China's Fuerdai - The New Agents of Value Deterioration

Balinghou signifies the generation of single-child Chinese in the 1980s, who grew up in 'reform China' and thus are considered more spoiled than prior generations. Among the new generation, a hot topic in Chinese popular discourse is the sons and daughters of parents who became rich in the reform era. The term 'fuerdai', the 2nd generation of rich, refers to Chinese youngsters who grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth.

So what's the problem with the fuerdai? First of all, many Chinese consider these newcomers as spoiled, unmannered and lacking principle values, which represent good old China, or even basic values which make a society function properly. Unlike the balinghou who are sometimes spoiled but later on must stand on their feet in order to succeed, the fuerdai get away with every mistake they make. This brings us to another problem which is the link between wealth and power, as well as a reality in which the wealthy often enjoy special privileges, but we'll not get into it here.

I read an article about the fuerdai in one of the popular Chinese portals, which defined the several types of the fuerdai which exist in China nowadays, as well as stated which types are 'good' and which are 'bad' for China's social order, and even stated what percent of the total fuerdai is consisted in each type. According to the author (who made a harsh generalization), while some of the fuerdai follow the footpaths of their parents' success by working hard to keep their fortune, most parents of fuerdai wish to protect their kid's from experiencing any problems, so they allow the youngsters get away with almost everything.

What makes the 'fuerdai' growing environment different compared to that of other rich kids? Well there are many similarities between the two, but the fact that in the fuerdai's families wealth is a new concept, fuerdai often develop and irresponsible attitude towards labor, an attitude which could result in a reality where families don't reach the 'fusandai - the 3rd generation of rich'. No wonder there's a common saying in Chinese 'fu bu guo san dai' - 'Wealth doesn't reach the third generation'.

Apart from risking their own families' fortune, the fuerdai can become a burden on society. Since their parents remember the hard times before they became wealthy and wish that their kids won't experience the bitter taste of economic difficulties, even for a short instant, the fuerdai often enjoy an adolescence full of leisure and material benefits. Being both a single child and one who gets away with everything can later on result in a young adult who contributes to the lack of interpersonal values that many people experience in urban China. The spotlight that Chinese media put this topic intensifies the generalization of the fuerdai, however it also helps us understand more about the popular discourse in modern China.