With the process of urbanization gathering pace, more migrant workers now work and live in China's cities than ever before. Many are also choosing to bring their children with them. However, it's not so easy for them to settle down.
Dongba is a neighborhood in northeast Beijing with a high proportion of migrant workers. They come from all over the country, hoping to settle down here, but many find the going challenging, especially those with children.
A parent requires a certificate of stable residency and a job to get their children enrolled in a public school. However, for migrant workers who move constantly around the city, this is extremely difficult and, as a result, they often choose illegal private schools.
It is hard to imagine this would be a neighborhood for children to grow up. However this is the only one they can afford and, even so, it would be gone soon.
The neighborhood is in a very old part of the city, and the facilities there are coming under increasing pressure. Beijing is drawing up policies to move residents from its central areas, so many of these neighborhoods will soon be gone.
"There used to be a lot more people. But still most of the patients here are migrant workers because they often don't have social security. Some even choose to see unlicensed doctors," a doctor said.
Many decide to leave their children at home, while working here to make a living for their family. But eventually they will go back too. For them, the city is just a place to work, not home.
