination of agricultural
tax and the introduction of a series of
subsidies in recent years, the income of
rural residents has increased. In addition,
their consumption abilities have been
enhanced. Their quality of life has
gradually improved.
Some rural families are no longer in

poverty. They do not worry about food
or clothing and have gradually become Fig. 1.11 T h e G o v e r n m e n t
wealthy. Living standards of rural implemented the ‘Home
families who can get rich first are similar Appliances Going to the
Countryside’ policy in
to that of urban families. These families 2008 to provide national
pursue diverse enjoyment through financial subsidies to
consumption. some rural residents to
buy electronic products.
However, the income of rural residents is lower and the income growth
rate is also slower than urban residents. They cannot buy as much as
urban residents. Rural residents are inclined to consume cheaper items
and not as many varieties.
1.3 Education
A. Education situation of urban residents
Many cities are prosperous now and there are all kinds of schools there.
Apart from government schools, there are also various private schools.
Schools in cities have better teachers, equipment, facilities and teaching
resources than those in villages.
Fig. 1.12 Guangzhou University City (Left: an aerial view of Guangzhou University City. Right: Guangzhou University City’s
stadium)
22
As the income of urban residents increases, families can afford to send

their children to further their studies in higher education institutions.
There are also more educational opportunities in cities. Students who are
not admitted to universities can study in vocational schools or technical
schools to learn vocational or specialised skills. They can even attend
courses through the Internet to obtain higher education qualifications or
working skills.
Most high-income families in cities will send their children to study

abroad. This is a trend nowadays. As the national economy has taken off,
a rising number of students who studied abroad have chosen to return to
the mainland and take up jobs in big cities. They are named ‘overseas
returnees’. They generally have undergraduate, masters or doctorate
qualifications, making them the highest qualified groups in cities.
B. Education situation of rural residents

Since 1986, the state has implemented the 9-year free compulsory
education (6 years of primary level and 3 years of junior secondary level)
policy. It has benefited rural residents. The number enrolling in school
has gradually increased. The illiteracy rate has gradually decreased at
the same time. Some university students from villages are eligible for an
urban resident hukou. They enjoy the same welfare as urban residents
upon graduation. Many rural children study hard to fight for a chance to
receive higher education, in order to change their fate with knowledge.
Fig. 1.13 Students in villages
However, government investment in rural education is not adequate. Take

education expenditure 2011 as an example. The average expenditure in the
budget for common rural primary school students was RMB 700 less than
that for urban primary school students; for common rural junior secondary
school students, it was RMB 900 less than that for urban junior secondary
school students. In reality, most villages have a limited number of teachers,
varied teaching quality and shabby facilities.
http://www.gov.cn
23
Challenge
Rural migrant workers

Status of rural migrant workers
With the household registration system, the Chinese Government has divided the mainland
population into 2 categories: ‘agricultural’ and ‘non-agricultural’ hukou. Urban residents own
non-agricultural hukou and rural residents own agricultural hukou. There is no free shift of
hukou allowed between these residents. Only when city development required a huge labour
force and there was excess labour in villages did the government allow rural residents to work
in cities. The household registration system means rural migrant workers who work in cities
cannot receive the same treatment as urban residents. This affects their basic social services,
such as health care, housing and education. In 2013, the Central Government decided to lift
settling restrictions on small cities, allowing non-urban residents to own urban hukou. Rural
residents who move to cities will also be able to enjoy the rights of the urban residents.
Fig. 1.14 R ural migrant workers enjoy

themselves by playing guitars
and singing in rented flats.
Fig. 1.15 Returning home with fruitful rewards is the wish of every
rural migrant worker.
Types and numbers of rural migrant workers
Rural migrant workers include local rural migrant workers and outbound rural migrant workers.
Local rural migrant workers refer to the rural labour force which is involved in non-agricultural
activities in its townships and villages. Outbound rural migrant workers refer to the rural labour
force which is involved in non-agricultural activities out of its townships and villages.
24
In recent years, the number of rural migrant workers has increased

continuously: Timely Update
Number of rural migrant workers (thousand) las.mpep.com.hk/24/info12/en
Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Outbound rural migrant workers 140,410 145,330 153,350 158,630 163,360 166,100
Local rural migrant workers 85,010 84,450 88,880 94,150 99,250 102,840
Total number of
225,420 229,780 242,230 252,780 262,610 268,940
rural migrant workers
Industries that rural migrant workers are involved in
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China in 2013, a larger proportion
of rural migrant workers were involved in manufacturing, comprising 31.4% of the total. The
next largest proportion was involved in construction, comprising 22.2%. In recent years,
the proportion of rural migrant workers involved in manufacturing has decreased while the
proportion involved in construction has increased every year.
Timely Update
Distribution of the major industries that rural migrant workers are involved in
Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Manufacturing 37.2% 36.1% 36.7% 36.0% 35.7% 31.4%
Construction 13.8% 15.2% 16.1% 17.7% 18.4% 22.2%
Transport, storage and post 6.4% 6.8% 6.9% 6.6% 6.6% 6.3%
Wholesale and retail trades 9.0% 10.0% 10.0% 10.1% 9.8% 11.3%
Hotels and
5.5% 6.0% 6.0% 5.3% 5.2% 5.9%
catering services
Services to household and
12.2% 12.7% 12.7% 12.2% 12.2% 10.6%
other services
Fig. 1.16 Industries that rural migrant workers are involved in. (From left to right: manufacturing, construction,
service industries)
25
Life and Society 24 Life of Chinese Nationals http://las.mpep.com.hk/24/migrantworkers02
Effects brought by rural migrant workers to villages
As rural migrant workers rush to cities, villages lose their major labour force. It greatly impacts
village development. Some fields have been left uncultivated and some have been abandoned
for a long time. However, apart from earning money in cities, rural migrant workers also learn
new skills. Their horizons are broadened. They bring back culture, ways of life and city habits
to their villages to foster changes in village society.
Values 1. Why do rural migrant workers go to work in cities? Can they enjoy the same welfare as
urban residents?
2. Which industries are rural migrant workers primarily involved in?
3. How do rural migrant workers help city development?
4. What effects have the rural migrant workers brought to villages?
Summary
1. The policy of reform and opening up has contributed to rapid economic development and
improvement in the lives of rural and urban residents on the mainland. However, as there is
a disparity in the pace of economic development between rural and urban areas, the living
standards are greatly different.
2. Urban residents are mainly involved in secondary and tertiary industries while rural residents
are mainly involved in primary industries.
3. After the implementation of the household responsibility system, there was a great amount of
excess labour in villages. It has either gone to township and village enterprises or to cities to
be involved in secondary or tertiary industries. It has become rural migrant workers.
4. Income of urban residents is generally higher than that of rural residents. Urban residents can
also buy more than rural residents.
5. Urban residents have more education opportunities and generally have higher education
levels. Rural residents generally have low education levels. Some rural families have
economic difficulties so their children have to drop out of school unwillingly.
26
Glossary
reform and opening up

