Boiled Potatoes for Meals If You Don't Work: 2 Million Won 'Hardship Camps' Surge in Popularity in China

A growing number of parents in China are paying to send their children to so-called rural summer camps designed to intentionally put them through hardship, local media reported.

According to local outlets like Cover News, the camps' defining feature is a complete ban on smartphones and internet access while staying in remote rural farmhouses.

Participating children must wake up early every day to chop firewood, feed livestock, and harvest potatoes in the fields.

The program operates on a points system where participants earn points through labor to exchange for daily necessities. It is run so strictly that children who fail to meet their work quotas and fall short on points must make do with only boiled potatoes for their meals.

The camps, which last about 10 days in rural areas of southern China such as Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou, cost up to the equivalent of 2 million won (about 10,000 yuan). Despite the high price, parents eager to break their children's bad lifestyle habits continue to flock to them.


Camp organizers promote the program by claiming that "children experience hardship, realize that making money is not easy, and develop a sense of gratitude." However, reactions among parents regarding its actual effectiveness remain mixed.

Some shared glowing reviews, saying, "My child, who was glued to their smartphone, changed completely after attending the camp." On the other hand, negative feedback also emerged, with some stating, "Habits like sleeping in and being a picky eater did not improve at all."

In response, local education experts pointed out that "short-term, forced labor alone cannot fundamentally resolve smartphone addiction or procrastination."

They added, "When children placed in harsh environments appear to temporarily show remorse, it is merely a short-term stress response and difficult to view as genuine change."
 
(Photo: Captured from China's Cover News, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.