《蜗居》折射出的现实世界

The 35-episode series follows the trials of two sisters struggling to buy affordable apartments in a big city, where house prices have soared way beyond what most people can afford.

In the drama, Hai Ping is a hard working office worker who dreams of owning an apartment, while her husband doesn't make much money. Hai Ping's younger sister Hai Zao becomes the mistress of a government official in order to help pay her older sister's first down payment.

Hai Qing plays the role of the heroine, Hai Ping, in the drama, as the older outspoken sister.

Her own experience of living in the city of Shanghai has helped her play the role.

"I found that the brand new apartments were extremely expensive, but because my parents wanted to come to live in Shanghai, I made a decision to buy a place. It costs me thirty years income! I went to check the house and told myself, ‘I'm standing on top of my first 30 years!'

The TV drama has been widely popular among urban dwellers for its vivid discription of everyday life.

As a young lawyer working for an international firm in Shanghai, Summer Tang belongs to a group of white collar workers who have a good income. However, she faced a lot of difficulties when her family decided to buy an apartment two years ago. Similar to the TV drama's plot, they searched through the city and also encountered traps when buying a place.

"Once we already paid the holding deposit, but all of a sudden, several other couples came in and priced us out. It was a trap, but eventually we didn't get the place. It was sold to another buyer."

Property development in China began to boom in the late 1990s after sweeping reforms of the housing market by the government.

As more and more people move to big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, strong demand and scarce land resources have driven up prices. According to Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau, the city's average annual income in 2008 was 44,700 yuan, while urban apartments sold for an average of 15,500 yuan per square meter. An apartment of 90 square meters costs almost 1.40 million yuan, which would require a household of two wage-earners to repay with half their salaries for 30 years - before interest. Summer says the extremely high price of the houses make many people more realistic.

"A house is very important to people today. To be frank, there are fewer girls like me nowadays who would marry a guy who doesn't have a house. One of my friends' parents asked her to stop dating the man since he couldn't afford a house in this city. I think I can understand Hai Ping very well. The plot epitomizes a large portion of urban young people who are tormented by the thought of owning a house, just like snails carrying a heavy shell."

The popular concept of owning a home as a requirement for marriage is driving many young couples apart as the dream becomes unattainable. Many are encouraging young people to rent first, and the government also plans to build public rental housing to relieve the pressure. But still, owning a home has become a symbol of securing a position in the big cities as well as a symbol of success to many people.

No wonder the TV drama "Snail House" has been so popular not just on small screen, but also become a hot topic in the society.

For China Drive, I'm Liu Min.