Qin Lu left her home in Xi'an for Beijing in search of a better
life. Battling through rush-hour traffic with 11 million other
commuters every day, hers is an oft-heard story of work and no play
in this mammoth city where outsiders spend their waking hours
worrying over transport, housing and their Beijing hukou
(permanent resident permit).
As bus No.30 pulls into Pingleyuan Bus Station, a horde of
commuters rush forward, hoping to be one of the first to get into
the bus. Not for a seat, but for a place to stand.
Unfortunately for Qin, she can't even get on. Missing the bus
spells the possibility of turning up late to work and therefore
losing out on her bonus. When bus No.829 presented itself, she
rushed on; an alternative route but she just might make it to work
on time.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, she quipped, "Someone told me
that New York is paradise, and hell. I think that describes
Beijing."
Beijing's public transport system is struggling to satisfy the
needs of the city's 11 million commuters. There are a mere 25,000
buses that ply 800 routes, and 114 kilometers of subway lines.
Qin's commute to work takes an hour and a half on average. She
takes a bus to the subway station where she takes the Metro Line 1,
only to then transfer to lines 2 and 13. A one-way trip costs her
5.4 yuan (US$0.71).
By the time she reaches her office, she is exhausted.
"I don't put on make-up, not even light make-up. I don't want to
show a 'colorful' face to my colleagues," Qin said during an
interview with China Youth Daily.
Although taking a taxi would make things a little more
comfortable, it's hardly an option for Qin. A one-way cab ride
would cost 70 yuan (US$9.3).
In addition to the cost, some three million cars already crowd
Beijing's roads. According to the Beijing Traffic Management
Bureau, traffic jams in the downtown areas start early in the
morning and don't thin out until late in the evening. During the
usual rush hours and on the main roads, vehicles move at no more
than 25 kilometers (about 15 miles) an hour.
Home is like a motel
Qin spends three hours a day on the road.
"I leave for work early in the morning and come back late at
night. I've even lost my passion for a love affair," Qin
complained. "If I'm not at work, I'm on my way there," she added
wryly.
"My friends and I try to organize parties and outings, but we're
constantly canceling because everybody's so busy."
The thing she most looks forward to at the weekend is getting
some decent sleep. If motivated to do anything else, she tidies her
room, reads or goes window-shopping.
"Home is just a place to sleep. Cooking, meeting friends and family
do not belong here," Qin said.
This might be why Beijing's suburbs such as Huilongguan,
Tongtianyuan, Wangjing and Tongzhou are known by residents as
"Sleeping Cities" because most of them only ever spend their nights
there.
Qin bought her apartment in April and pays 3,000 yuan (US$396) a
month in mortgage, which is nearly half of her salary.
"I spend almost all of my income every month," Qin said, trying
to force a smile. "The situation was different when I was in Xi'an.
I even had to think about how to spend my money!
"But in Beijing, I can't, I don't know what I'd do if I fell ill
and not get paid for even one month."
A city of opportunity
Despite the pressures of life and the lack of any real private
space, Beijing is still a land of opportunity for the millions who
come here from other parts of China. According to the Statistics
Communiqué of National Economy and Social Development of Beijing in
2006, Beijing registered 3.83 million non-Beijingers, an increase
of 261,000 compared with 2005, and accounting for 24.3 percent of
the total permanent resident population of Beijing.
Five years ago, Qin arrived in Beijing with one bag, important
papers and certificates and her dream. For her, "Beijing is a city
of the future." She left Xi'an because she couldn't see herself
living a humdrum existence, as simple as that humdrum might be.
Like many others, Qin believes that Beijing is a civilized city
bursting with culture and options. As long as one is talented,
there is always a job somewhere waiting for him.
"I curse this city everyday for the inconveniences, but I never
think of leaving."
The elusive hukou is still a
barrier
When she first arrived in Beijing, Qin had dreams of buying a
big house and a car. Issues like retirement or even her
hukou weren't on her To-Do list.
In June, she was to go on a business trip to Hong Kong. When
booking her passage there, she was told that she had to go back to
Xi'an to apply for a travel permit. The process delayed her trip by
two days.
Qin said that she is not too concerned about whether she is
entitled to the same welfare benefits as Beijingers.
"Objectively speaking, the city is changing and become more
open," Qin said. "For example, before 2005, migrants who bought
cars in Beijing could not obtain a locally registered license
plate. But now you can register for a local plate with your ID card
and Temporary Residence Permit (TRP). "
In 2005 Beijing abolished the Regulation on the Management of
Migrant People Working in Beijing, which had been in force for 10
years and which regulated the floating population (migrants without
Beijing hukou) in the city. The TRP system was retained.
The system requires migrants who are over 16 and who plan to stay
in Beijing for more than a month or to work here to apply for one.
Those who fail to do can be fined 50 yuan (US$6.61).
"It is a symbolic and landmark decision that means the coming of
an era of civil rights," Zhang Yin said, who is the vice director
of Legislative Affairs Office under the Standing Committee of
Beijing Municipal People's Congress.
Meng Xiaoshe, an IT reporter who has bought a house in Beijing,
feels no sense of belonging. "I don't have a Beijing
hukou, or permanent residence permit, so I have to apply
for a TRP to live in my own house "temporarily". I think that's
totally ridiculous."
Liu Shuhui, a friend of Qin's, came to Beijing in 1998 and
refused to apply for a TRP, "I'm not living in this city
temporarily. I pay tax and I'm a builder of this city. I'm a
Beijinger and someday, they will admit it."
Certain names have been changed to respect interviewees'
privacy.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Yunxing, July 16, 2007)
