10,000 Shovels: China's Urbanization and Economic Development

Comprehensive Unit65 pagesGrade Level: High SchoolIncludes curriculum unit + DVD ("Ten Thousand Shovels" documentary film) Since the late 1970s, China has experienced an unprecedented economic boom, and is today's fastest growing major economy. Its economic reforms of 1978 allowed large amounts of capital to flow within the country, spurring the economy into a period of breakneck growth. Tens of millions of rural Chinese have been drawn into China's cities looking for work, and countless businesses—foreign and domestic—have sprung up in China, each eager to grab a piece of China's 1.3 billion-strong customer base: the world's largest. It is an exciting time. In a country where people starved from widespread poverty only 50 years ago, business is booming like never before. More and more people are living longer, more comfortable lives, and are finally able to afford luxuries like air conditioners, refrigerators, mobile phones, and cars. For them, China's rapid rise is a dream come true