In China, a new trend has just appeared and it affects students. The latter are deserting the canteens of the campuses and favoring the small workers’ restaurants near the construction sites, attracted by the profusion of choice and the low prices. The phenomenon highlights the bad reputation of school canteens in the country.
Since the beginning of the month, Chinese students have left their campus and have not hesitated to walk for several minutes. They then find themselves at the bottom of buildings still under construction. Under aunts and sitting on camping chairs, that’s where they have lunch, in the company of workers from the surrounding construction sites.
in this video widely reported online, a student from Sichuan province appreciates being able to eat varied and balanced dishes for less than two euros. Above all, he says, the food is prepared in front of him. The phenomenon is such that the subject has been taken up on television news and in the traditional media.
This trend highlights the poor reputation of cafeterias on Chinese campuses, which have been regularly criticized in recent years for both the quality of their food and their hygiene. In 2021, students had alerted the public, publishing pictures of earthworms or cigarette butts on their plates.
The same year, more than 80% of students said they were dissatisfied with the services offered by their institution. The municipality of Yibin, where the video was shot, reacted, announcing to launch an investigation into the quality of the food served on its campuses.
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