Guangzhou - Last Day of Lectures

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Our last day of lectures was comprised of a session on Labor Policy in China, a concluding lecture, and a discussion about migration within China. I enjoyed the lecture of Labor Policy greatly. It made me think more deeply about my experience at the toy factory the day before. It seems like China has put some regulations on labor, such as minimum wage and number of hours worked in a week, however, it is likely that many companies do not follow the guidelines. I was disappointed that the labor policy lecture was after our trip to the toy factory, because I think that if it was before I would have had more questions.

Our discussion focused on the issue of migratory workers in China. I did not know that if someone moves from their home province they have to re-register to obtain social services, such as access to the public schools. It seems like this is a difficult process because many people do not re-register in their new location. In discussion we also compared migration and policies in the United States, Taiwan, and South Korea. In these countries the process does not seem as complicated. I think that the Chinese government needs to take into account the needs of their population, and change their regulations regarding migratory workers. It seems like through this process the government might be trying to prevent people from moving around.

Our farewell dinner at the Redbud Garden Restaurant on the campus of Sun Yat-Sen University was great. Some of the best food that we have had in Guangzhou.

After dinner a large part of the group went to a nightclub called True Colors. It was the nicest nightclub I have ever seen. There was western music playing in English, and there was live music as well. I had a great time with the group.

Tomorrow we will be having a free day, and will be going on field trips in the western part of the city to see the area, temples, and a museum.

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