The vast grassroots population is struggling to make ends meet, feeling hopeless, with many angrily shouting, "Down with the Communist Party! Xi Jinping must step down!" (video screenshot)
[People News] As the New Year approaches, many netizens in China are lamenting the absence of people everywhere; without people, the festive spirit is lost. In the past, mentioning China would conjure images of a nation with a population of 1.4 billion, bustling with crowds. However, now, whether in major cities or small villages, the streets are eerily empty. There is not only a lack of festive cheer for the New Year, but the atmosphere is also unsettling, leading many to sense that something ominous may be on the horizon.
No hope, no heart for celebration
A netizen from Beijing took a drive around the city and found the highways and main roads to be deserted, with very few cars in sight. Even commercial streets were empty at noon, with nearly all shops closed. Netizens from Shanghai and Guangzhou have shared similar videos, all questioning: Why are there no people around? Where have they all gone?
Many individuals do not exhibit the festive spirit; instead, they wear expressions of concern. They are struggling to find work and are constantly worried about how to feed their families. A middle-aged netizen expressed in a video: "Living now is incredibly difficult. For us poor people, it’s fine to endure hardship, but the real issue is the lack of hope; there is no hope! Who can guide us on how to survive?"
In 2026, as the New Year approaches, many people are filled with bitterness, seeing no hope and wishing someone would show them a way to survive. (Video screenshot)
Xiaoming (pseudonym), a man from Henan whose hometown is in Yuzhou, returned to his hometown a few days ago to celebrate the New Year after working in Zhengzhou. In an interview with The Epoch Times on February 17, he remarked, 'This year, there is absolutely no festive atmosphere. The streets are empty. In previous years, we would see many young and old people from our hometown walking around, coming to greet us. Children would gather in groups to set off firecrackers and collect them, but this year, it’s all gone, and it feels so desolate.' The situation is similar in other places; 'This morning, I spoke with a friend in Harbin, and there is no festive spirit there either.' The main issue is that people's lives have significantly worsened compared to previous years, and job opportunities are scarce. With lower incomes, the New Year celebrations are not enjoyable. Fewer people are returning home, which is linked to financial constraints; during the New Year, one typically visits relatives, but due to a lack of earnings, many do not wish to return. 'If there isn’t anyone particularly important at home, they are also reluctant to go back.'
As the New Year arrives, the commercial streets in Beijing are nearly deserted. At 11 a.m., all the shops on the commercial street are closed. (Video screenshot)
Struggling in 2025, lost in 2026
There are many videos circulating on the Chinese internet showing unemployed individuals sleeping on the streets. On February 12, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced a one-month special campaign aimed primarily at cracking down on so-called 'maliciously inciting negative emotions' information. Observers believe the authorities are attempting to conceal the hardships faced by the populace.
Xiaoming expressed that, in his opinion, the year 2025 can be summed up in two words: 'struggle.' Everyone is fighting to survive, while 2026 will be marked by confusion and uncertainty. 'Young people today don’t even know what to do when they go out. There are no jobs, and very few young people have clear goals. They see no hope because opportunities are limited, unlike in previous years when entrepreneurship and various activities were filled with energy. Now, whatever you invest in, you end up losing.' Even those who have jobs, earning three to five thousand yuan a month, find that they have no money left over due to high living costs.
Many individuals are not engaged in legitimate work, instead bringing the scams from Myanmar and Cambodia back to China, making a living through deception. Xiaoming mentioned that in his village, over a dozen people have been arrested for conducting telecom fraud domestically. 'Some people are simply bad, harming both others and themselves, and they are willing to do so.'
The people are struggling to survive and are rising up against the Communist Party.
Corruption among officials of the Chinese Communist Party has resulted in economic decline, leaving the populace in despair as the poor see no hope. Simultaneously, the entire society is experiencing a moral decline, with social divisions worsening. No one is enjoying a good life, and the atmosphere is filled with resentment and anger. Consequently, wherever you go in China, you can hear people complaining, cursing the government, the Communist Party, and Xi Jinping.
Xiaoming remarked, "Finding a party member who isn't corrupt is quite difficult; the public is well aware of this and is expressing their anger, saying that corrupt officials are investigating other corrupt officials." Regardless of where one goes, whether on the street or while sitting down for a meal, one can hear people cursing, "The highest leaders are being criticised from above, and the lowest village officials are being criticised from below." In recent years, Chinese society has not made progress; rather, it has regressed, and the public is aware of this, now openly expressing their discontent. Ordinary citizens sense that something significant is on the horizon, yet no one can specify what it might be. "He doesn't know the specifics, but everyone is hoping for something to happen." Overall, while the Chinese populace has a strong capacity for endurance, they are like a spring that is about to be compressed to its limit, and eventually, it will spring back.
In a series of short videos compiled by netizens, it is evident that the Chinese populace has reached a breaking point and is vocally condemning the Communist Party. (Click the link)
One netizen stated in a video: "I love my country, but I do not love the ruling party of my country; I am referring to the Communist Party." This was followed by a barrage of national curses.
An elderly man, leaning on a cane and appearing to be a poor individual lacking even basic food security, stands at the entrance of a store, gazing up at the sky and using all his strength to curse the Communist Party with national expletives.
A middle-aged man parked his car on the street, walking around it while pacing and waving his arms, shouting, "Down with the Communist Party! Down with the Communist bandits! You are all evil! Down with evil!"
In another video, a group of citizens holds up portraits of Xi Jinping, waving their arms and shouting, "Down with the dog-day Communist Party! Down with Xi Jinping!"
This video has garnered significant support from netizens, with many expressing sentiments such as: this is a 'desperate cry', there are 'awakened individuals in China!', 'it truly takes courage to say this!', 'let's hurry up and retreat!', 'this kind of voice must spread across China; otherwise, the CCP will not feel threatened', 'we are all like cattle and horses, the common people at the bottom are suffering greatly', 'only through collective awakening, a nationwide anti-communist movement, and the collapse of the foundational support can China be saved', 'all Chinese people must not be afraid; we need to shout it out loud to hasten the downfall of the CCP!', 'patriotism does not equate to loyalty to the party; Chinese people should not confuse the party with the nation', 'the corrupt officials weighing 200 pounds have embraced communism, while a small elite benefits from the era's dividends, the rest are merely resources, the chives being harvested', 'how painful! Who can save us, the common people at the bottom? 'may the evil Communist Party be destroyed, and may freedom and democracy come to China. Otherwise, with the evil party in power, how much more suffering will the people endure?', 'how timid and fearful are the Chinese people, to what extent must they be oppressed before they dare to shout like this!', 'the Communist Party is the eternal sinner of China; since 1949, it has wasted over 30 years on the Cultural Revolution and internal struggles, leading to the deaths of tens of millions, over a hundred million people, all to maintain the interests of the Communist Party's leadership, sacrificing the people without hesitation. The constitution recognises only the Communist Party, not the people; it has been decades, and after overthrowing one dictatorship, we welcomed an even more authoritarian foreign regime—the Soviet Union. Can't we see this clearly yet? The democracy, freedom, and economic development of the Republic of China in Taiwan represent the true system that all of China should pursue after toppling the Qing dynasty's despotism. Let's overthrow the foreign Soviet regime and the Communist Party!' △
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