Cost of chasing the 'Chinese dream'

Actors Hai Qing (left) and Hai Ping in a scene from Woju. (CFP Photo)

The controversial and ratings-revving TV series Woju (translated as Dwelling Narrowness), has struck a nerve among gen- 1980s, playing on their fearful fascination in what lies ahead for the college graduate beyond the campus gates.

Centering on the struggle of two sisters trying to make it in the dynamic metropolis of Shanghai, the series focuses on a decidedly less glamorous aspect of the big city: rising property prices and how it slowly crushes the spirit of young ambition.

But this metro-centric TV drama doesn't stop there, running the gamut of sensitive social issues; from addressing the increasing impossibility of home ownership and gender roles in society to the impracticality of love and "money above all" morality, Woju truncates and exaggerates the trials of urban youth existing in an increasingly unidirectional Chinese society into 45 minutes of melodrama; A representation that most young Chinese feel is spot-on.

In an unscientific survey by Chinese Web portal sina.com, 73 percent of the over 31,000 participants agreed with the statement "Woju reflects the reality of Chinese society."

Strings of posts discussing the significance of Woju also appear in almost every university online forum across the country.

On China's largest university BBS, Tsinghua University's newsmth.net, discussions involving Woju have been among the top 10 most popular topics everyday since the series premiere.

In order to further delve into how college students feel about the degree of accuracy Woju portrays these issues, we've extracted a representative quote from the first episode and solicited the opinions of students to give their insight and opinions on the changing concepts of love and relationships in modern China.

"Don't buy any illusions about love. Do you know what love is? Love is a trick a man plays on a woman, and sweet words are worthless. If a man really loves a woman, he'll give her money and buy her a house. At least after the man hurts and leaves the woman, she still owns a house."

Guo Haiping

Female lead in Woju

Li Feng (male)

A 26-year-old post doc at the School of Economics, Peking University

"Girls like this are too anxious for success, looking to take a shortcut through men."

Liu Fei (female)

A second year graduate student at University of International Business and Economics in Beijing

"People always said campus love is purest and most unforgettable. I believe this is true. At school, we don't have to worry about housing and work, so we don't ask too much of each other except love. But in society things are different."

Qin Yanze (female)

A second-year English grad student at China Foreign Affairs University

"If in the future I can meet a man who is rich, cares about me and can give me what I want, I will choose him no matter if he's married or not. Even I choose an ordinary boy who treats me well, how can you guarantee he will love me forever and not find a lover if becomes rich. It's better to find a rich guy when I am young rather than dumped by a man when I'm old. "

Wang Lian (female)

A second year English literature doctor at Beijing Foreign Studies University

"Money First is the mainstream value of China today. Sayings like having a good job is no better than having a good husband and successful men manage their careers while successful women manage their men are quite popular on campus. And our media, which should shoulder the responsibility of spreading good values, is fascinated by news like a girl getting married into a wealthy and powerful family, which further distort values."

Gao Shan (male)

A second-year English grad student at China Foreign Affairs University

"In college, if a guy is talented in music or basketball, he'll attract a lot of girls' attention. But once out in the real world, these talents are not so important, at least not as important as whether you have a connected father and can make a lot money. There is an old Chinese saying nowadays, 'It is the poor that should be laughed at and not the prostitutes.' Only if you have lots of money, no matter how you get it, that person still earns admiration."

Zhang Yajie (male)

A junior from Beijing Institute of Technology

"I've had many romantic ideas about love before. But after watching Woju, I under-stand love is not only spiritual, but also material in this society. I am going to find a girlfriend and set up a family after I have certain economic base, which will make my family more stable and happier, I believe."

Source: Global Times