Tucked away on the brown heath land of rural China lies the village of Xiao Cun. Mr Xiao treks along a ditch bemoaning the loss of his son Liangyu. In Beijing, Liangyu collects rubbish for recycling. In one month he earns what he used to make in a year. He and his family live in a ghetto occupied by people from their own province. These ghettos are a focus of bitter resentment for born and bred Beijing workers who accuse the outsiders of stealing their jobs. Yet conditions in the country often force people to move to the cities and provide for their families.

Produced by ABC Australia