Only 20 years ago, "Wan Yuan Hu" (a family with an annual income of 10,000 yuan) represented the mostly much admired, nouveau riche of Chinese society. Times have now changed so much that this is now thought of as a low income.

Rapid economic development has led to two new measures of success. These are the "Shi Wanyuan Hu" (100,000 yuan) and the "Bai Wanyuan Hu" (1,000,000 yuan).

The 10,000 yuan income level is now in the mainstream of personal income tax while the 100,000 yuan level represents the nation's top decision-makers in various walks of life.

Let's take a look at lifestyles in China's cities in the year 2002 and see how they relate to income.

UPS AND DOWNS ON 10,000 YUAN A YEAR

He has worked since graduation in an unremarkable inland city. So far, the economic ripple emanating from the coast has barely arrived. On his monthly salary of 800 yuan, life and work follow a gently rhythm.

Office

He won't be late but you won't catch him rushing in to start work early. Arriving at 8:00am, his working day starts with breakfast. This might be a steamed bun or deep-fried dough sticks bought in the street and carried in to be taken with a cup of tea and the morning paper. He would read such publications as People's Daily, Reference News, Chinese Youth Daily or perhaps a local paper. About 8:30, he starts work.

Lunch is in the dining hall and costs 4 yuan. Married colleagues are more likely to go home, taking advantage of the two hour break at noon.

Our 10,000 yuan man is single and prefers to stay in the unit over lunch. There he will mix with colleagues in the same income bracket. He may complain a bit about work but he won't quit the job.

In the afternoon, some colleagues will leave early to take their children home from kindergartens and then cook the evening meal. During office hours, it is taken for granted that one should drop in to meet friends in other offices in the work unit. It's nice to be seen to be sociable.

Senior managers consider formal meetings to be the key communication tool for cascading information. Unfortunately the meeting may lack a receptive audience unless it is related to the really interesting issues like job rotations or salary.

He will seldom have the opportunity to travel on business. The chance of a trip to Beijing or Shanghai would be competed for fiercely should it be up for grabs. However, it's all worked out quite equitably on the basis of age, so one just waits one's turn.

For those who have had their turn, the trip will be recalled even years later with conversation pieces starting, "When I was in Beijing ." Not an entirely tactful approach when considered from the viewpoint of those who have not yet made a trip by plane never mind visited the capital.

Income and Benefits

His 800 yuan salary is paid at the beginning of the month after deduction of housing costs. Gas cylinders might also be provided as a benefit but these are only for colleagues who are married or have worked in the unit for a full five years. Though basic salary may not be generous, there are extra payments for heat in summer and cold in winter. Then there are payments both in cash and in kind to mark the principal holidays such as Labor Day on May 1st, Moon Festival on Aug 15 of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar and of course New Year's Day. The Spring Festival too brings an annual bonus.

Ninety percent of his peer group lives in apartments provided by the work unit. The others are in dormitory accommodation, two or three to a room at a monthly cost of 3 yuan (yes that really is a cost of less than 40 cents).

For an employee of a state-owned work unit, access to training or the chance to join one's line manager on a business trip is regarded as a privilege.

Primary medical care is available in the work unit's own clinic at just 5 percent of cost. The unit will reimburse the full cost of hospital treatment should serious illness make this necessary. Everyone is allocated five shower vouchers each month.

Spending It

If we were to look at his world through his underpants, then the 10,000 yuan lifestyle comes in at around a modest 5 yuan a pair. But our hero's wardrobe will also be graced with a few famous brand name pairs. On top of this he will have suits costing several hundred yuan. He frequents the wholesale market, the supermarket and the local grocery store.

He avoids brand names unless they are in sales or he might buy fakes instead. If he visits the big-name franchised stores he may make a show of checking out the merchandise but he'll soon leave without buying.

He must have a mobile phone but takes good care to keep his bill under 100 yuan a month. No need to get a fashionable new ring tone. His long distance calls are via discount "phone cards." He never smokes but if he did it would be the cheap ones at three to five yuan a packet.

