Youth Apartments (青年公寓 Qingniangongyu) are one-room apartments in which a bedroom, living room, bathroom (and sometimes kitchen) are combined into one
small room. As a growing number of Chinese young generations move to met- ropolitan cities like Shanghai and Beijing for better job opportunities, Youth Apart- ments have become one of the most popular housing solutions for young migrants looking for affordable housing solutions in metropolitan cities. The characteristics of Youth Apartments, such as modern style interior, convenient private living environ- ment of fully furnished and internet equipped room, and affordable rent and the pos- sibility of making short-term contracts, make Youth Apartments attractive to Chinese young migrants who are new to the arrival city and have a busy work life.
Yet, due to the (cost) efficiency-oriented and individualized structure and manage- ment of Youth Apartments, they often become mere “sleeping places” for residents rather than “home”. Also, due to the high mobility of residents, residents of Youth Apartments tend to have little interest and trust in their neighbors who are complete strangers and rarely interact with each other even when they have a shared kitchen.