refers to the decision of ‘carrying out reforms in the country and opening to the outside world’ made in
the 3rd Plenary Session of 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1978. The aim
was to reform the domestic economic and political systems, open the economy, trade with the outside
world and attract foreign investment. The implementation of this national policy has contributed to a
stable and fast-growing Chinese economy as well as significant improvements in the living standards of
the nationals.
primary industries
Products are made with the direct extraction of natural resources. According to the definition of three
strata of industry in the Rules of the Classification of Three Strata of Industry issued by the National
Bureau of Statistics of China, primary industries refer to agriculture, forestry, livestock ranching and
fisheries yet do not include service industries related to these industries.
secondary industries
refer to the production of semi-finished or finished products by processing the primary products provided
by primary industries. Its products are called ‘secondary products’. According to the definition of three
strata of industry in the Rules of the Classification of Three Strata of Industry issued by the National
Bureau of Statistics of China, secondary industries mainly refer to mining, manufacturing, construction
industries as well as electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply industries.
tertiary industries
are the provision of services to producers and consumers (generally refer to the provision of all services).
According to the definition of the three strata of industry in the Rules of the Classification of Three
Strata of Industry issued by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, tertiary industries refer to service
industries. They mainly include wholesale and retail trades, transport, storage and post, hotels and
catering services, finance, real-estate, education, cultural, sports as well as entertainment industries.
township and village enterprises

To diversify village development, the Chinese Government encourages rural residents to develop
township and village enterprises in villages. Township and village enterprises develop non-agricultural
industries which include agricultural processing, construction and business. They sell their products
to the market to obtain profits. In recent years, they have attracted a large amount of excess labour in
villages and increased the income of peasants.
state-owned enterprises
The country has the right to use and control the capital and operating gains of these enterprises.
27
private enterprises
are also called ‘private companies’. These enterprises are operated with the investments of private
individuals or private parties. They are usually of a smaller scale and are mainly small and medium-sized
enterprises. Their operations do not have to be announced to the public.
self-employed individuals
refer to self-producing and self-financing units which are run individually.
opening up
is an emphasis of the Chinese reform and opening up policy. It aims to attract foreign capital, technology
and management patterns in order to foster local economic development. Since the 1980s, China has
set up special economic zones in places such as Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen. It started with
more coastal cities and has then gradually included cities which are inland and along the river.
limited liability corporations

are usually joint ventures established by less than 50 proprietors. The debt liability of the proprietors is
limited only to the amount of their investments.
household responsibility system

is a production responsibility system in villages on the mainland of China. It appeared in some villages
on the mainland of China in the 1970s and 1980s. Peasants could obtain farmland according to the size
of their household. After harvest, they have to submit a required amount of produce to the government.
They can own the remaining produce.
rural migrant workers

usually refer to rural residents who go to township and village enterprises or cities to be involved in
secondary and tertiary industries.
household registration system

is a population management policy implemented by the Chinese Government to control population
migration. Mainland residents have to register their hukou with their household as the unit. People who
have the hukou in certain places can enjoy the local legitimate rights and treatment of living there. Under
the household registration system, mainland residents are divided into agricultural and non-agricultural
hukou. Rural residents register as agricultural hukou and are mainly involved in primary industries.
Urban residents register as non-agricultural hukou and are mainly involved in secondary and tertiary
industries. The national policy emphasises giving priority to city development. This has increased the
disparity between rural and urban areas. The prosperity and high income of cities has attracted rural
residents to rush to work in cities. However, the limitation of the household registration system means
rural migrant workers cannot enjoy social treatment and protection in cities. There are large differences
between them and the urban residents in terms of income, welfare and development opportunities. In
2013, the Central Government decided to lift settling restrictions on small cities, allowing non-urban
residents to own urban hukou. Rural residents who move to cities will thus also be able to enjoy rights of
urban residents.
28
Chapter 2 Continuities and Changes in Traditional Culture
Continuities and Changes in

2
Traditional Culture
Think t It
Abou
Grandfather Grandmother
Hello everyone, my name

is Deming. Today is the
1st day of Lunar New
Uncle Aunt Father Mother Uncle Aunt Year and an important
day for me. After dating
for 10 years, my girlfriend
Jingwen and I are getting
married. We will have a
Cousin Cousin Cousin Elder Sister Younger wedding dinner today in
brother sister in law sister brother in law Me Jingwen brother
my hometown Jiangxi! My
a new member of the big family parents have given us an
ancestral house to live in.
Nephew Niece Moving out after getting married
Fig. 2.1 Deming’s big family
W hy wo u l d h i s p a re nt s Why would Deming

give Deming and his wife choose to get married
an ancestral house to live and have the wedding
in? What family members dinner on the 1st day
does Deming have after his of Lunar New Year?
marriage? How is its number
different with that of the big
family in Fig. 2.1?
http://www.youtube.com
29
Learning Continuities and changes in

