A: Neighbors seem to be an important part of community relationship in China.

B: I can give you example to illustrate this importance. For instance, if a couple had a noisy fight and the neighbors heard it, they would come over to calm them down. Or, if both the husband and the wife are working, they will give their house key to the old woman next door so she can help look after the children after school. The “bound feet security guards” was a very popular expression in the last century. It refers to the retired people, usually old woman, who would walk around their neighborhood to ensure its security.

A: I wonder how these special community relations are developed.

B: In a traditional, agricultural society there was almost no population mobility. People lived in one place for generations with no interaction with the outside world. Everyone knew everyone else, and this led to a lot of mutual understanding and interdependence. Whenever someone needed any help, the first solution was to ask the neighbors. This is where the expression, “a neighbor is more dependable than a distant relative” came from.

A: I see. I know that such an intimate community relationship was still very popular as recently as the 1990s.

B: There is an old joke that goes like this: A newly-wed couple lived together with four other families in a big courtyard. One morning, they slept in until midday. Their neighbors thought something might have gone wrong and knocked on the door to check it out. You can imagine how embarrassed the young couple was.

A: Exactly! Now that people live in high-rise apartment buildings, will this relationship be affected?

B: Yes. The closeness that was typical in a traditional courtyard is gone. People live behind closed doors and often do not even know the next-door neighbor. The older people, in particular, have problems adapting to this change. This is why you always see groups of old people socializing in public green areas. They miss the intimate community of their private life, they also appreciate a friendly neighborhood.

A: What can they do to address this issue?

B: Some neighborhoods a LAN network, as in the case with a neighborhood in suburban Beijng, they share information with each other. In another place, residents produced at TV drama of their everyday life.

This may be one reason why Chinese people are happier and feel more secure.