Xinyu City

According to a local resident Xinyu was established in 267, has a population of 860,000, and is 3163 square kilometers.  It is on the Yuan River.  The minimum income there is 190RMB/month, about $23, which is okay for basic living excluding apartment rent.  Some farmer may have less income, but they have their own house and land.  The main food is rice, vegetables (local people love hot pepper) and some meat and fish.  One third of land of Jiangxi province covered by forest.  The weather is mostly warm & wet, it snows once or twice during January and February..

Children:  Mothers can stay home with their baby for four months in city, if she needs more days it means less salary.  From five months to 3 years old children can stay in one place operated by the government or enterprise called "TuoESuo".  In the first year, mother have two hours extra off every day so they can take care their babies.  From 3-7 years old children in city usually stay in kindergarden, they can play and have simple education there.  At seven years old they start  primary school.  In the country side children have less education for reason of money. Some children can enter school as they get a donation of RMB 400 per year from Hope Project even though their family is very poor.