Activity 1 traditional families
Part 1
Source 1
There are a great number of rooms in a Modern residential buildings generally have many
traditional Chinese house. Several generations storeys. Units of each storey are usually owned by
of a big family live together. The elders have different families. There are 2 to 3 rooms in each unit.
the main rooms. Other family members live in Usually, 2 generations of parents and their unmarried
various rooms according to seniority. children live in each unit.
Source 2
Average number of members in each family in China between 1964 and 2012
Year 1964 1982 1990 2000 2010 2011 2012
Family size 4.43 4.41 3.96 3.44 3.10 3.02 3.02
Timely Update National Bureau of Statistics of China

Source 3
Family structure has simplified in urban and
rural families on the mainland
Data from the 6th national population census in families in rural families are also the elderly. The
2010 shows that the family structure of both urban number of second-generation households (including
and rural families has generally simplified. Most nuclear families and single parent families) in rural
heads of single-person households in urban families and urban areas is also increasing.
are the elderly. Many heads of inter-generational
30
1.
Compare the size between traditional families and modern families on the mainland as
shown in Source 1.【Compare】
2.
Describe the changes in structure and size of mainland families as shown in Source 2 and
3.【Analyse】【Summarise】
Part 2
Source 4
Functions of traditional Chinese families
Carry on the ancestral line and Produce food

provide care and assistance
Educate the children Provide entertainment and safety
31
Source 5
Compared to traditional Chinese families, the functions of
modern families have experienced great changes. First, owing to
urbanisation and industrialisation in modern society, families are
no longer the centre of the socio-economic structure. Families
have changed from production units, aiming to satisfy the living
needs of families, to consumption units. In addition, as the
family planning policy has been implemented and education has
become popular, the family function of carrying on the ancestral
line has been weakened. Part of the education functions of
families has been replaced and borne by social institutions.
3.
According to Source 4, what functions do traditional Chinese families have? 【Understand】
4.
With reference to Source 4 and 5, what changes have occurred to modern and traditional
Chinese families in terms of functions? Why?【Analyse】【Summarise】
Part 3
Source 6
For traditional Chinese marriages, people must follow the parent’s wishes and matchmaker’s
words. Both families and society do not allow so-called ‘free love’ advocated in modern society.
Men can have more than one wife. Staying with husbands for life is the virtue of women.
32
Source 7
Money making abilities enhanced.

An obvious elevation of Chinese women’s status,
more opportunities to make decisions
Concerning the problem of empty-nest elderly,

new regulation declares children not going home to visit parents illegal
Under the family planning policy,

‘Little Emperors’ and ‘Little Princesses’ have appeared in China
Focus of Today: The Chinese culture of respecting the elderly was swept away by modernisation,
intergenerational dislocation of having inadequate respect for the elderly and
over-indulging children in families
5.
What traditional Chinese family values are shown in Source 6?【Understand】【Analyse】
Values 6.
What are the changes in modern Chinese family values? Why are there such changes?
Discuss in groups with reference to Source 6 and 7.【Understand】【Analyse】
33
Learning Continuities and changes in

Activity 2 traditional festivals
Part 1
Source 1
Traditional Chinese festivals
Spring Festival, which is Lunar New Year, Ching Ming is one of the 24 solar terms
usually starts on the 23rd day of the 12th in China. It is generally on a day between
lunar month and ends on the 15th day of the the 4th and 6th day of the 4th month of the
1st lunar month. Lunar New Year’s Eve and Gregorian Calendar (which is the Solar
Lunar New Year’s Day are the highlights of Calendar). According to tradition, mainland
this festival. The Spring Festival is a traditional residents usually go to cemeteries to
Chinese festival with the longest history. It is worship their ancestors on that day.
of utmost importance for Chinese.
At ancestors’ graves, people will clear the
According to Southern customs, people get up weeds, clean the graves, lay offerings they
early on Lunar New Year’s Day. They worship have brought, such as flowers, fruit, roast
ancestors at home, expressing their gratitude pigs and wine, and place them in front of
to them for their protection and praying the graves. They then burn joss papers
that the new year will be good, smooth and and joss sticks to worship and pay tribute
safe. Afterwards, people generally play with to their ancestors.
firecrackers. All children and adults welcome
Ching Ming Festival is also called ‘Outing
the 1st day of the New Year joyfully.
Festival’. Early April, with glorious spring
At the beginning of the new year, everyone weather and greenery, is a good time for
greets one another with auspicious expressions spring outing. Traditional activities include
such as ‘Happy New Year!’, ‘May you come sightseeing, playing on swings and flying
into a good fortune!’ and ‘May all your wishes kites in rural areas.
come true!’. People visit relatives’ homes with
tangerines and other New Year gifts.
34
Values 1.
What traditional Chinese festivals does Source 1 show? What celebrations or rituals do
mainland residents have during these festivals? What special meanings do these customs
have?【Understand】
Values 2.
Which traditional Chinese festivals have similar meaning of the above mentioned? In what
ways?【Analyse】
More tion
Informa
Spring Festival customs
New Year shopping Having a reunion dinner
Visiting relatives Playing with firecrackers and fireworks
35
Part 2
Source 2
Returning home to celebrate the Spring Festival
Guangzhou Jinan Beijing
China has a vast territory and a mobile population. Millions will rush home before Spring
Festival to have a reunion with relatives, resulting in the unique phenomenon of ‘the great
Spring Festival migration’. Transport workers all over the country, especially in big cities
such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, will be well prepared to meet the challenge.
Returning to the hometown for ancestral worship

during the Ching Ming Festival
During Ching Ming, the rain is heavy. The congested traffic drives
people crazy. May I ask when the congestion will ease? The
traffic police shake their heads and don’t know how to answer!
A mainland netizen
Source 3
With the development of technology, mainland residents, especially the younger generation,
like to shop for gifts for their relatives and friends online and greet them through SMS or
Internet video calls during festivals. They will watch the Spring Festival Gala online and send
electronic greeting cards.
Sending New Year greetings through Sending New Year greetings through
Internet video calls SMS
36
Source 4
Go to the website of Xinhua Net. Read the article 《網祭

