China teen’s Hong Kong concert trip costs family government subsidies, sparking mixed reaction

A teenage girl in mainland China travelled to Hong Kong to attend a concert of her idol, resulting in her family losing their government living allowances due to her actions being classified as a form of “high-end consumption.”

This incident has sparked intense debate in China and has divided public opinion since it was reported by the mainland news portal, The Cover.

According to a social media post shared by the girl’s cousin in early September, the girl is a technical secondary school student from Ganzhou in eastern Jiangxi province. She attended a concert in Hong Kong several weeks ago.

Her parents, struggling to make a living due to health issues, depend on the city’s living allowance subsidy scheme designed for low-income households, which provides 2,000 yuan (US$300) per month.

The girl, whose surname is Huang, informed her family that she could finance her trip to Hong Kong independently. She saved her pocket money and took part in manual labour during the summer holiday, amassing between 3,000 and 5,000 yuan by late August. The identity of her idol has not been disclosed.

Before her trip, local community officials cautioned her multiple times that travelling to Hong Kong would result in her family losing their eligibility for government living allowances.