China's Social Contrasts: Poor and Rich

According to Forbes magazine, there are 122 billionaires in China, which means that the modern Celestial Empire ranks second in the world in terms of the number of billionaires. But at the same time, about 13% of Chinese live below the poverty line, subsisting on less than $1.25 a day.

During his 2012 speech, President Hu Jintao stated that China should double the per capita income for urban and rural residents by 2020. However, today there is a huge social gap between the rich and the poor, which is increasing every year.

(Total 24 photos)

1. A man's leg, covered with earth and clay, after working in the fields, near Beijing. Legs of models during a fashion show in Beijing.

Only a few, mostly migrant workers, remain in Beijing's dilapidated slums. Renting a house with one kitchen and one small room is about 700 yuan (about $114). At the same time, in a residential and commercial complex in a prestigious area, the rent for a two-room apartment with furniture is about 14,000 yuan ($ 2,283), and for a three-room house of 270 square meters with furniture, about 34,000 yuan ($ 5,545).

2. A girl washes her hair in a basin in a migrant worker area. French hairdresser Eric Constantino in Beijing.

Most houses in migrant settlements do not have their own bathrooms and toilets. The picture on the right is Eric Paris Hair Salon, one of the most luxurious hair salons in Beijing.

3. A man rides with his family in a three-wheeled electric car. Exhibition visitors view a vintage Rolls-Royce in Beijing.

China has become a key market for luxury car manufacturers. Until 2020, they plan to sell 2.7 million cars annually, overtaking the United States, the world leader in this market segment.

4. Yang Wei's family in an apartment for migrant workers. Zhao Qiang's family pose in the living room of their apartment.

Zhao runs his private company and owns two apartments in Beijing. The current value of his 117 square meter apartment in this photo is 31,000,000 yuan (about $500,000). Pictured on the left is Wang, who came to the capital from Sichuan to look for work in 2007. She lives in a room of about 5 square meters with her husband and two children. Her current monthly rent is 400 yuan (about $65). Wang's husband works as a construction worker, and Wang herself is a housekeeper.

5. Mannequins in front of a store in the quarter for migrant workers. Showcase of an expensive boutique in Beijing.

Chinese shoppers take away from stores up to a quarter of all luxury goods in the world. And last year they overtook US consumers to become the biggest spenders in the luxury goods market.

6. An elderly man in a wheelchair in a poor area of ​​Beijing. Resident of the number one social institution in Beijing.

This nursing home (photo on the right) is one of the most prestigious nursing homes in China and can accommodate up to 1,000 elderly people. China's elderly population will increase to 360 million by 2030, up from 200 million in 2013.

7. Sex toys in a store located in the migrant workers' quarter. A sex shop with neon signs in an affluent area of ​​Beijing.

A shop in Beijing's residential area for migrant workers and luxury brand stores in a shopping complex in Sanlitong.

8. Residents of the area for migrant workers look at the performance of a traveling circus. Guests at a fashion show in the house of the Ming Dynasty.

9. Residents of the working-class district gamble while guests in the Ming Dynasty house relax after a buffet table.

10. Men have lunch on the street near the tent with fast food. Wealthy Chinese dine at a fine restaurant in Beijing.

Eating rice on the street costs about 10 yuan ($1.6). The price of abalone and shark fin dishes at a prestigious restaurant is 488 yuan (about $80) and 368 yuan (about $60).

11. The family has dinner in a residential area for migrant workers. Men drink coffee at a five-star hotel restaurant in Beijing.

12. Dealer in wicker baskets and brooms. A city dweller in a supermarket in the department of plastic utensils.

13. District for migrant workers and luxury area in Beijing, where there is a large shopping center Sanlitun.

14. A public toilet in a dilapidated area and a toilet in a Beijing shopping center.

The authorities of the Celestial Empire have developed an urbanization program that involves the elimination of poor, overpopulated areas.

15. A man walks through one of the old dilapidated areas of Beijing, where it is planned to build new skyscrapers. A girl walks her dog around the new district, which consists of offices, shopping centers and residential premises.

16. A man improvises with noodles on the street in a slum area of ​​Beijing. The chef prepares a dish in one of the good Beijing restaurants.

17. Local janitor cleans trash cans in a poor area. An employee at a shopping mall in Beijing wipes out modern waste bins.

18. Peasant dozing during a break in the Langfang field. A girl gets a massage at a salon in Beijing.

At one of the most luxurious spas in Beijing, a full body massage in a private room with a bath costs 2,300 yuan (about $375) for 1.5 hours.

19. The family walks past clothes for sale on the streets of Beijing. A woman pays for her purchases at a boutique in Beijing.

There are 2.7 million dollar millionaires and 251 billionaires in China. However, according to the United Nations, 13 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day.

20. A street dog is looking for food in a poor neighborhood. A girl with a dog outside a beauty salon for animals in Beijing.

Chinese nouveaux riches living in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou see fashion accessories even in pets, especially small dogs. They are dressed in designer clothes, paid for spa treatments and dyed in unnatural colors.

21. A child is waiting at home for the return of migrant parents from work. A boy plays in a children's area in Beijing's affluent neighborhood.

It costs 50 yuan to play on this site (photo on the right) for three hours. For two decades, the Chinese authorities have ignored the housing problems of migrants, thanks to temporary settlements that accommodate about 40 percent of all migrants.

22. An apartment building built about 20 years ago in a working-class district and a high-rise elite new building with apartments of more than 100 square meters. meters.

23. A street vendor of garlic and an employee of a large vegetable supermarket in Beijing.

24. A man eats lunch while his neighbors gamble in the area for migrant workers. A waiter carries champagne to guests at a pre-fashion buffet at a Ming Dynasty house in Beijing.