He travels mostly by bike, sometimes by bus and seldom by taxi. When he gets together with his friends in the neighborhood, they take turns to pay the bill instead of going Dutch. Any good news will be taken as the occasion to invite friends for a meal.

A gift of 60 yuan would be the norm when a colleague gets married. A friend would get say 100 to 200 yuan. The usual time for babies to come along is in the first year or two of marriage. New fathers have to wash cloth nappies as they cannot afford disposable diapers.

He buys books in areas that particularly interest him. This is however far from the start of a reading habit which has to be regularly fed with expensive newspapers and magazines.

He goes to bed regularly at a sensible time though occasionally he may stay up late to play cards. He may sometimes drop into an Internet Cafi. Some habits need not be expensive at all and in the evening he may take his girlfriend for a walk. Alternatively they may watch TV, go to a cinema or perhaps just enjoy each other's company sitting quietly together.

After several years of this prudent lifestyle he will have a year's salary of 10,000 yuan safely tucked away in his bank account. For the milestone financial events in life like his wedding or house purchase he knows he can rely on his parents to help.

State of Mind

Life is relaxed, and well balanced with a sufficiency of food and clothing, friendly colleagues and a warm and caring family. Life is laid out according to a predictable pattern. It is a good life, healthy in mind and body (a survey has revealed that the happiest people in China are in the salary range 500 to 1,500 yuan per month).

Occasionally our 10,000 yuan man feels a bit depressed and longs for a change perhaps with a new life in one of the booming cities. Then he thinks of the price he would have to pay and when he remembers how comfortable he really is, he puts such thoughts to the side.

ACHIEVEMENT AND PRESSURE ON 100,000 YUAN A YEAR

Here is a professional with a career plan and a monthly salary of 8,000 yuan. Expressions to suggest an overview of his lifestyle could be well-educated, high IQ, high income, high pressure and fast moving.

Career

His working week must be flexible and duty will often call on him outside of regular hours. From the time he arrives in the office he works like a driven man. So what drives him? Well his boss will surely be keeping an eye on him and his clients seem to watch his every move. There is also of course that rather important matter of performance related pay.

He maintains a balance between familiarity and respectful distance in his working relationships. His style of communication is business like and is characterized by efficiency and a sense of purpose. He makes good and frequent use of Fax and Internet. His world operates to a strict timetable where delay will lead not only to financial loss but also to loss of face for himself and his organization.

Like others in his other 100,000 yuan peer-group, he uses the Internet as a tool to optimize his information flows and make best use of his time. He is a frequent flier though his journeys are not for pleasure but to pursue business opportunities, meet colleagues and source the information he needs to achieve prominence in his field. Success will lead to even greater opportunities. This work pattern is irregular and over work is all too common.

There are of however, advantages in the fast lane and his colleagues will often buy take-away meals or eat out in good restaurants. A special favorite is trying out specialties in newly open restaurants.

He devotes most of his waking hours to work and is well satisfied with his income. His professional skills are his "rice bowl" and his intellect is his "working capital." For his rivals he looks not just to his immediate colleagues but also to other specialists in his field all across China. He studies hard in pursuit of self-improvement and so his health suffers. Long years of effort have instilled a strong work ethic and now he could not give way to laziness even if he tried.

He thinks it is reasonable to expect remuneration commensurate with the value he can add to his organization. He might well move on to another job if he thought his salary was in any way unfair. Changing employers is quite routine at his level and he can fit easily into a new environment. He will already have experience of being headhunted. Thought it is easy for him to move to a new employer, he cannot easily move out of his specialist field.

He finds it difficult to separate life outside work from life at work. He does not have much time for his family and may even drift into an office romance.

Meetings are a matter of routine and no matter how much of an introvert he may be by nature he must work at developing his communication and cooperative skills.

Income and Benefits

His remuneration package includes both basic salary and a monthly performance bonus. Annual salary increments would not be unusual. He is at an income level that attracts the attention of the tax authorities and income tax is deducted on a monthly basis.

