Search Results (100)

Despite its status as a heritage model, Suzhou’s Pingjiang Historic Block suffers from a significant “conservation deficit”. The current study quantifies this decay and identifies its socio-economic drivers through a field survey of 517 traditional residences and a multivariate analysis of 188 resident households. The results reveal widespread degradation, including 32% roof damage and 55% unauthorized window replacements. Binary logistic regression identifies institutional status (hukou) as the decisive predictor of housing integrity (β = −0.544). Non-local migrants, trapped by tenure insecurity, exhibit significantly higher damage rates (53.5%). In contrast, local residents, driven by an “Aging Trap” and thermal comfort needs, are the primary drivers of adaptive window replacements (OR = 2.71). These findings indicate that current static policies are failing to address structural misalignments between preservation mandates and resident reality. The study advocates for a shift towards “Adaptive Integrity”, proposing tenure integration for migrants and technical retrofitting support for the aging local population to reconcile heritage protection with contemporary living needs. Full article

The dual Hukou system, originating in China’s planned economy period, structured Chinese society into separate urban and rural segments, thereby generating distinct sets of rights and benefits for agricultural and non-agricultural residents regarding land, social security, education, and healthcare. Urban home purchase is a pivotal indicator of social integration for rural–urban migrants in destination cities. While the literature has extensively examined migrants’ residential conditions in China, the institutional impact of the agricultural hukou system—a core constraint—on their urban homeownership, along with its underlying mechanisms and heterogeneity, remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study adopts a twofold approach: theoretically, it employs the separating equilibrium model in housing markets with incomplete information to verify that agricultural hukou acts as an institutional barrier to migrants’ local home purchases; empirically, it uses data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) and applies the Fairlie decomposition method to quantify the constraint effect. The empirical results suggest that agricultural hukou exerts a 29.72% suppressive effect on migrants’ urban home purchase behavior. This effect operates indirectly by weakening migrants’ long-term settlement intention, which serves as a mediating variable. Moreover, the hindrance of agricultural hukou varies heterogeneously across groups, differing in education level, generational cohort, and regional distribution. To advance the fair and sustainable development of the real estate market, we advocate accelerating hukou reform by decoupling public services from residence status, fostering inclusive urbanization, and ensuring equitable development of housing markets. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has increased globally among children and adolescents, posing significant health risks. Parental dietary knowledge and income play important roles in shaping children’s food-choice and consumption behaviors. This study aimed to examine the effects of parental dietary knowledge and income on students’ SSB consumption at both extensive and intensive margins. Methods: A two-way fixed-effects model was estimated using longitudinal data from 3962 primary and junior high school students in the Jining District of Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, northern China, collected in 2019 and 2020. Results: SSB consumption among Chinese students increased from 2019 to 2020 in both extensive (82.51% to 86.90%) and intensive margins (686.09 mL/week to 891.21 mL/week). Each one-point increase in parental dietary knowledge score was linked to a 13.39 mL (p < 0.05) reduction in weekly SSB consumption, and 9.90 mL (p < 0.05) reduction in juice beverages, correspondingly reductions in weekly added sugar intake from SSBs (1.26 g, p < 0.10) and juice beverages (0.79 g, p < 0.05), with stronger association among rural hukou students. Parental income showed minimal association with students’ SSB consumption, but had a stronger association among rural hukou and junior high school students. Conclusions: Parental dietary knowledge plays a crucial role in reducing students’ SSB consumption, with particularly strong association in rural hukou students. Targeted interventions enhancing parental dietary knowledge could reduce SSB consumption and added sugar intake among school-aged children. Full article

This paper investigates whether and how income redistribution in China affects inequality of opportunity (IOp), defined as the share of income inequality attributable to circumstances beyond individual control. Using nationally representative data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) and employing an ex-ante parametric approach with Shapley decomposition, we analyze the effects of three redistributive channels: taxation, government transfers, and inter-household transfers. The results show that taxation modestly reduces both inequality of outcome (IO) and IOp. In contrast, government transfers, particularly pensions, increase IOp due to institutional segmentation associated with the hukou system. Inter-household transfers also contribute to higher IOp by reinforcing intergenerational advantages. Additionally, we find that the classification of pensions significantly alters the redistribution’s measured impact. When pensions are treated as deferred income rather than government transfers, the second distribution reduces IOp more substantially. These findings suggest that redistributive policy effectiveness depends not only on the magnitude of redistribution but also on its institutional design and classification logic. The study provides new evidence on how fiscal and informal transfers affect structural inequality and calls for greater conceptual clarity in redistribution evaluation frameworks. Full article