VS 掃墓，誰能「代言」文明？》(Chinese version only):
http://las.mpep.com.hk/24/qingming
Online tomb-sweeping
Source 5
Merchants have encouraged the general

public to have ‘festival consumption’.
Source 6
Modern families will choose to bring all family members to go on trips during the festival holidays.
Mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong during the Spring Festival
Year
Year
Number of tourists visiting
Hong Kong (thousand) Annual growth (%)
During the 2013 Spring Festival Golden Week, domestic The 2013 Spring Festival Golden Week lasted from the 9 to
and foreign tourists visiting Tianjin reached 4.2852 million 15 of February (from the 29th day of the 12th lunar month to
person-times. the 6th day of the 1st lunar month). The number of mainland
tourists visiting Hong Kong was around 885 thousand.
Summary of local and overseas news in February 2013
37
Source 7
‘An entire salary for me to spend without a woman widely spread. The online transaction platform,
or a lonely heart. With my single life, I have no Alibaba, announced this morning that the amount
burden. I only live once. I will live my brilliant of online transactions on Bachelors’ Day this year
life alone. There are joys to being single. Hurray! reached RMB 35.018 billion, 83.4% more than last
Single people! Happy Bachelors’ Day!’ Yesterday year. The number of transactions reached 0.171
was 11 November, Bachelors’ Day on the billion.
mainland. Messages praising the single life were
Summary of local news on 12 November 2013
Source 8
Western festivals such as the Valentine’s Day and
Christmas are considered as extremely important for
mainland retail sales and the catering industry. On
Valentine’s Day, diamond rings, necklaces and pendants
costing around RMB 1,000 are the most popular items
among the young couples. Apart from thinking that the
value of these products are inflation-proof and may even
appreciate, the couples think that these products are
commemorative.
Sales exhibition in a shopping mall on the mainland
during Christmas Summary of local news in February 2013
3.
With reference to Source 2, why would mainland people who left their hometowns rush
home to celebrate the Spring Festival or go tomb-sweeping in the Ching Ming Festival?
【Understand】
Values 4.
According to Source 3 to 6, how have the customs of Spring Festival and Ching Ming
Festival changed on the mainland? What do you think of these changes? Discuss in groups.
【Understand】【Analyse】【Summarise】
38
5.
With reference to Source 7 and 8, what are the new festivals on the mainland in recent
years? Why are they increasingly popular?【Understand】【Analyse】【Deduce】
Values 6.
Some people think that nowadays, traditional Chinese festivals receive less attention from
mainland residents, especially from young people. What are your opinions about this? Why?
Discuss in groups.【Analyse】
Focus of
Learning
2.1 Continuities and changes in
traditional families
A. Continuities and changes in traditional
family structures and patterns
Family is an organisation formed by members who have
marriage, genetic or adoption relationships. It is the most
fundamental unit in society. Most traditional Chinese families
are extended families with a great number of family members
of several generations living together.
However, as family production has been replaced by modern

social production, the population has become more mobile.
Together with reasons such as the drop in birth rate after the
implementation of the family planning policy in China in
1979 and the increase in late marriage and late pregnancy,
extended families are gradually on the decline. While Fig. 2.2 The nuclear family is the main type of
the average number of members in each family has been modern family on the mainland.
39
decreasing, the number of families such as the nuclear family, empty-

nest family, inter-generational family, DINK family, single family, single
parent family and four-two-one family has been increasing.
B. Continuity and changes of traditional

family functions
Functions of traditional Chinese families
primarily include carrying on the ancestral
line, education, production (aims at
satisfying the living needs of the families),
social stabilisation, emotional assistance,
economic support and entertainment.
Giving birth is no longer the most important
function of families. Unlike an agricultural
society, an industrial society emphasises
the division of labour and specialisation.
Multi-functional families are outdated. Some
functions borne by traditional families have
been replaced and borne by society. For
instance, the function of education has been
shifted from families to schools and the
Fig. 2.3 Entertainment is still one of the
function of production has been borne by
family functions on the mainland. enterprises.
C. Continuities and changes of traditional

family values and systems
Regarding family values, traditional Chinese
families are clan-oriented. They put great
emphasis on ethics and morality and promote
filial piety, advocating the order between
older and younger and the predominant role
of men over women. Traditional families
emphasise the principles of ‘father guiding
son’ and ‘husband guiding wife’ to establish
rights and responsibilities as well as the mutual
relationship between family members. After the
implementation of the family planning policy,
children have always been the focus in modern
families. There has even been the phenomenon of
‘emphasising the young and neglecting the old’.
Fig. 2.4 F amily values, systems emphasising the order Education levels and economic abilities of women
between older and younger, the predominant role have also improved continuously. Wives are no
of men over women and the preference for boys
over girls have gradually weakened in most modern longer subordinates. The status between husbands
mainland families. and wives has become more equal over time.
40
2.2 Continuities and changes in

traditional festivals
A. Traditional Chinese festivals and their meanings
Traditional Chinese festivals include the Spring Festival,
the Lantern Festival, the Ching Ming Festival, the
Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Chinese culture has a long history and its traditional

festivals carry rich connotations. China is a vast territory
and there are various ethnic groups, with different
festivals and customs, living in different regions. As
China was founded on agriculture, most traditional
Chinese festivals are related to agricultural seasons.
Ancient people had mixed feelings of respect and fear
towards heaven. Festivals naturally include some worship Fig. 2.5 C ustoms of the Mid-Autumn Festival:
and religious customs. In addition, traditional festivals watching lantern display.
are closely related to ethics in society.
• The core elements in traditional festivals are harmony
and integrity. Customs in festivals are generally
marked with the symbol of reunion.
• Traditional festivals emphasise human relations.
Festivals activities are always centred on the family
with family members working together and preparing
to celebrate the festivals together. The Spring Festival
and the Mid-Autumn Festival can truly demonstrate
such meanings.
• Traditional festivals emphasise filial piety and courtesy.
They consider family ethics as the core value. People Fig. 2.6 Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival: having
will carry out specific actions to show their respect. dragon boat races.
For instance, there are rituals of showing filial piety to parents and
respect for ancestors in the Ching Ming and the Chung Yeung Festival.
More tion
Informa
Statutory festival holidays and
important traditional festivals in China
Go to the website of Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China and
read the article 《中國的節日》 (Chinese version only) to know more about statutory festivals
on the mainland of China and customs during important traditional festivals:
http://las.mpep.com.hk/24/festival
http://www.china.com.cn 41
B. Continuities and changes in traditional festivals

