China used to
be a society that esteemed highly the
value of big family with several
generations living under one roof.
But since
earlier last century, this
thousands-year old custom has been
rendered into oblivion in the urban
areas, and by the end of the
millennium, it began to fade in the
vast countryside. Yet oddly, two
decades into the era of one child per
family, at least in theory (in
reality, it has little affect in
countryside and does not apply to
minority ethnic people), big family
quietly makes a comeback.
When the only
childs start to get married and have
their own only child, many of them
keep living with their parents, but
with a modern twist, that is, instead
of living with HIS parents, they opt
to live with HERS. In other words, a
man marries into a woman’s family.
It is said
that there are three reasons for
embracing this kind of living
arrangement, which is particularly
popular in Shanghai.
The first
reason lies squarely in the domain of
economics. In recent ten years,
Shanghai has been transformed beyond
the recognition, with splendid new
commercial skyscrapers and luxury
real estates emerging everywhere. The
transformation, however, is often not
to the benefit of the ordinary local
population, but some corrupted
government officials, many greedy
property developers and a certain
number of foreign architects who have
little respect for and even less
knowledge about Chinese culture and
conditions. Unbalanced growth as such
pushed into formation by former
Shanghai chief Chen Liangyu and his
associates has resulted in relatively
high vacancy rate for office
buildings and luxury villas on the
one hand, while on the other hand,
young families finding it harder and
harder to afford their own nest. That
leaves living in parents’ home
after marriage becomes a better,
sometimes the only, option for a lot
of young couples.
The second
reason has much to do with China’s
one child policy. Grown up as only
child and spoiled by their parents
and grandparents, a great number of
young Chinese couples lack basic
skills to run their own family.
Surely it helps if their parents can
keep doing housework for them.
Finally, it is
said due to the gradual return to the
traditional social values. Respecting
and caring for one’s parents (and
grandparents) are once again
considered as admirable virtue, and
many young people are keen to live
with their elderly so they can take
the best care of them.
And the last
reason may have profound
implications, particularly in the
country with its population that is
rapidly aging.
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