Commuting town workers: the case of Qinshan, China

In Chinaʹs rapidly developing coastal region, a very high percentage of town workers return to the villages on a daily basis. This paper investigates the causes of what is referred here as commuting town workers through the case of Qinshan. It is found that the development of township and village enterprises has dramatically changed rural peopleʹs desire to live in town. Factors, such as land tenure, social security, controlled distribution of urban welfare, as well as changing means of transportation, are among the most important ones responsible for the village–town commuting phenomenon. The research challenges Chinaʹs current rural policy in its applicability to the more developed coastal region and offers recommendations to deal with the problems.