Workers & Income
Hours, physical toll, income, security — and the gap with designated inheritors.
Surveyed workers: detailed table
| Worker | Craft | Seniority | Age | Monthly income | Insurance & subsidy | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ma Shi Fu · Brush Trimmer at the Xuan Brush Factory | Xuan brushes | 48 | — | — | — | — |
| Zhu Shi Fu · Fire-Watcher at the Decorative Brick Factory | Huizhou floor tiles | 47 | — | — | — | — |
| Cai Shi Fu · Kiln Fire Tender at the Decorative Brick Factory | Huizhou floor tiles | 15 年 | — | 2,000–3,000 CNY/month | — | Piece rates, no social insurance; chilblains common among basin workers in winter. |
| Wang Shi Fu (plus two anonymous others) · Water-Basin Workers at the Xuan Brush Factory | Xuan brushes | 46 | — | 2,000–3,000 CNY/month | — | Piece rates, no social insurance; chilblains common among basin workers in winter. |
| Fang Shi Fu · Brick-Carving Worker at the Decorative Brick Factory | Huizhou floor tiles | 17 | — | — | — | — |
| 贵州工人 | Huizhou floor tiles | — | — | — | — | — |
Worker profiles
Ma Shi Fu · Brush Trimmer at the Xuan Brush Factory
“The hardest part is picking out these hairs. If you don't pick them out, the brush won't write. There are bald hairs, uneven ones—uneven ones without tips—every one of them has to be plucked out. ”
View full record →
Zhu Shi Fu · Fire-Watcher at the Decorative Brick Factory
“This earthen kiln—once they've loaded it and it's time to light the fire, I'm the one in charge. From lighting it to the final firing, I handle the whole thing myself. And after it's fired, the water dousing—I do that too. ”
View full record →
Cai Shi Fu · Kiln Fire Tender at the Decorative Brick Factory
Conditions：Piece rates, no social insurance; chilblains common among basin workers in winter.
“"People my age—the next generation just can't do it. They don't fire kilns. Our generation is the last."”
View full record →
Wang Shi Fu (plus two anonymous others) · Water-Basin Workers at the Xuan Brush Factory
Conditions：Piece rates, no social insurance; chilblains common among basin workers in winter.
“In winter, when others were warming themselves by the fire, we were still working away in cold water. In summer, this part"—he gestured to his hands—"would rot.”
View full record →
Fang Shi Fu · Brick-Carving Worker at the Decorative Brick Factory
“Anyone who does it can do it. But doing it well—that's actually not easy. The expressions on the figures, right. And flowers and things like that—flowers have their forms too, their expressions too. ”
View full record →
In their own words
“The hardest part is picking out these hairs. If you don't pick them out, the brush won't write. There are bald hairs, uneven ones—uneven ones without tips—every one of them has to be plucked out. ”
“This earthen kiln—once they've loaded it and it's time to light the fire, I'm the one in charge. From lighting it to the final firing, I handle the whole thing myself. And after it's fired, the water dousing—I do that too. ”
“"People my age—the next generation just can't do it. They don't fire kilns. Our generation is the last."”
“In winter, when others were warming themselves by the fire, we were still working away in cold water. In summer, this part"—he gestured to his hands—"would rot.”
“Anyone who does it can do it. But doing it well—that's actually not easy. The expressions on the figures, right. And flowers and things like that—flowers have their forms too, their expressions too. ”