Traveling the World

Beyond my head lies the real picture of life in China. The majority of people live in inadequate, dilapidated housing that by Western standards would be considered unlivable or should be slated for demolition. The only reason these houses aren’t destroyed and rebuilt is that people don’t have enough money to do it, even though Chinese people have a very high personal savings rate. In addition to these already unfavorable living conditions, to make matters worse, it is common for several generations of one family to live under the same roof.

One thing that strikes me as odd is that Chinese people don’t care about the outward appearance of their homes. Many buildings that look old and terrible are actually quite beautiful and new inside because of the emerging middle class and its desire to live more extravagantly.