Benefits like opportunities for travel and training vary from company to company. His housing will be provided or he will have his rent reimbursed. He may even have daily travel, meal and telephone expenses paid. His traveling allowances will be more generous than those of government officials. He can expect medical insurance and retirement benefits and may have an equity interest in the business.

Spending It

He is a dedicated follower of fashion and is sensitive to the "right" brand names. He has well-developed personal tastes in clothing, daily necessities and for where he will socialize, eat and shop. Even his home is an expression identity as he can afford to buy the house he really wants when it comes on the market. It will be in a good area and decorated according to his personal taste. He is fond of travel and will take lots of photographs to record his trips. He is able to travel abroad but only, of course, if time permits.

He is a regular reader of his favorite magazine and buys a newspaper every day. He will chat with his friends on his mobile phone until the battery runs out. At the weekend he may go to a concert or visit a friend in a nearby city. He is a member of a club and belongs to a particular social circle. At the weekend he may go to a concert or visit a friend in a nearby city. At home he enjoys the quality of DVD and VCD.

He is a cardholder with a wallet full of plastic. He has a level of personal savings which allows him to spend without counting the cost. He uses the subway and taxi's every day but plans to buy a car soon. He understands the essentials of money management like trading stocks and shares and foreign currency exchange. He may dabble in a football lottery.

For nightlife he has plenty options and may chose a bar, Karaoke, late-night shopping or even just stay at home. He regards nightlife as an essential antidote to the pressures of work. He will go to bed late after a day well filled by both work and play.

State of Mind

Achievement and stress are side by side. On the one hand his self-image is one of career success and quality of life and he considers himself to be one of an elite. On the other hand pressure of work engages all his capabilities and energy. Daily he faces both opportunity and challenge. His world is between rich and poor. He will probably never be a millionaire no matter how hard he tries. However, he knows for sure that he could become poor if he loses his job.

LIFE AT THE TOP ON 1,000,000 YUAN A YEAR

She might be the boss of a private company, the CEO of an IT company or the chair of the board of directors of a listed company. Her average salary is over 80,000 yuan a month.

Risk-taking and pressure of work at this level keep her in a continual state of high alert. She is responsible not just for the performance of her team but for the whole enterprise.

Career

Her constant focus is on decision-making and management responsibilities and there is no clear boundary between time for private and corporate life.

She looks outwards from the organization, first towards the rest of China and then beyond to the world as a whole. She is quite at home in the air as she flies wherever and whenever she must to meet key business associates. A personal assistant handles routine matters for her. Her own future is closely tied up with the development and fate of the company.

Her public demeanor must be businesslike 100 percent of the time. She must appear to be on duty at all times and her outside interests are kept well out of sight. Sometimes she faces the press cast in a public relations role.

Income and Benefits

Her reward comes in a mix of salary, share options and various performance-related incentives. If the "hard-ware" of her package is represented by her car, house and communications equipment, then her personal assistant and driver are the "soft-ware." As a key decision-maker she is provided for at a level which means there is little need to worry about her personal finances.

Spending It

With limited leisure time available for shopping, she relies on the brand names she knows work well for her. Her social circles tend to be connected with business and it is these friends who will influence her in making consumer choices.

It would be a real luxury just to be able to watch TV for a whole evening. But it would be no luxury at all to spend thousands of yuan on a club membership. She will not be the first to rush out and buy a new technical innovation. She would rather wait a little for the second wave with all the improvements already built in.

Because her work occupies so much of her time, she tries to make up for this with generous gifts for family and friends. As a consumer she cares more about quality of service than about price and would rather be a "VIP Cardholder." Fees at her keep-fit club are above average but she feels this is money well spent as she values the exclusive environment.

State of Mind

Her deepest concerns are for her organization and she lives to work. Her sense of achievement is measured in terms of leading the company through a time of rapid development and building a competitive team. When she complains it won't be about her lifestyle but about the constraints which hinder corporate development. She is at the same time one of the main contributors to wealth in society and one of its principal owners.

(china.org.cn by Zheng Guihong, July 10, 2002)