Liushou Children in a Chinese Village

As part of the fieldwork done in a Chinese village, Dongpai, which is located in Mashuang township, Nankang, Jiangxi province, this article describes the general situation of liushou children. The article is based on data collected by in-depth interview and participant-observation methods. Liushou children generally refers to children (under eighteen years of age) who need to be looked after by other relatives, friends, or who are by themselves because both of their parents work as migrant workers, merchants, and so on outside their hometown. The main issues dealt in the article are: How do they pass their childhood? What are their feelings and wishes during parental absence? What are their family education and school achievements? Is there any failure of the system to guarantee children their basic rights? Is there a crisis in their moral development? The article also presents the voices of the liushou children with regard to their goals and wishes.