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Some migrant workers' children stay in rural areas during summer vacation, while some reunite with their parents in the city. Different choices mean different holidays. Do they enjoy themselves in the summer? |
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Rural fun |
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| Are rural areas less fun? Not really. Catching fish, shooting birds, picking wild fruits and other activities are not available to urban children. Some even go to summer camp to experience rural life. | |
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Boring city life |
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Staying in the countryside may be great fun for rural children. But, they can't help missing their parents, who are working in the city, so some of them choose to stay with their parents in the city during the summer holiday. Let's see how they live there. |
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 Chen Haotong, 10, found his summer vacation in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, boring, even though he can be with his parents, who sell wonton near a university campus.
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 Yang Yaohua, 11, came to Wuhan from Kaixian county, Chongqing, for the summer holiday. They wrote their homework outside on an abandoned canteen table where it was cooler than in the non-air-conditioned room.
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 Han Lei, 12, came to Zhengzhou from Kaifeng in Henan province. He helps his father sell watermelons on street. They live in a makeshift shelter in an underground passage.
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Lack of public facilities Stories of boredom are common among rural children spending their summer vacations with parents in cities nationwide. Few cultural and sports facilities are available for migrant workers because the construction is based on the number of permanent residents, not the migrant population. In the suburbs, the influx of migrants has put great pressure on public facilities and resources. |
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Contrast: Urban children's colorful holiday |
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They envy urban children who are having a wonderful summer holiday. Playing the piano, painting, learning kung fu... these are out of reach for many migrant children. Not only because of the lack of entertainment facilities near their residences, but also because their parents, who toil to earn meager incomes, would not spend money on such luxury. |
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Video |
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Summer vacation is a good chance for children to relax and have some fun. Most of their parents have moved to Beijing from other cities to work, however the children still study at schools in their hometowns. So during their summer vacations, the students come to Beijing to reunite with their parents. Their parents are often too busy to spend much time with their children, and there are no play. |
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Final words |
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Summer holiday presents a dilemma for migrant children: to stay in the rural area for fun while missing their parents, or to stay with parents in the city while having no fun. The different summer holidays for rural and urban children are not only the result of a wealth gap, but also the different status of their parents. If cities treat migrant workers and urban residents equally, migrant workers and their children can enjoy more benefits in cities, and at least more public facilities will be available for them. |
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