• The meanings of some traditional Chinese festivals are being ignored
nowadays. Instead, people care more about entertainment and
consumption. This is due to the government promoting traditional
festivals and merchants encouraging consumption. For instance, after
the Southeast Asian Financial Crisis in 1999, the Chinese Government
introduced 3 days of public holidays to stimulate domestic demand and
motivate nationals to spend. These 3, together with the Saturdays and
Sundays prior to and after that week, form the Golden Week holidays,
which last for 7 days. Before festival holidays, tourism, entertainment,
catering and retail industries run great advertising campaigns and
introduce various kinds of sales activities to attract customers.
Fig. 2.7 Mainland supermarkets • A s technology advances, the superstitious components in some
sell moon cakes during the traditional Chinese festivals have gradually faded. They have been
Mid-Autumn Festival.
replaced by new and trendy patterns, such as sending New Year
greetings through e-cards, SMS or Internet video calls and replacing
traditional tomb-sweeping with online tomb-sweeping during the
Ching Ming Festival.
• The quick pace of modern life has prompted increasing simplification
of rituals in traditional Chinese festivals.
• Under globalisation, some traditional Chinese festivals have been
affected by Western culture, developing Chinese-Western fusion.
Summary
1. Social changes have affected the size and structure of families on the mainland:
• The size of traditional families is bigger with several generations living together. Modern
families are smaller, with fewer members.
• Extended families have gradually disappeared. There are more diverse family structures,
including nuclear families, empty-nest families, inter-generational families, DINK
families, single families, single parent families and four-two-one families.
2. Traditional families on the mainland have many functions. They carry on the ancestral line,
provide education, production, social stability, emotional assistance, economic support and
entertainment. Nowadays, some family functions have been replaced and borne by society.
3. Traditional families on the mainland put great emphasis on ethics and morality, promote
filial piety, advocate the order between older and younger and the predominant role of men
over women. Though modern families still see filial piety as important, seniority and status
of men and women have been impacted equality.
42
4. Traditional Chinese festivals include the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, the Ching
Ming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Festival customs in
different regions vary. Agricultural seasons, a religious nature and emphasising ethics are the
characteristics of traditional Chinese festivals.
5. As society changes, there have also been transformations in the customs of traditional
Chinese festivals.
Glossary
family
is an organisation formed through marriage, genetics or adoption. It is the most fundamental unit in
society.
inter-generational family
is also called ‘grandparents and grandchildren family’. It refers to a family in which grandparents and
grandchildren live together.
nuclear family
usually refers to a family in which a married couple and their unmarried children live together. It is a
common family pattern in modern China.
single parent family

refers to a family in which the mother or father raise the children on his or her own. In modern China,
divorce is common. There is an increasing number of single parent families.
family planning policy

is a birth policy implemented in 1979 aiming at curbing population growth in China. Under the policy,
most married couples on the mainland of China have only one child. Therefore, this policy is generally
called the ‘One-Child Policy’. The Central Government decided to adjust this policy in 2013 and
implemented the ‘Selective Two-Child Policy’ to foster a balanced population development. Married
couples can have two children if one of them is an only child.
extended family
refers to a family combination derived from nuclear families. It extends horizontally and vertically in a
cross shape. The horizontal extension consists of small families with family members at the same level
of seniority. The vertical extension consists of small families of grandparents and the next generations.
Thus it is a big family formed collectively by many small families. This family pattern is of a large size
with several generations living together.
43
empty-nest family
refers to a family in which the children do not live with the elderly, who thus have to live alone.
DINK family
The word ‘DINK’ is formed by the initials of ‘Double Income No Kids’. In a DINK family, a married
couple live together. They do not want to have children.
single family
refers to a family in which a person lives alone because of late marriage or his or her partner died at an
old age, etc.
four-two-one family
refers to a family formed by grandparents, maternal grandparents, parents and a single child. After the
implementation of the family planning policy in China, married couples usually have one child so four-
two-one families are more common.
44
Think More
Think More
1.
Hong Kong has a disparity between the rich and the poor. Is it similar to rural-urban
differences on the mainland? Give examples and explain your views.【Compare】【Analyse】
Values 2.
Use the Internet to do research. Find the differences in public holidays between Hong Kong
and the mainland (such as the differences in types and the number of days). Analyse the
reasons for these differences. 【Use of IT】【Compare】【Analyse】
3.
Choose 1 traditional Chinese festival. Use the Internet to search for information about the
ways Hong Kong residents celebrate this festival and share in class.【Use of IT】【Analyse】
【Summarise】
45
Concept
Map
Chinese nationals Household registration system
a way out of an excess limit welfare

labour force
Urban residents Rural residents Rural migrant workers
hasten
working units urbanisation working units
agricultural improve
1. State-owned enterprises policy efficiency
1. Township and
2. Private enterprises villages enterprises
Household responsibility system
3. Self-employed 2. Private enterprises
individuals 3. Self-employed
move to cities for a living individuals
broaden
shown
1. Work
1. Opening up broaden Disparity of life by • Primary industry
2. National development between rural and • Secondary industry
policies urban areas • Tertiary industry
2. Income and consumption
social changes affect 3. Education
Traditional culture Family structure and pattern
diversification
affect
Traditional Extended family Empty-nest family

