Chinese Lives

This blog gives you a real china’s image by telling real grass-root Chinese’s own story, something you’ll never see on official newspapers.

China's Great Wall

A 12-year-old’s work and life

November 20th, 2007 · 4 Comments


4 am every morning, when most of us are in our sweet dreams, this 12 year old little girl sweep the street floor with a tool higher above her head. She is made known as “the most beautiful civil cleaner” to many people on the internet for these photos.

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She was first discovered sweeping street by Mr. Liu when he was on the way to work in August. After seeing her more than weeks there doing her job, Mr. liu shot these pictures and post to several internet forum deeply moved.

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Post about her has great attention, and Easy net alone has 23930 visits. Comments have praises and sorrows toward her. Some think that though she is unfortunate not able to enjoy an easy childhood, her experience has set a good example about independence, perseverance and caring for others. Others cast blame for unhealthy social system that cannot provide a little girl enough help.

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Reporters interview little girl’s co-workers and finally reach to her family. This is a very unfortunate family. There are 6 in her family, and they share a 30 square meter rented place. Little Dan, the girl’s name, calls her mother’s sister mum, because her real mother with mental disorder disease cannot take care of her.

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Her mum, Ms Liao, says, in August she fell ill and Little Dan replace her for several days. In order to let her know the world better, she insists little Dan sweep street at weekends, which she believes can teach a good lesson about living for girls from a poor family.

Tags: People

4 responses so far ↓

  • 1 peter guszti // Nov 20, 2007 at 1:29 pm

    I found an interetsing article about a 16yr old cambodian chinese prostitues life., at www orangekite com at adult stories. very sad

  • 2 peter's a ped // Nov 21, 2007 at 12:32 am

    @ peter guszti

    An I’m sure you were really looking for LOLCATS when you stumbled across a story about 16yo Cambodian prostitutes, huh?

  • 3 Yumeguchi // Nov 21, 2007 at 2:57 am

    Oh come on,.. at least place a pay pal account for us to throw money at so that we can go to our warm beds, thinking we made a difference in the world.

  • 4 Nonkidding // Nov 21, 2007 at 2:02 pm

    To Yumeguchi
    If you can appreciate and bless the girl, you already make a difference.



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