Recently, the Longhua Bus Station in Shenzhen, Guangdong was surrounded by tall iron fences, with multiple entrances being closed off. Videos showed authorities using water cannons to clear the area at night, targeting homeless people and the unemployed on the streets. According to interviewees, similar situations have also emerged in other cities and streets in Guangdong.
In a short video circulating on social media in mainland China, filmed at the Longhua Bus Station in Shenzhen, the surrounding area was enclosed by tall iron fences, with multiple entrances blocked off, restricting pedestrian access. Another video showed staff using high-pressure water cannons spraying the ground continuously at night. A blogger mentioned that those staying overnight at the scene were forced to leave under the water cannon spray, causing water accumulation in nearby park areas, making it impossible to stay.
Ms. Zeng, a long-time resident of Longhua, told a reporter on July 21 that since the pandemic, the closure rate of nearby shops has increased, leading to many out-of-towners stranded around the bus station. She stated, “Some cannot find jobs; some have some money but cannot afford a hotel. It’s summer now, so they can barely hold on. What will happen in winter?”
Multiple videos and pictures showed many closed shops near Longhua Bus Station, with homeless individuals ranging from elderly to young people lying in front of shops, or staying on pedestrian overpasses or in parks.
Netizens have criticized the authorities for what they believe is an attempt to drive away homeless people and the unemployed who have nowhere to go. A TikTok blogger commented that this is a form of “siege-like governance,” lamenting that “cities are not just meant to serve the dignified.” Many are concerned that such actions under the guise of “maintaining city appearance” are neglecting the basic survival rights of vulnerable groups.
Another resident, Mr. Zhou, mentioned that Longhua Bus Station sees a high flow of people, with young and middle-aged individuals often seen sitting or lying on the streets at night. He stated, “This is not a simple public safety issue but a result of systemic exclusion of the vulnerable in the city.”
Similar situations are occurring in Guangzhou as well. Mr. Feng, a retiree in Guangzhou, mentioned that there are migrant workers camping around the Yuexiu District long-distance bus station at night. He recalled that scenes like these remind him of the early days of the reform and opening up in the late 1980s and 1990s, where people needed to survive, but now, there is nowhere to go.
Zhao Wu, a sociologist in Nanjing, suggested that similar phenomena have been appearing in cities in the Jiangsu and Guangdong regions in recent years, indicating a weakening function of cities in absorbing surplus rural labor. He expressed that many of today’s migrant workers are the second generation born on the outskirts of cities, lacking agricultural skills and struggling to establish themselves in urban areas. With the closure of private enterprises, they have no safety net, leading to them becoming street wanderers, a consequence of societal fragmentation.
The Shenzhen Municipal Government and Longhua District have not yet officially responded to the incident. However, the incident has sparked heated debate among the public welfare sector and some scholars on whether “urban governance should prioritize people.” An anonymous member of a public welfare organization in Shenzhen told reporters that the closure of the station with fences and the use of water cannons to drive away the homeless not only goes against the authorities’ promise to “serve the people” but may also provoke public resentment towards the indifference and rigidity of urban governance. He emphasized, “Homeless individuals are not problem creators but victims of cracks in the city’s economy.”
In recent years, many Chinese cities have resorted to similar measures to disperse homeless individuals, such as installing sharp obstacles under overpasses to prevent crowds from loitering. Although these measures may improve the visual “cleanliness” in the short term, they are often criticized as only focusing on the visible aspects.
Experts suggest that modern urban governance should go beyond physical isolation and establish a comprehensive shelter system, including temporary shelters, employment counseling, and psychological support to help homeless individuals gradually reintegrate into society. “Solving the issue of homelessness should not rely on water cannons but on systemic solutions.”