1. Technological
festivals
development Nuclear family DINK family
2. Western culture some forms have
been changed
3. Industrialisation Inter-generational
Single family
4. Commercialisation family
1. Computerisation
2. Westernisation Four-two-one Single-parent
3. Simplification family Family
46
Word Easy
Word Easy
Below is a list of the Chinese meanings of special terms and vocabularies (underlined with a
grey dotted line) in this module for your quick and easy reference.
A agricultural hukou　農業戶口 empty-nest family　空巢家庭

agricultural tax　農業税 excess labour　剩餘勞力
air pollution　空氣污染 extended families　擴大式家庭
ant tribe　蟻族
F family　家庭
B Bachelors’ Day　光棍節 family ethics　家庭倫理

Beijing　北京 family function　家庭功能
birth rate　出生率 family planning policy　計劃生育政策
family production　家庭生產
C
family values　家庭觀念
capsule apartment　膠囊公寓
‘father guiding son’　「父為子綱」
cash consumption expenditure
festival consumption　節日消費
現金消費支出
filial piety　孝道
Central People’s Government of the
four-two-one family　四二一家庭
People’s Republic of China
France　法國
中華人民共和國中央人民政府
free love　自由戀愛
Ching Ming Festival　清明節
Christmas　聖誕節
Chung Yeung Festival　重陽節 G Germany　德國
clan-oriented　宗族為本 Golden Week　黃金周
consumption abilities　消費能力 government schools　國家興辦的學校
courtesy　禮 grandparents and grandchildren family
customs　習俗祖孫家庭
Gregorian Calendar　公曆
D
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
DINK family　丁克家庭
國內生產總值
division of labour　分工
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita
domestic demand　內需
人均國內生產總值
Dragon Boat Festival　端午節
Guangzhou　廣州
durable consumer goods　耐用消費品
E economic status　經濟地位 H higher education institutions　高等院校

high-income families　高收入家庭
education levels　教育程度
household (hukou)　口
employment situation　就業情況
household income per capita　家庭人均收入
empty-nest elderly　空巢老人
47
household registration system　籍管理制度 non-agricultural hukou　非農業戶口

household responsibility system nuclear families　核心家庭
家庭聯產承包責任制
‘husband guiding wife’　「夫為妻綱」 O ‘One-Child Policy’　「一孩政策」
online tomb-sweeping　網祭
I illiteracy　文盲 only child　獨生子女
Individual Visit Scheme　個人遊計劃 outbound rural migrant workers
industrialisation　工業化外出農民工
infrastructure　基礎設施 ‘Outing Festival’　「踏青節」
inter-generational families　隔代家庭 ‘overseas returnees’　「海歸」
J Japan　日本 P pigeonhole　蝸居
Jinan　濟南 prevalence rate　普及率
primary industries　第一產業
L labour force　勞動力 private enterprises　私營企業

Lantern Festival　元宵節 private schools　民辦學校
late marriage　遲婚
late pregnancy　遲育 R reform and opening up　改革開放
limited liability corporations　有責任公司 reunion dinner　團年飯
living standards　生活水平 Rules of the Classification of Three Strata
local rural migrant workers　本地農民工 of Industry　《三次產業劃分規定》
Lunar New Year　農曆新年 rural labour force　農村勞動力
Lunar New Year’s Day　大年初一 rural migrant workers　農民工
Lunar New Year’s Eve　除夕 rural reform　農村改革
rural residents　農村居民
M Mid-Autumn Festival　中秋節 rural-urban migration　城鄉遷移

modern families　現代家庭
modern social production　現代社會生產 S secondary industries　第二產業
‘mortgage slaves’　「房奴」 ‘Selective Two-Child Policy’
mouse tribe　鼠族「單獨二胎政策」
self-employed individuals　個體
N National Bureau of Statistics of China Shanghai　上海

中華人民共和國國家統計局 single families　單身家庭
non-agricultural activities　非農業活動 single parent families　單親家庭
48
Word Easy
Solar Calendar　陽曆
Southeast Asian Financial Crisis
東南亞金融危機
specialisation　專門化
Spring Festival　春節
Spring Festival Gala　春節聯歡晚會（春晚）
state-owned enterprises　國有企業

Statistical Communiqué of the People’s
Republic of China on the 2013 National
Economic and Social Development
《中華人民共和國 2013 年國民經濟和社會發
展統計公報》
T technical schools　技工學校
tertiary industries　第三產業
Tianjin　天津
township and village enterprises　鄉鎮企業
traditional families　傳統家庭
traditional festivals　傳統節日
U United Kingdom　英國
urbanisation　城鎮化
urban resident hukou　城市居民戶口
urban residents　城鎮居民
V Valentine’s Day　情人節
vocational schools　職業學校
9-year free compulsory education

九年義務免費教育
49
Note
Thinking aspects: (Question 3 of Warm-up Activity, p.5)
• Effects on rural residents: As rural migrant workers floods into cities in greater numbers, they have opportunities
to earn money to improve their lives and the lives of their relatives who stay behind in villages. In addition, they
can also bring new knowledge, new techniques, civilised lifestyle and scientific thinking and concepts to villages,
improving the backward social appearance of villages. However, as it is the rural migrant workers in their prime-
years who leaves their hometowns, most children and the elderly staying behind cannot receive appropriate care or
assistance.
• Effects on urban residents: Rural migrant workers brings convenience to urban residents by working as cleaners
and nannies. However, it is difficult for some rural migrant workers to find suitable jobs due to their low academic
qualifications and lack of skills. They may thus steal or rob, undermining law and order in cities.
Teaching suggestions: (Source 3 of Part 2 of Learning Activity 3 in Chapter 1, p.14)

