Beijing in Chaos The sky has fallen Millions Flee as the City Spirals Out of Control

What is the final ending for a “Beijing drifter”? Today I received a message on WeChat from a high school classmate. Because they still cannot obtain a Beijing hukou, they have no choice but to take their child back to their hometown for middle school later this year. This is already the third friend I know who has quietly packed up and left Beijing this year. After drifting here for more than ten years, the problems that once seemed distant—hukou restrictions, unbearable housing prices, children’s education, and aging parents—have suddenly become heavy chains dragging down countless “Beijing drifters.” More and more families are quietly leaving, their suitcases filled not with success, but with exhaustion and disappointment.