城市化
chéngshìhuàㄔㄥˊ ㄕˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
urbanization
The greatest migration in human history: 300+ million people moved to cities in one generation.
独生子女 独生子女
dúshēng zǐnǚㄉㄨˊ ㄕㄥ ㄗˇ ㄋㄩˇ
the one-child generation
The only children of 1980–2015, an entire generation raised without siblings.
二孩政策
èrhái zhèngcèㄦˋ ㄏㄞˊ ㄓㄥˋ ㄘㄜˋ
the two-child policy
2016's end of one-child China, the U-turn that came too late for the birth rate.
老龄化 老龄化
lǎolínghuàㄌㄠˇ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
the aging society
China is getting old before it gets rich: 280 million over-60s and rising.
北漂
běipiàoㄅㄟˇ ㄆㄧㄠˋ
Beijing drifters
Migrants who 'drift' in the capital, the word for every young Chinese chasing the big city.
农民工 农民工
nóngmíngōngㄋㄨㄥˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄥ
migrant worker
The 290 million who built urban China while their hukou stayed in the village.
留守儿童 留守儿童
liúshǒu értóngㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄕㄡˇ ㄦˊ ㄊㄨㄥˊ
left-behind children
Kids raised by grandparents while parents work far away, the hidden cost of migration.
相亲 相亲
xiāngqīnㄒㄧㄤ ㄑㄧㄣ
the arranged blind date
Parent-facilitated matchmaking, parks full of résumés, and a holiday obligation.
彩礼 彩礼
cǎilǐㄘㄞˇ ㄌㄧˇ
the bride price
Betrothal gifts from groom's family, a custom turned affordability crisis.
高考
gāokǎoㄍㄠ ㄎㄠˇ
the national college entrance exam
The June exam that decides destinies, ten million students, one weekend, a nation holding its breath.
移动支付 移动支付
yídòng zhīfùㄧˊ ㄉㄨㄥˋ ㄓ ㄈㄨˋ
mobile payment
QR codes for everything, the cashless leapfrog that skipped credit cards entirely.
共享单车 共享单车
gòngxiǎng dānchēㄍㄨㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄉㄢ ㄔㄜ
bike sharing
Dockless rainbow fleets that flooded every sidewalk, boom, bust, and a mountain of bikes.
网约车 网约车
wǎngyuēchēㄨㄤˇ ㄩㄝ ㄔㄜ
ride-hailing
Didi and the app-called car that replaced flagging taxis in the rain.
外卖 外卖
wàimàiㄨㄞˋ ㄇㄞˋ
food delivery
The 30-minute meal, half a billion users and an army of delivery riders.