Household registration system (Hukou system)
In conjunction with the urban-rural dualism in China, in 1958, the household registration system in China (also known as the Hukou system) was introduced to limit the movement of people between urban and rural areas. Individuals were broadly categorised as a "rural" or "urban" worker ("Hukou system", 2014, "Household registration in China", para. 1). If a rural worker wants to move from the rural areas to the urban areas to take up non-agricultural work, he or she will have to apply through relevant bureaucracies and is not allowed to migrate without permit ("Hukou system", 2014, "Household registration in China", para. 1). The number of rural workers migrating to the urban areas is also tightly controlled and regulated.
People are unable to qualify for grain rations, employer-provided housing, health care if they do not have the family register (hukou) of that city ("Hukou system", 2014, "Household registration in China", para. 1).
Students are required to take their college entrance examinations (Gao kao) in the city their family registers are from. Even if they are studying in other cities, they have to return to their cities where they have their register in order to take the college entrance examinations.
Every child will have the same family register (hukou) as that of the birth mother and the effect of the hukou is passed on to each child.
In order to change the family register (hukou) of a city to another city, citizens have to buy a house in the city they want to change their family register (hukou) to.
People are unable to qualify for grain rations, employer-provided housing, health care if they do not have the family register (hukou) of that city ("Hukou system", 2014, "Household registration in China", para. 1).
Students are required to take their college entrance examinations (Gao kao) in the city their family registers are from. Even if they are studying in other cities, they have to return to their cities where they have their register in order to take the college entrance examinations.
Every child will have the same family register (hukou) as that of the birth mother and the effect of the hukou is passed on to each child.
In order to change the family register (hukou) of a city to another city, citizens have to buy a house in the city they want to change their family register (hukou) to.
Bibliography
Anonymous. (2014). Hukou System. [on-line]. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hukou_system. (21 March 2014)