This study aimed to investigate phytoplankton dynamics and water quality at three drinking water intakes (Duchang, Hukou, and Xingzi) in Poyang Lake through monthly monitoring from May 2023 to April 2024. The results showed that a total of 168 species of phytoplankton were identified in nine phyla, and there were significant spatial and temporal differences in the abundance of phytoplankton at the three waterworks intakes, with a spatial trend of annual mean values of Duchang > Xingzi > Hukou and a seasonal trend of summer and autumn > spring and winter. The dominant species of phytoplankton in the waterworks intakes of the three waterworks also showed obvious spatial and temporal differences. Cyanobacteria (particularly Pseudanabaena sp. and Microcystis sp.) dominated the phytoplankton communities during summer and autumn, demonstrating significant water degradation potential. In contrast, Cyclotella sp. prevailed in winter and spring assemblages. Based on water quality assessments at the three intake sites, the Duchang County intake exhibited year-round mild eutrophication with persistent mild cyanobacterial blooms (June–October), while the other two sites maintained no obvious bloom conditions. Further analyzing the toxic/odor-producing algal strains, the numbers of dominant species of Pseudanabaena sp. and Microcystis sp. in June–October in Duchang County both exceeded 1.0 × 10⁷ cells·L⁻¹. It is necessary to focus on their release of ATX-a (ichthyotoxin-a), 2MIB (2-Methylisoborneol), MCs (microcystins), etc., to ensure the safety of the water supply at the intake. Building upon these findings, we propose a generalized algal monitoring framework, encompassing three operational pillars: (1) key monitoring area identification, (2) high-risk period determination, and (3) harmful algal warnings. Each of these is substantiated by our empirical observations in Poyang Lake. Full article

Flash LiDAR can be used to capture the depth information or contour profile of a target area in one shot and, therefore, has become an important feature in depth sensing devices. Current flash LiDAR devices still suffer from resolution issues due to difficulties in reducing the pixel size of the array sensor. In this paper, a solution has been proposed to resolve this resolution issue by introducing multi-view imaging optics into the flash LiDAR device. Together with scanning illumination over the target area and range image tiling, a fourfold increase in spatial resolution has been achieved, and the working concept can be further extended for resolution enhancement via array expansion. A calibration procedure and shielding mechanism have also been developed to compensate for the issues of crosstalk and stray light, ensuring the quality of the tiled range image. The prototype and corresponding experiment have demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed architecture as an optical solution for enhancing the resolution of flash LiDAR. Full article

Residential mobility within cities reflects the spatio-temporal patterns of individual or household relocation behaviors and serves as an effective tool for interpreting urban socio-spatial differentiation from a micro-level perspective. Newly employed college graduates (NECGs) have become the second-largest migrating population in China. This study selects Guangzhou, a megacity, as the study area and utilizes data from the “Guangzhou New Citizens’ Residential Mobility Survey” conducted in 2023. It applies spatio-temporal systems and the spatio-temporal path method based on time geography to explore the residential mobility trajectories of NECGs in Guangzhou. In addition, the study uses a logistic regression model to explore the influencing factors. The findings indicate that NECGs frequently move across districts, showing no significant patterns of concentration or dispersion. However, residential location choices vary considerably across educational levels and household registration natures (Hukou), and as the duration of residence in Guangzhou increases, the probability of residential mobility among NECGs across all educational levels shows a declining trend. Specifically, marital status (life course attributes), housing prices and medical facilities (housing attributes), and job type (socioeconomic attributes) emerge as critical factors influencing residential mobility. By providing a foundation for urban planning policies, this study aims to support the settlement and well-being of NECGs while promoting high-quality urban development in Guangzhou. Full article

In the era of significant migration, the rural population has been a major component of China’s internal migration. Utilizing data from the last three population censuses, this study examines the evolution and network characteristics of interprovincial rural migration in China from 2000 to 2020. A panel model is employed to analyze the influencing factors. The findings reveal that the interprovincial migration of China’s rural population has increased rapidly, though the growth rate has decelerated. Provincial rural emigration scales have shown a differentiated trend, with the Heihe-Tengchong Line serving as a boundary, while the overall pattern exhibits a “center-periphery” structure. The primary migration destinations are the eastern coastal provinces. Between 2000 and 2020, China’s interprovincial rural migration network demonstrated strong centralization, but the agglomeration core of the network became more diversified. Spatially, interprovincial rural migration shows a clear preference for proximate destinations, and the interprovincial migration network has gradually shifted from an “umbrella-shaped” pattern to a “funnel-shaped” pattern. Key factors influencing the evolution of the interprovincial rural migration network include the per capita GDP, natural disasters, topographic relief, spatial distance, rural hukou population, and internet penetration rate. To facilitate orderly rural migration and support the major national strategies, it is essential to promote regional coordinated development, deepen rural hukou system reforms, and streamline factor flow mechanisms. Full article

