Long Read: The China You Know Hasn’t Been Around That Long

It’s easy to forget that life in the country was far different just a few decades ago, and that many of its achievements are the result of reform and engagement with the rest of the world

Many aspects of life in contemporary China, from the country’s rapid economic growth to its safe streets to the social benefits provided to its farmers — or even the two-day weekend — are all relatively recent developments. The time when they started isn’t too far removed from where we are today.

Consider China’s GDP. Growth didn’t immediately skyrocket after 1978, and decelerated after 1996. It wasn’t until 2000 that we witnessed the dramatic surge that marked the true beginning of a new era for this country.

Public safety

There’s much talk now about public safety in China and it is indeed a very safe place to live, but this hasn’t been the case for very long.

In South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, there is a small village called Wenjiang, where more than 100 young men have been arrested, despite its size. They are infamous — known as the “Hand-Chopping Gang.”

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