Migrations: becoming urban

Chinese Cities - Sciences Po - OGLM 3050 - 59127 - S2 2025   
Clément Renaud 
[hi@clementrenaud.com](mailto:hi@clementrenaud.com)

(use left/right keyboard arrows to navigate)
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##  Week 6

# 移

## Migrations: Becoming Urban

#### 11 Mar 2025

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## Character of the week

# 移
[Purple Culture](https://www.purpleculture.net/dictionary-details/?word=移) / [Hanziyuan](https://hanziyuan.net/) / [CUHK dic](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=移)

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# Some practical matters

- [Fiche de présence](https://scolarite.sciences-po.fr/PROD/twbkwbis.P_GenMenu?name=homepage)
- Assignments
- Any questions?

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# Today's course

- assignments
- migration / history of the hukou system
- case studies : urban villages in Shenzhen
  - baishizhou
  - dafen

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# 1. Assignments

### 1) "Made in China"

- due today
- feedback

### 2) Final Assignment

- read the [assignment](/chinese-cities/final-assignement.md)
- form groups (10-15min)

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## 3. The Hukou system

### The social impact of household registration

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## Origins in Imperial China

#### The Baojia system (保甲)

- Formalized during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) for taxation and conscription
- Extended under Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) with detailed census records
- Throughout imperial history, served as tool for:
  - Tax collection
  - Labor control
  - Population statistics
  - Military conscription
- already not really enforced

#### Republican Era Transition (1912-1949)

- System weakened during political fragmentation and civil war
- Nationalist government attempted to modernize household registration
- Japanese occupation (1937-1945) used registration for control purposes
- Migration control relaxed due to wartime conditions
- System existed but lacked strong enforcement mechanisms

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## Under Mao

#### Creation (1949-1958)

- PRC initially established provisional hukou regulations (1951)
- System primarily for census and identification purposes
- 1954: First National People's Congress formalized hukou in law
- Growing concerns about rural-to-urban migration
- Began shift from statistical tool to migration control mechanism

#### Formalization and Restriction (1958-1978)

- Great Leap Forward (1958-1960)
- 1958: "Regulations on Household Registration in the PRC" - definitive framework
- Clear rural/urban division established
- Strict control of internal migration implemented
- Tied to the "iron rice bowl" system of employment and welfare
- Agricultural/non-agricultural classification determined benefits
- Movement from rural to urban areas severely restricted
- Enforced through food ration system during Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution

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# Evolution of hukou

![](/chinese-cities/img/evolution-of-hukou.png)

## Reform Era Modifications (1978-2000)

- Economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping created need for labor mobility
- 1984: Introduction of "self-supplied grain" temporary residence permits
- Rural migrants allowed in cities but with limited rights
- 1992: "Blue stamp" urban hukou available for purchase in some cities

- [Source](https://joinhorizons.com/the-chinese-hukou-system-explained/)
  ]

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# 农民工

- Growing rural-urban income gap despite migration
- Creation of "floating population" - migrants without local hukou rights
- System maintained while accommodating economic needs
  ]

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## The Sun Zhigang "incident" (2003)

- Sun Zhigang, just arrived in Guangzhou to take up a job as a designer in a garment company
- did not have a temporary residence card
- At that time, the police could detain and deport anyone who did not have a valid residence card back to their home town
- Sun was beaten to death while awaiting deportation.
- Abolition of "custody and repatriation" system after - see [10 years after](https://clb.org.hk/en/content/why-it-important-remember-sun-zhigang)

![](/chinese-cities/img/sun-zhigang.webp)

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## Continuous Reforms

- 2007: Residence permit systems introduced in various cities
- 2010: Central government call for gradual hukou reform
- 2011: Medium-sized cities began easing restrictions
- Rural-urban divide remained but system slowly liberalized

### The 2014 reform

- 2014: State Council announced significant reform blueprint
- Elimination of agricultural/non-agricultural distinction
- Tiered approach to reform based on city size:
  - Small cities: fully open
  - Medium cities: orderly opening
  - Large cities: controlled access
  - Megacities: strict control
- Introduction of residence permit system nationwide (2015)
- 2016: Goal of 100 million migrant workers obtaining urban hukou by 2020

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## The Points-Based Hukou System

> Applicants are graded based on points earned from their age, education level, living standard, legal record and entrepreneurial ability. There are nine grading indicators, the bureau said.(from [official website](https://english.www.gov.cn/news/top_news/2018/04/12/content_281476109368678.htm) [planning](https://en.planning.org.cn/special/ccpr/news_view?id=1219))

![](/chinese-cities/img/who-hukou-graphic.jpg)

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## Today Hukou System Structure

- Three-tier documentation system:

1. Hukou booklet (household register)
  2. National ID card
  3. Temporary/permanent residence permits

- Location-based access to:
  - Education
  - Healthcare
  - Social welfare
  - Employment opportunities
  - Housing rights
- Points-based qualification systems in major cities
- Digital transformation of registration processes

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## Example: How to get a Shenzhen hukou?

