In recent times, the trend of river jumping suicides seems to have spread from big cities to small towns. The quiet of the Er Gou River in Liaocheng, Shandong Province was shattered by multiple river jumping incidents, with two key terms standing out behind these events: unemployment and mortgage.
Ms. Dai in Shandong recently told reporters from Da Ji Yuan that the first river jumping incident involved a mother and daughter, with the mother tying her two-year-old child to herself before jumping into the river. Within 11 days, there were three river jumping incidents, resulting in four deaths. Commentators remarked that the Er Gou River seemed to be a place where lives came to an end.
“That young mother was only 30 years old, carrying her two-year-old child with her, tying the child to herself, leaving her down jacket and phone on the river bank. When they were found, both had passed away,” she said.
She further added that the environment near the Er Gou River used to be beautiful, attracting people for walks during the spring or autumn due to the scenic views. However, due to the frequent river jumping incidents, the place has been given a new nickname by locals, now called “Naihe Canal.”
Mainland Chinese media also reported on the first river jumping incident at the Er Gou River. The report stated that on February 19 in the early morning, a 30-year-old mother in Liaocheng, Shandong, jumped into the icy river with her daughter. Three days later, the rescue team drained the section of the river where the incident occurred and found the lifeless bodies of the mother and daughter. The child was tightly holding onto her mother, who never let go even in death.
According to official reports, the woman drowned in a suicide attempt, having previously sought medical treatment for depression. Authorities urged people to not spread rumors, and related videos and posts such as “Four consecutive jumping incidents in Liaocheng Er Gou River” were heavily deleted.
Local netizens revealed details about the mother and daughter, mentioning, “It is said that this family has to pay back over 4,000 yuan in mortgage every month. With the child being young, she couldn’t work, and her husband lost his job, causing immense pressure.” Another local netizen confirmed to Da Ji Yuan reporters that the woman who jumped into the river had a husband who was unemployed, with only 3,000 yuan in savings left at home, coupled with conflicts with in-laws leading to constant arguments.
Liaocheng, also known as the Water City north of the River, is a prefecture-level city. Public information shows that the Er Gou River urban section crosses the city and is approximately 28 kilometers long. Since 2017, the Er Gou River has been undergoing transformation into a ribbon-like urban ecological park featuring themes like “Huadi,” “Cuidi,” and “Ledi.”
With recent frequent river jumping incidents, local authorities have increased patrols and monitoring. In an online video, a man was seen squatting by the bank of the Er Gou River, appearing visibly distraught. Two police officers quietly approached him and then forcefully pulled him back by the shoulders, with the man resisting and struggling as he was dragged ashore. Subsequently, four police officers subdued him, seemingly handcuffed him, and roughly dragged him towards the roadside, resembling a criminal apprehension.
To prevent the river jumping incidents from causing social disturbances, places like Taiyuan and Chongqing even deployed bridge watchers.
Canadian-Chinese university student Mr. Zhang told Da Ji Yuan reporters that they are simply completing political stability tasks, with no genuine care for human-to-human relations. Such actions as handcuffing suicide attempters are despicable and lack ethics and humanity.
He noted, “Last summer, Taiyuan had bridge watchers all the time, but they gradually withdrew (were no longer visible). Watching them on the bridge was also pointless and boring. They would sit in the police car playing games, drinking beverages, and scrolling on their phones, as I saw when I returned to the country.”
Regarding the mother and daughter’s river jumping incident, a blogger commented that it all stemmed from the mortgage issue. “Unemployment is not a dead-end itself; as long as one is willing to make an effort, there will always be a way. However, the monthly mortgage of over four thousand yuan is like a sharp blade, ruthlessly cutting through this family’s hope. After defaulting on the mortgage, the relentless debt collection calls flood in, with each ring sounding like a death knell, further shattering the already fragile family.”
“Why not sell the house? But things are never that simple. They purchased the house at a high market value, and over the years, almost all their mortgage payments went towards interests. Now with falling property prices, even if they sell the house, they still won’t clear the mortgage. What path is left for them?”
“So why insist on buying a house? If it could be avoided, who would willingly push themselves to a dead end? In this society, a house is not just a shelter; it’s a passport for children’s education, a prerequisite for marriage, and a source of pride in front of relatives and friends.”
“Therefore, regardless of how expensive the house prices are, regardless of emptying the pockets of several generations, and no matter how much debt one accumulates, people still choose to endure. Ordinary individuals don’t even have the privilege to lie down; they exhaust their lifetime for that one property.”
He urged for such tragedies not to recur, hoping that every family could be treated with gentleness by life.
Local netizens mentioned that property prices in Liaocheng are very high, peaking at over ten thousand; the city’s property prices rank third in the province, with wages and the economy at the bottom. Most people earn around 3,000 yuan.
Mr. Zhang informed Da Ji Yuan reporters that Taiyuan also faces high property prices and low wages, where regular jobs pay around three to four thousand yuan. None of his friends in China want to marry, have children, or buy a house anymore.
Amid the real estate bubble burst, a wave of concentrated jumping incidents occurred in major Chinese cities last year. However, the river jumping events have now spread from the provincial capital in Shanxi to the prefecture-level city of Liaocheng in Shandong. Analysts believe that behind this wave of suicides lie two key terms: unemployment and mortgages.
The Chinese mainland economy is stagnating, with official data showing an unemployment rate of up to 21.3% among 16 to 24-year-olds. Finding jobs becomes even harder for those in their thirties.
Canadian-Chinese university student Mr. Zhang told Da Ji Yuan reporters that the job market is extremely challenging for young people today. He knew someone of the same age in China who, after graduation, couldn’t find a job and had to prepare for postgraduate studies. Without a postgraduate degree, it’s challenging to secure a good job, with work situations becoming increasingly demanding and educational qualifications losing value, leaving them with no choice.
During the “Two Sessions” in 2025, the topic of “Unemployment Age Discrimination Should Be Legally Banned” quickly became the top-trending search. Zheng Gongcheng, President of the China Social Security Association and a professor at Renmin University of China, found in his research that age discrimination in the job market is widespread, particularly the strict age limit of 35 hindering youth employment, and such discriminatory practices are extending towards even younger ages.
Mr. Zhang mentioned that 35 has always been a threshold. He had a friend’s relative who was in his thirties, resigned, and couldn’t find a job. Each year sees many college graduates, with a significant number struggling to find work and resorting to food delivery.
He believes that the overall environment in China isn’t favorable as before, leading people to feel hopeless and without expectations for the future, causing a sense of bewilderment. The situation is increasingly resembling North Korea, and China is moving towards the same direction.
“International students from China also feel this way, calling China the Western North Korea. Even the videos of the Two Sessions, focusing on Tiananmen Square, delegates at the Two Sessions, and interviewing the audience, the style is very reminiscent of North Korea,” he added.