• Extended thinking:
- Describe the trend of the disposable income per capita* of urban families on the mainland between
1978 and 2012. (Between 1978 and 2012, there was a rapid growth in the income of urban residents and the
growth continued to expand, especially between 1990 and 2012.)
- Describe the trend of the net income per capita* of rural families on the mainland between 1978 and
2012. (Between 1978 and 2012, the income of rural residents continued to increase and the growth gradually
became apparent, especially between 1990 and 2012.)
- Compare the income disparity between urban and rural residents between 1978 and 2012 and indicate
the changes in it. (Between 1978 and 2012, the income of urban residents was higher than that of rural residents
and the disparity gradually increased. It was only a difference of RMB 209 in 1978 but became RMB 16,648 in
2012.)
- What differences in living standards are reflected in the disparity of income between the residents of
the 2 places? (As the income of urban residents is higher than that of rural residents, the living standards of
urban residents are higher than those of rural residents.)
*Note: Teachers may explain to students the following official statistical methods used on the mainland to
enhance their knowledge: The Statistical Yearbook of the National Bureau of Statistics of China usually
divides the income per capita of rural and urban families into the disposable income per capita of urban
families and the net income per capita of rural families.
- The disposable income per capita of urban families refers to the income of urban families after
deducting values such as personal contribution to personal income tax and social security expenditure
(such as paying pension insurance and medical insurance) from the total income of the urban families.
- The net income per capita of rural families refers to the income of rural families after deducting values
such as the expenditure of production and operation and fixed-asset depreciation for production from
the total income of rural families.
Note
Supplementary information: (Focus of Learning of Chapter 1, p.18)
• At the end of the Qing Dynasty, China was successively invaded by foreign powers. There were
outbreaks of war, including wars among warlords and the Japanese invasion of China soon after the
overthrowing of the Qing court by the Revolutionaries, making people’s lives miserable at that time. In
1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded with many things left to be done. Yet, there were
calamities of nature and calamities imposed by people, such as the great famine and Cultural Revolution,
making the lives of people on the mainland even harder. It was not until 1978 that China reversed the
decline and finally stepped on the road of recovery with the implementation of the policy of reform and
opening up led by state leaders such as Deng Xiaoping.
• Comparison of GDP and GDP per capita of China, the US and Japan in 1978 and 2012.
Gross Domestic Product (US$ million) Gross Domestic Product per capita (US$)
Country
1978 2012 1978 2012
US 2,356,6000 16,244,600 10,587 51,748
China 148,178 8,227,102 155 6,091
Japan 996,741 5,959,718 8,675 46,720
• Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the state had different regional development
strategies in different periods. The implementation and adjustment of these strategies directly affected
work, income and social welfare of urban and rural residents on the mainland. The following are the
regional development strategies of the state in different periods:
- From the beginning of the founding of PRC to the time before reform and opening up, state leaders
thought that developing heavy industry would strengthen the state and hence decided to focus on
the development of heavy industry. At that time, industries on the mainland mainly clustered around
the southeast coastal region and the state therefore invested heavily in inland regions to achieve a
balanced development of industries, especially heavy industry, in various regions. (At that time there
were only ‘coastal region’ and ‘inland region’ in the regional pattern)
(In the past, the mainland divided industries into the 2 categories, heavy and light industry. Heavy
industry refers to industries which provide various national economic departments with major
production materials and processes, such as metal smelting and processing as well as oil and coal
processing. Light industry refers to industries which provide daily consumer goods and produce hand
tools, such as food manufacturing and textile industries. Since the second half of 2013, the industrial
categorisation of ‘light industry’ and ‘heavy industry’ has no longer been used and it is mainly due to
the rapid economic development in recent years and that the industrial structure has changed from
simple to complex. There are new products emerging in endlessly and it is now difficult to have a
scientific delineation of light and heavy industry. In addition, the new categorisation is used also as to
be consistent with the international practice.
- From the start of reform and opening up to 1990, state leaders such as Deng Xiaoping advocated ‘the
realisation of common prosperity by having people who get rich first pushing people who get rich later’,
which means to enable some regions to get rich first and then let those regions drive the development
of other regions with an aim to achieving common prosperity eventually. Since then, the state has
shifted the focus of development to southeast coastal regions and implemented policies such as
preferential tax treatment to foster import and export trade and attract foreign investment. (At that time
there were ‘eastern region’, ‘central region’ and ‘western region’ in the regional pattern.)
- From the beginning of the 1990s to the present, the state has implemented the strategy of coordinated
regional development with its focus being western development, northeast revitalisation, the rise of
central China and the leading development of the eastern region. (‘Eastern region’, ‘Central region’,
‘Western region’ and ‘Northeast region’ are in the current regional pattern)
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright photos, illustrations and URLs:
Cathy Yeulet / 123RF Limited; China Internet Network Information Centre; Hong Kong Liberal Studies
Teachers’ Association; imtmphoto / 123RF Limited; Ming Pao; National Bureau of Statistics of China;
pengyou91 / 123RF Limited; Philip Lange / 123RF Limited; Shanghai Municipal People’s Government;
Shanye Cunfu / NetEase; tomwang / 123RF Limited; United Nations; viewstock / 123RF Limited;
Website of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China; Wong Sze Yuen /
123RF Limited; World Bank; Xinhua News Agency; Yao Yi / English Training - Only College’s Teacher
Blog; Youku.com; YouTube; Zhao Ning / English Training - Only College’s Teacher Blog
China Internet Information Centre
While every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of all photos and sources, we have not
been able to locate some of them. We apologise for any infringement of copyright thus incurred and
invite the parties concerned to provide us with the relevant information.
Consultant: Dr. Chiu Chi Shing
Publishing coordinators: Chow Yat Fat, Lau Chi Hang
Editors: Tam Lai Sze, Wong Suk Han, Cai Kui Fang, Yeung Ming Wai, Leung Yee Wan
Production coordinator: Chan Kwok Wai
Graphic designer: Kwan Kit Yi
Illustrators: Cheng Yuen Yuen, Wong Dai Luk
Typesetters: Lee Kam Hing, Lam Man Fai

Ming Pao Education
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Tel: (852) 2515 5600
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying and recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
publisher.
First published in 2015
ISBN 978-988-8348-61-9
978-988-8348-32-9
Ming Pao Education Publications Limited