In recent years, flood hazards have occurred increasingly worldwide, posing significant threats to the safety of life and property in lacustrine and riverine environments. To mitigate the devastating impacts of floods, it is crucial to explore optimal strategies for joint flood diversion of flood diversion and storage measures (FDSM). The FDSM management of Poyang Lake in China focuses on studying semi-restoration polder areas (SR Polders) and flood storage and detention areas (FS Detentions), which are subjects of ongoing research. Existing studies primarily focus on SR Polders or FS Detentions, with limited research on the joint flood diversion potential of these two measures, particularly regarding optimal scheduling. This study takes 185 SR Polders and the Kangshan flood storage and detention area (KS Detention) as the primary research objects. By integrating hydraulic theory, numerical simulation techniques, and survey data, we develop a hydraulic model for the SR Polders and a hydrodynamic model for the KS Detention to carry out flood diversion simulation. The 1998 flood is chosen as a typical case to simulate and analyze their flood diversion processes under various schemes. The results indicate that altering the operation criteria for FDSM influences both the maximum diversion discharge and the timing of the main diversion period. For the SR Polders, under the current flood control scheme, raising the operation water level (OWL) of SR Polders-I by 1.0 m increases the maximum diversion discharge by 894 m³/s. Additionally, raising the OWL of SR Polders-II by 0.37 m delays the main diversion period by one day. For the KS Detention, higher flood diversion water levels correspond to greater discharge capacities. Furthermore, a fuzzy optimization method is applied to optimize nine joint schemes of the SR Polders and KS Detention. The results indicate that the optimal joint flood diversion strategy for Poyang Lake is operating SR Polders-I, SR Polders-II, and KS Detention at a Hukou water level of 21.65 m, 22.05 m, and 22.50 m, respectively. Finally, the study provides insights and recommendations for flood control management at Poyang Lake. The results of this study not only have important guiding significance for flood control management of large plain lakes but also provide references for the joint operation of flood diversion and storage areas in other regions. Full article

In recent years, with the further advancement of China’s urbanization process and the continued expansion of its migrants, increasing attention has been directed toward migrants’ intentions to settle and their integration into host cities. However, the role of early urban experiences on migrants’ long-term residence intention remains unclear. Using data from the Chinese Migrant Dynamics Monitoring Survey, we examine the impact of age at first migration on the long-term settlement intention of migrants in China and the underlying influencing mechanisms. We find that migrants who migrate to cities at a younger age have higher intentions to settle in cities. The mechanism analysis suggests that migrating to cities at a younger age facilitates social integration, promotes the convergence of habits and improves dialect proficiency. Moreover, a heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effects of early city migration on long-term settlement intentions are more pronounced among migrants who migrate less frequently, are unmarried and have resided in the local area for a longer period. Further study shows that early migration to cities also positively impacts the settlement intention involving the transfer of one’s household registration (hukou) status. Full article

Rural-to-urban resettlement is a widely used poverty alleviation strategy in China for fundamentally transforming poor farmers’ livelihoods, with roughly 263,000 rural poor relocated to urban communities in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture between 2016 and 2020. This dramatic development intervention in urbanization has unexpectedly resulted in the separation of hukou locality and residence. Considering that the government equally provides follow-up employment support policies to guarantee the citizenship rights for resettlers whether or not their hukou locality has transferred to urban communities, then, does the local citizenship still matter for employment? If so, how does local citizenship make a difference? What role does employment policy play in terms of the impact of local citizenship on employment? The answers to these questions are not yet clear. Based on a survey of 735 relocated households in the Liangshan Yi Ethnic Area, the Heckman sample selection model was used to empirically estimate the effect of local citizenship (hukou locality) on employment from the perspective of welfare acquisition cost, paying particular attention to the moderating effect of follow-up employment support policies. Our results show that (1) local citizenship can significantly increase the employed persons of a household by 0.279 units, prolong the working months by 2.297 units, and increase per capita wage by 0.885%. (2) Mechanism analysis shows that local citizenship affects relocated households’ employment by reducing welfare acquisition costs. (3) Moderating analysis shows that the follow-up employment support policies weakened the positive impact of local citizenship on employment, developing pro-poor jobs substitutes for the positive effect of local citizenship on the employed size; recommending job information substitutes for the positive effect of local citizenship on working months; and targeted labor exporting substitutes for the positive effect of local citizenship on per capita wage. This study provides new empirical evidence for understanding the relationship between hukou locality and employment consequences at a smaller scale and then provides theoretical reference and practical basis for the improvement of employment from the perspective of local citizenship. Full article

