The Chinese name for this permit is, “Hukou”. A person’s Hukou is the same as their parents', but it can be changed by certain things like marriage or employment. People who have an urban Hukou are lucky as they have access to the best education in school and, ultimately, a chance to do well in the national college examination. Having a good education and, in turn, good test scores will most likely lead to better jobs in the end. Also, urban residents qualify for city housing, social welfare, better medical care and retirement benefits. Rural residents in China do not necessarily have access to the same benefits. People who live in rural provinces do not have access to high-quality medical care and education, making it much harder for students there to compete academically and progress to a good university. Also, infrastructure is not as available in rural areas and it’s more difficult to find work and travel without access to cheap public services like a city metro system. Often, people with rural Hukous will come to the city for work, but they don’t receive urban benefits. There are many rural Hukou holders that live on or near their urban worksite (such as a factory) because they are not allowed to rent housing without an urban Hukou. In addition, they do not get the other urban benefits like education for their children or various forms of social support. It is important to be aware of this divide in China that is based on where people live and the Hukou they hold. This is a complex country where the culture is always evolving to include ancient and western traditions, practices and languages!