Ming Pao Education Publications Limited, a subsidiary of Media Chinese International Limited, is committed to
publishing and issuing printed textbooks, as well as developing e-textbooks and e-learning platforms. We have
always been concerned about development in the local education sector and therefore set up a support team in
2010 that caters for the long-term education development of schools. Our aim is to enhance students’ learning
abilities and to support learning and teaching by providing quality service.
In late 2012, Ming Pao Education Publications Limited participated in the first phase of the e-Textbook Market
Development Scheme (EMADS) organised by the Hong Kong Education Bureau and obtained authorisation to
develop ‘Life and Society’ e-textbooks in line with the local curricula for junior secondary schools.
Ming Pao Education Publications Limited also plans to transform the Group’s daily news report and commentary
archive into textbook materials to launch in the subjects of ‘Life and Society’ and ‘Liberal Studies’ for both
junior and senior secondary schools in 2014/15. Mr. Lau Chun To, our Chief Operating Officer, observed, ‘The
synergy between journalistic publications and liberal studies is enormous. With proper processing and continuous
updating, such publications will become live textbooks.’ His remark highlights our reasons, specialties and
advantages in supporting education publications.
Life and Society
Life and Society Series is written according to the ‘Life and Society Curriculum Guide (Secondary
1-3)’ prepared by the Curriculum Development Council of Hong Kong in 2010. With a total of 29 modules
and employing exploratory learning methods, this series constructs foundation knowledge sequentially
and develops students into active learners and problem solvers as well as informed and responsible
citizens. It also provides a solid foundation for the Liberal Studies programme that follows.
24
Module Features

Learning Learning outcomes predicted in Current affairs and critical
Objectives Warm -up
Activity
point form. questions as independent
learning materials, enables
Learning
Activity Content learning through inquiry students to do preparation before
activities for multiple learning lessons and get motivated in
styles. learning.
Focus of
Explanations reinforce and
Learning Questions to trigger students’
deepen knowledge acquired Think t It
Abou interest and critical thinking.
through activities.
Summary Inductive summary in point form. Challenge Inspiring questions promote

deeper thinking of knowledge
Glossary Further explanations on main and concepts.
concept words (highlighted in
blue) for understanding of more Diversified supplementary
More
relevant information. Informa
tion
information allows students to
carry out learning activities on
Think More Extended questions in articles, reinforced knowledge foundation.
pictures and mind mapping offer
students opportunities to reflect
Diverse elements help to
and express acquired knowledge. ce
Referen enhance independent learning
Concept for students.
Map Key points summarised as
concept map help students in
using and understanding of Daily categorised news reports
concept words. and updated statistical charts can
be downloaded through scanning
Word Easy Quick and easy reference of of QR codes. A resource bank
special terms and vocabularies of supplementary worksheets,
(underlined with a grey dotted question bank and multimedia
line) helps students to understand materials are provided to
the content in a bilingual way. complement the overall needs of
independent learning.
Ming Pao Education

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24 Life and Society

Ming Pao Education

Resource bank Teaching Teaching Categorised

Updated data / URL Videos Suggested Online

What is 'Teach Easy'?

Teaching resources are categorised according to different

Teachers can click on the specified icons to get the latest

Teachers can download worksheets or view the suggested

1. Encouraging independent learning and knowledge construction

2. Use of higher order thinking towards cultivation of good values

4. Scaffolding questions to cater for learning differences

1 An Overview of the Life of Urban and 6

2 Continuities and Changes in 29

After studying this module, you should be able to:

Module 24 Resource Bank

China’s urbanisation progress will slow down

An Overview of the Life of

Study the following information carefully and answer the questions.

Overall economic power strengthened,

Source 3 Timely Update

National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Internet Network Information Centre

National Bureau of Statistics of China

National Bureau of Statistics of China

Mainland urban residents generally have strong

Behind the prosperity, there are also people

2. Only College’s Teacher Blog: 《蟻族過了，鼠族流行》 (Chinese version only)

3. Only College’s Teacher Blog: 《卡奴，房奴，孩奴，車奴，證奴──你佔了幾樣？》

Mainland rural residents live a simple life. They love

In such a vast territory, there are developmental

1. Webpage of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government (Chinese version only)

2. 山野村夫園地網誌：《淳樸山村中粉坪──騎車好去處》(Chinese version only)

Learning Work, income, consumption and

National Bureau of Statistics of China

Primary industry refers to agriculture,

Fig. 1.3 Agriculture

Secondary industry mainly refers to

Fig. 1.4 Construction industry

Ter t iar y industry refers to service

Fig. 1.5 Retail industry

Go to the website of National Bureau of Statistics of China. Read《三次產業劃分規定》

Source 4 Timely Update

Food 6,040.9 1,863.1

Transport and communications 2,455.5 652.8

Culture, education and recreation 2,033.5 445.5

Clothing 1,823.4 396.1

Residence 1,484.3 1,054.2

Household facilities and articles 1,116.1 341.4

Healthcare and medical services 1,063.7 513.8

Others 657.1 147.5

Total cash consumption expenditure 16,674.3 5,414.5

National Bureau of Statistics of China

Source 5 Timely Update

Comparison of the average number of durable consumer goods owned

Colour televisions 136.1 116.9

Air-conditioners 126.8 25.4

Refrigerators 98.5 67.3

Washing machines 98.0 67.2

Computers 87.0 21.4

Telephones 68.4 42.2

Cameras 46.4 5.2

National Bureau of Statistics of China

Xiaomin, the summer holiday is coming. Where will

Wenjuan, I come from a village. I cannot

3. Only College’s Teacher Blog: 《卡奴，房奴，孩奴，車奴，證奴──你佔了幾樣？》

1.2 Income and consumption

Fig. 1.9 Similar to Hong Kong, some mainland urban

Fig. 1.10 A growing number of mainland urban residents are going

Fig. 1.13 Students in villages

Fig. 1.14 R ural migrant workers enjoy

B. Continuity and changes of traditional

C. Continuities and changes of traditional

2.2 Continuities and changes in

B. Continuities and changes in traditional festivals

A agricultural hukou　農業戶口 empty-nest family　空巢家庭

B Bachelors’ Day　光棍節 family ethics　家庭倫理

E economic status　經濟地位 H higher education institutions　高等院校

household registration system　籍管理制度 non-agricultural hukou　非農業戶口