Northeast China, historically known as Manchuria which consists of the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, always seems to be a bellwether for developments in the country, especially in terms of economic, demographic, and social trends.
Many things done by Northeasterners that were ridiculed early on have since become common phenomena throughout the rest of China. And today’s Northeast, some say, can be considered a microcosm of China’s future.
In February, an article was published on the Chinese web portal NetEase, called, “Northeast China is a leading indicator for development.” The article said that years ago, people laughed at the low fertility rate in Northeast China but now the whole country has a low fertility rate; people mocked Northeasterners for their obsession with public institution jobs, which the rest of the country has now followed; and they later mocked the Northeasterners for earning a living doing live streaming and barbecuing—now, live streamers and barbecue stalls are all over the country….