Editor's Note

Chinese media recently blew the lid off a group of people who for years had lived down manholes near Lidu Park in Beijing. Though local authorities have since blocked off the manholes citing safety concerns, measures have been taken to help the city’s poverty-stricken who until recently had been forced to live underground.

Report: Beijing man lives down manhole for 20 years to save on rent for family

Profiles

	Name: Wang Xiuquan
	Sex: Male
	Age: 56
	Hometown: Huairou district, Beijing
	Time lived in manhole: more than 20 years
	Job: Car washer
	Income: 3,000 yuan($592.9) a month
	Reason: Wang explained he was saving money to help support his three school-age children.
	Update: Wang found employment at a university that will provide him with 3600 yuan a month in salary, food and accommodations.
	Name: Quan Youzhi
	Sex: Female
	Age: 66
	Hometown: Shangqiu, Henan Province
	Time lived in manhole: 20 years
	Job: Trash recycler
	Income: 900 yuan a year
	Reason: Quan became homeless after her house back home collapsed.
	Update: Shangqiu government employees came to escort Quan back and offered her a job as a cook at a city nursing home.
Why live in a manhole? According to residents, at the very least they provide shelter from the cold.
Difficulties and potential dangers? City management officers, or Chengguan, frequently block off access to their homes by welding the lids shut. The holes tend to flood during rains, and contain heavy equipment and heating lines.
Disputes: Some sewer residents have been accused of feigning sickness and handicap while begging.

Photos

Comments

Dongfang Daily:
Though reports of “manhole dwellers” have garnered public attention, they are not the most miserable among the homeless. At the very least they have a relatively warm shelter, unlike those who spent nights under bridges or in parks. Both the public and government are guilty of indifference. There must be a more civilized way to help.

Yanzhao Metropolis Daily:
Every human being living in a manhole has a big city dream. They’ve moved here to seek for a better life. We should respect those dreams rather than turn them to the streets out of the notion that living underground in this way tarnishes the city’s image. The way we treat our poor and those in need is what matters most.

China Youth Daily:
The government has every reason to address the needs of migrant workers - those who have moved to help build this city but live down dark and cramped manholes to save the little wages they make. Authorities could offer subsidies to those suffering from extreme financial hardship or even provide free housing. Local employers should also take responsibility and arrange accommodations for their workers. Only a sound social security system can ensure the “luck” of this low-income group.

Similar Groups

	Street cleaners: Earning low wages, some of the city’s sanitation workers are often forced to live in sub-standard housing. It is not uncommon to hear of sanitation workers being injured while sifting through unsorted trash and other waste.
	Homeless living under bridges: Beijing’s homeless, which include garbage collectors, petitioners, migrant workers and even university students, have no choice but to seek shelter under a bridge and are subjected to scowls from passers-by.

Web editor: yangruoyu@globaltimes.com.cn