<p>Many people live at factories in China because many of them are migrants and it's more economical from their point of view to live in factory dormitories. It's also more efficient for them and their employers to have them on-site. Remember, China is crowded, housing is expensive and commuting is a bear. As for who would want to visit a factory, well many people, including vendors who sell parts, materials, and equipment to factories and customers who buy from factories.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T18:42:55.350Z
I see. Vendors/customers visiting factories would fit the story arc.
rxmnnxfpvg
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T15:02:10.000Z
2012-12-19T15:02:10.000Z
Dan
<p>Yes, it is common for many Asia countries that "lodging" (typically dormitories) is provided by the companies and often these "factories" form cities on their own.</p>

<p>A famous (or maybe better to say notorious) example is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Foxconn</a>. From Wikipedia:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Foxconn's largest factory worldwide is in Longhua, Shenzhen, where
  hundreds of thousands of workers (varying counts include 230,000,
  300,000, and 450,000) are employed at the Longhua Science &amp;
  Technology Park, a walled campus sometimes referred to as "Foxconn
  City" or "iPod City". Covering about 1.16 square miles (3
  square km), it includes 15 factories, worker dormitories, a
  swimming pool, a fire brigade, its own television network
  (Foxconn TV), and a city centre with a grocery store, bank,
  restaurants, bookstore, and hospital. While some workers live in
  surrounding towns and villages, others live and work inside the
  complex; a quarter of the employees live in the dormitories, and
  many of them work up to 12 hours a day for 6 days each week.
  Another of Foxconn's factory "cities" is Zhengzhou Technology Park in
  Zhengzhou, Henan province, where it is reported 120,000 employees
  work.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T18:41:21.317Z
I thought it was weird because the Beijing Commercial Press published the book, and a lot of it involves hanging out with embassy staff drinking 茅台酒 (i.e., a different socioeconomic level entirely).
rxmnnxfpvg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2012-12-19T09:25:12.403Z
2020-06-08T13:10:42.020Z
2020-06-08T13:10:42.020Z
BertR
<p>This was an example sentence in Practical Chinese Reader 31. Do people actually live in factories, or is there some cultural context I'm missing? In previous chapters, people are constantly visiting factories《参观工厂》, which I found bizarre. Who would want to visit a factory? Why would they live there? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-19T22:18:45.537Z
It's a similar concept to student dorms, except it's for a workplace.
deutschZuid
<meaning><culture>
他在工厂住了半年/living in factories
# 他在工厂住了半年/living in factories

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-12-19)

This was an example sentence in Practical Chinese Reader 31. Do people actually live in factories, or is there some cultural context I'm missing? In previous chapters, people are constantly visiting factories《参观工厂》, which I found bizarre. Who would want to visit a factory? Why would they live there?

**Tags:** meaning, culture

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's a similar concept to student dorms, except it's for a workplace.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-12-19. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Yes, it is common for many Asia countries that "lodging" (typically dormitories) is provided by the companies and often these "factories" form cities on their own.

A famous (or maybe better to say notorious) example is [Foxconn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn). From Wikipedia:

> Foxconn's largest factory worldwide is in Longhua, Shenzhen, where
> hundreds of thousands of workers (varying counts include 230,000,
> 300,000, and 450,000) are employed at the Longhua Science &
> Technology Park, a walled campus sometimes referred to as "Foxconn
> City" or "iPod City". Covering about 1.16 square miles (3
> square km), it includes 15 factories, worker dormitories, a
> swimming pool, a fire brigade, its own television network
> (Foxconn TV), and a city centre with a grocery store, bank,
> restaurants, bookstore, and hospital. While some workers live in
> surrounding towns and villages, others live and work inside the
> complex; a quarter of the employees live in the dormitories, and
> many of them work up to 12 hours a day for 6 days each week.
> Another of Foxconn's factory "cities" is Zhengzhou Technology Park in
> Zhengzhou, Henan province, where it is reported 120,000 employees
> work.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I thought it was weird because the Beijing Commercial Press published the book, and a lot of it involves hanging out with embassy staff drinking 茅台酒 (i.e., a different socioeconomic level entirely).  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-12-19. Score: 3

Many people live at factories in China because many of them are migrants and it's more economical from their point of view to live in factory dormitories. It's also more efficient for them and their employers to have them on-site. Remember, China is crowded, housing is expensive and commuting is a bear. As for who would want to visit a factory, well many people, including vendors who sell parts, materials, and equipment to factories and customers who buy from factories.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I see. Vendors/customers visiting factories would fit the story arc.  

---