- rules [circa 2005](https://clb.org.hk/sites/default/files/archive/en/share/File/general/Shenzhen_hukou_regs.pdf) - policy [update](https://www.cnbayarea.org.cn/english/Policy/content/post_349861.html)
- [application process](https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-hukou-system-benefits-and-application-process-in-shenzhen/)
- Apply on [WeChat](https://www.eyeshenzhen.com/content/2024-05/23/content_30962224.htm)

- Most migrants will obtain the city’s residence permit (juzhuzheng 居住证), not the hukou

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# 4. Becoming urban

- focus mostly on "internal" migrations (not emigration)
- 299.73 millions migrant workers - [official stats](https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202502/t20250228_1958822.html)
- many different kinds of "migrants"

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.footnote.inverse[

See some good [map-based analysis](https://matthartzell.blogspot.com/2013/09/chinese-domestic-migration-map.html)
/ Some more [stats](https://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/547?&id=547&lang=en)

]

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# Migrant workers

- General [stats about workers](https://clb.org.hk/en/content/migrant-workers-and-their-children)
- Changing trends: [Sixth Tone](https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1015180)
- Image: [AFP](https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/chinas-migrant-workers-boon-and-challenge)
  ]

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# Construction workers: temporary housing

- see [inside](https://www.khomehouse.com/prefab-house/k-type-prefab-house/prefabricated-labour-hutment.html)
- [conjugal rights](https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/726506.shtml) at building sites
- ]

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# The "Ant Tribe" (蚁族)

- Ant Tribe [pics](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kevintang/chinas-ant-tribe-lives-in-the-worlds-most-cramped-apartments)
  ]

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# "liying flat" (躺平)

## 996 工作制

- 高新园: [上班](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0QxlGpBiu4) / [下班](https://youtube.com/shorts/U2gRiDZKCbI?si=F5NwF6BSjQOItyKa)
  ]

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# 5. Urban Villages (城中村)

### Some examples from Shenzhen

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## What are Urban Villages (Chengzhongcun)?

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# Characteristics

- Retain some rural land ownership and governance structures.
- High-density, low-cost housing for migrant workers and low-income residents.
- Often lack formal urban planning and infrastructure.
- Played a crucial role in housing migrant workforce.
- **Recent Changes**:
  - Redevelopment and demolition of urban villages.
  - Rising rents and displacement of residents.

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## Some Key Features of Urban Villages

1. **Affordable Housing**:
   - Low rents attract migrant workers and young professionals.
   - Migrants often face exclusion from formal urban systems.
   - Urban villages serve as entry points for rural migrants.
2. **Informal Economy**:
   - Thriving small businesses, street markets, and services.
   - Mostly illegal constructions (Q: why the low buildings ?)
3. **Social Dynamics**:
   - Close-knit communities with strong local ties.
   - Provide a sense of community in unfamiliar cities.
4. **Challenges**:
   - Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and lack of legal oversight.

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## Today: Challenges and Controversies

- **Redevelopment**:
  - Government-led efforts to replace urban villages with modern developments.
  - Displacement of residents and loss of affordable housing.
- **Cultural Loss**:
  - Destruction of unique urban landscapes and communities.
- **Sustainability**:
  - Balancing modernization with social equity.

## The Future of Urban Villages

- **Policy Debates**:
  - Should urban villages be preserved or redeveloped?
- **Innovative Solutions**:
  - Integrating informal settlements into formal urban planning.
  - Ensuring affordable housing for low-income residents.
    >

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# Baishizhou (白石洲)

### Case Study of Transformation in Shenzhen

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# Urbanized Villages in Shenzhen

.footnote[
author: [Juan Du](https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/urban-village/169804/beyond-classification/)
]

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## Location

- Located in Nanshan District, Shenzhen
- Adjacent to OCT-LOFT creative district
- One of Shenzhen's largest urban villages (~120k habitants)

- Five natural villages merged into one administrative unit:

- [Baishizhou google maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/zHVpTnzXdXH9FDRK9)

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## Urban Density

- 140,000+ residents in 0.6 square kilometers
- Mainly migrant workers from across China
- "Handshake architecture" - buildings so close you can shake hands
- [some pics ](https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/urban-village/169801/palimpsest-urbanism/)
- [more pics](https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/life-dying-urban-village-photographic-journey-baishizhou/)

### Street Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEu-jPevTHc

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## Early History

**1950s:** Baishizhou as five separate agricultural villages  
**1970s:** State-owned factories established  
**1980s:** Shenzhen designated as Special Economic Zone  
**1990s:** Rapid urban transformation begins

## Transformation Timeline

**2005:** First redevelopment plans announced  
**2010:** OCT-LOFT creative district established nearby  
**2014:** URBANUS architectural proposals for preservation  
**2016:** Redevelopment officially announced

- [URBANUS redevelopment](http://www.urbanus.com.cn/projects/baishizhou/?lang=en)

## Recent Developments

**2019:** Mass evictions begin  
**2020:** Demolition of major sections begins  
**2023:** Ongoing demolition and site clearing  
**2025:** New luxury developments under construction

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# The Disappearing Village

## Community Impact

- Displacement of 140,000+ residents
- Loss of affordable housing
- Disruption of micro-economies
- Erasure of cultural spaces

## State-Led Gentrification

- Redevelopment valued at 100 billion yuan
- Public-private partnership with LVGEM developer
- Part of larger urban renewal strategy
- Creating "urban-industrial heritage" narrative

- See [street pics today](https://shenzhennoted.com/2023/03/10/baishizhou-blues/)
- See the [redevelopment project](https://www.ravensuncreative.com/case-studies/baishizhou-redevelopment/)

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## Handshake 302

- Artist collective documenting Baishizhou's transformation
- Named after a residential unit in Baishizhou
- Archive of stories, images, and memories

https://shenzhennoted.com/2024/03/12/handshake-302-a-baishizhou-retrospective/

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## Baishizhou & OCT-LOFT

- Contrasting development models
- OCT-LOFT: preserved industrial buildings
- Baishizhou: complete demolition approach

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## Reflection

Baishizhou represents:

- Tension between development and preservation
- China's rapid urbanization story
- Loss of informal urban spaces
- Questions about who cities are built for

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# Case Study: Dafen Village

### Painting cluster in Shenzhen urban village

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.footnote{
[China's Van Gogh trailer](https://chinasvangoghs.com/)
}