Les Beipiao(s), beijing adventurers

Beipiao [North Drift] : the term refers to internal immigrants who have come to Beijing in search of a better life. It literally means “those who drift in Beijing”. Very often without a network, facing a sprawling city of more than 20 millions of inhabitants, the beipiaos quickly come back from their illusions. We had also discussed their living conditions in our article. [One hour drive to work]. Back to an ignored population.

Difficult to obtain precise figures on this population – since Xi Jinping came to power, quality reporting articles on Chinese society have drastically decreased in number and quality. Fortunately, A long investigation du Beijing News datant de 2014 reached us.

The Beipiaos come for the work environment, where salaries are among the highest in the country, but above all equal opportunities. In the provinces, cooptations and the importance of the networks leave a certain number of active people on the sidelines, who come to try their luck in metropolitan France. A majority of them come from the middle class, and the rest is divided between children of parents in business and peasants.

The city has indeed of attractions: an average salary of 1 150,26 €, against 600 in Qingdao for example, or 913 in Urumqi. A large network of potential contacts, especially in administrative careers. Finally, Construction sites, Works, a dynamism specific to this Chinese showcase which wishes to turn towards the world.