Think of lost in translation, and giving face.
They say, 'my parents bought my house for me', may mean 'my parents helped me'. If so the level of help may never actually be stated, and where it is may be overstated to give face to their parents generosity. A culture where everyone is 'above average', but that is in fact not possible.

I've been to a lot of 婚礼(wedding receptions) and in all of them, either the parents bought the condo for the couple or they give them enough money to buy it. I've been to about 30 of these wedding receptions.

lots a times the parents buy it and still own it,. the kids just live there, keeps the money in the family/parents control. a bitl like a pre-nup. other times it is another way of getting round property ownership restrictions for the middle class, where the number of properties a household can own is limited.

Liumingke: how many wedding receptions have you NOT been to? :)

I don't really enjoy going. After the first few, it has gotten to be quite boring. I only go because they are my wife's friends and her former classmates.

"50 to 100 couples of common people' had their houses given to them by husband's parents? Strikes me as doubtful."

I could probably come up with about fifty couples just counting my wife's rather large family and classmates. My wife's extended family is diverse, ranging from peasant farmers to government officials. Are you married to a local? If so, ask her opinion. I'm very interested to know...maybe it's a regional thing.

"How do you define 'common people'?"

I define that as most people not part of the elite. But let's just say middle class urban dwellers to make things simple.

"And what do you mean about 'our culture' - that of all non-Chinese?"

My apogies. I assumed most people here are from Western countries given that everyone seems to speak fluent English.

I don't think 'middle class urban dwellers' are the majority of Chinese who are not of the elite.

I said let's just say that to simplify things as we are talking about buying homes in an urban environment. Chinese farmers normally work on a different type of property ownership system, and in most cases they would build a house on farm land or in a village (very cheaply) rather than buy one. Just so you know, a person like you or me cannot legally buy a farm house. You can pay the farmer, but the ownership title will remain under his name. But if you know a way please tell me, because I'd love to buy one. But anyway, that's getting very off topic.

OK, my point was simply that urban residence doesn't make one middle class.

I get a newsletter on the Chinese economy.The latest issue tackles the need for a house. You can download it here:

jcapitalresearch.us7.list-manage.com/[...]

Sorry if you can't get past "...Mr. Darcy would look like a beggar in comparison with a modern Chinese bureaucrat." My fascination with the growth of China and its future makes the plight of marriage plans of young Chinese interesting.