Migrant workers in Guangzhou hope to give their children a brighter future
Although children of migrant workers in Guangzhou are still barred from state schools, their prospects for education are improving
For the past couple of summers, 11-year-old Song Shiqing has been taking groups of young visitors on discovery tours of Haizhu district in Guangzhou.
Crossing a bridge over a water channel, the group arrives in an enclave called Kangle.
"Here you can buy cheap shoes and clothes," young Shiqing says, pointing to the Jia'en Department Store. "The Wenzhou noodle shop is around the corner, next to the Kangle School and vegetable market."
A junior ambassador of sorts for Kangle, Shiqing can relate to his visitors - like him, they are children of migrant workers.
Of the estimated 14 million people living in Guangzhou, nine million are officially recognised residents. The other five million are people who have come from other provinces or from rural counties in Guangdong in search of better-paying jobs.
Many migrant workers only see their families once a year when they return during the long break over the spring festival. But during the summer holidays, there is a small reverse flow as children travel from distant provinces such as Sichuan to spend time with their parents.
