What Women in China Want

Overheard at National Geographic

National Geographic

Science, Society & Culture

4.5 • 10.1K Ratings

🗓️ 7 March 2023

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There are more than 8 billion humans on Earth, according to the United Nations. And for decades, China has had more people than any other country. But now, China’s population is declining. As soon as this year, it could lose its place as the most populous nation in the world. National Geographic photographer Justin Jin shares what he observed in this pivotal moment for China; he captured scenes where many young women are choosing not to have children, and instead are spending their money on doggie daycare and on karaoke nights with friends and male escorts. As we head into Women’s History Month, we’ll explore why Chinese women are taking a different path, despite the government campaigns pushing them to get married and have children. For more information on this episode, visit natgeo.com/overheard Want more? See Justin Jin’s photos—and other scenes from a world with 8 billion people—in the April issue of National Geographic. Earth's growing population belies vastly different types of demographic change taking shape around the globe. Here’s why demographers don’t agree on what will happen next. Also explore: Follow Justin on Instagram @Justin.Jin. Learn about Chinese propaganda targeting women—and how more women are pushing back—in Leta Hong Fincher’s books Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China and Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I've traveled to China's scores of times.
0:08.4	I know every way of getting in, but this really was stuck.
0:13.1	In the summer of 2022, Justin Jen started a project that would become a national geographic
0:18.2	cover story.
0:20.0	Justin is a photographer based in Brussels.
0:22.5	Natuia wanted to send him to China.
0:25.0	But last summer, China's borders were mostly closed under its zero COVID policy.
0:29.9	Because I'm from Hong Kong, I do have a Chinese passport.
0:35.0	And that allows me to go into China without a visa, because at that time, China was not
0:42.8	issuing visa to foreigners.
0:45.4	Plain tickets, however, were another story.
0:48.3	Airlines had canceled thousands of flights.
0:51.1	Justin says, at one point, a travel agent offered to book a one-way ticket for $13,000.
0:58.3	So finally, I found a ticket to Beijing for $4,000, which by then sounded very reasonable.
1:06.6	Two days before flying, I thought maybe I just double-check that everything is okay.
1:12.2	I called the airline and he said, so my flight to Beijing, everything's going fine, right?
1:18.0	And they say, well, you are going to be landing in Xi'an, a city like a thousand kilometers
1:27.0	away in the heart of China whether a terracotta army is.
1:31.4	If your metric system is as rusty as mine, that's more than 600 miles away.
1:36.6	But Justin rolled with it.
1:38.4	When he made it to China, he still wasn't in the clear.
1:41.4	He had to avoid coronavirus outbreaks.
	...

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