This paper studies households’ expenditure on the education of children in China’s cities to assess how internal migrant families’ investment in the human capital of their offspring differs from that of local urban families. The private education-related expenditure reflects both households’ willingness to invest in human capital and institutional constraints, as China’s household registration (hukou) system prevents children without a local city hukou from enrolling in urban public schools. In-school fees (consisting of statutory tuition and institutional tuition fees) are commonly topped-up with substantial private tutoring expenditure. We apply multiple regression to the 2008 “Rural–Urban Migration Survey in China” data to analyze the average expenditure differences between temporary migrants, permanent migrants and locals. The findings are, after controlling for social and economic characteristics, that: (1) the overall spending on education of migrant households overwhelmingly exceeds that of locals, which is expected since migrants must finance privately all education-related expenses their children incur; (2) migrant households spend more on institutional tuition fees compared to households with a local city hukou, reflecting the varying severity of administrative hurdles faced by families; and (3) temporary migrants spend more on institutional tuition fees than permanent migrant households, but less in private tutoring. Full article

This study explores the factors influencing the migration intentions of the new generation of migrant workers from the perspective of employment quality. Utilizing differential analysis, correlation analysis, and the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) model, this study analyzes data on hukou transfer intention obtained through an exploratory questionnaire survey. The results indicate significant differences in migration intentions among new-generation migrant workers differentiated by job industry, job position, gender, household registration type, and housing type. Additionally, age, the number of local family members, and housing satisfaction are strongly correlated with migration intentions. Path analysis reveals that employment stability, income–expenditure match, and social integration significantly positively affect migration intentions. This research provides a unique perspective on employment quality and offers theoretical foundations for policies related to migrant workers’ hukou transfer intention. Full article

In China, approximately 20% of the permanent population are renters, with 91% of leased land concentrated in first-tier and new first-tier cities. Education and healthcare are primary concerns for residents, significantly influencing rental decisions due to the household registration (hukou) system, competitive educational environment, and uneven distribution of medical resources. This study explores the distinct factors affecting rental decisions in China’s super cities, differing from other countries where renters prioritize proximity to work or urban amenities. Using advanced interpretable machine learning techniques, the study analyses rental markets in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. The random forest model demonstrates superior performance in rent prediction across all three cities. The results indicate that the impact of public service resources on rent is notably higher in Beijing and Shanghai, while in Shenzhen, balanced urban planning results in property characteristics being more prominent in tenant preferences. These findings enhance the understanding of global rental market dynamics and provide recommendations for promoting sustainable rental housing development. The scientific novelty of this study lies in its application of advanced machine learning models to identify and quantify the unique influences of public service resources on rental markets in different urban contexts. Full article

In China, an emerging social issue involves a subset of rural women who, because of family and culture, become inadvertently matched up with and married to closeted men who have sex with men (MSM). These women—referred to as Tongqi—often discover they are in a loveless marriage, but any effort to change their situation results in intense backlash, discrimination, and stigma from families, village communities, and even government and healthcare institutions. This study explores the experiences of Tongqi, examining the influence of social interaction, community relationships, and macrostructural factors that coalesce to create an environment of chronic enacted stigma. In-depth interviews were conducted with 59 rural Tongqi, 11 of whom contracted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) from their spouses. The findings reveal the significant role of extended kinship networks and macrostructural elements, such as hukou (household registration) and government officers, as well as village-level lineage structures. Informant data highlights how lineage relationships, interwoven with gender practices, contribute to the enacted stigma impacting the physical and psychological health of Tongqi. Tongqi report psychological effects such as an array of symptoms reflecting post-traumatic stress, chronic depression, and attempted suicide. Tongqi also report adverse physical health concerns involving reproductive health, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and pregnancy complications. These findings helped produce possible policy recommendations to address the most pressing issues faced by Tongqi. Full article