Dwelling Narrowness

Dwelling Narrowness (Chinese: 蜗居; pinyin: Wōjū), also translated as Snail House, is a 2009 Chinese television series about two sisters struggling with life in Jiangzhou (a fictional city that closely resembles Shanghai). The TV series gained notoriety not only in Chinese media but also in the West, as the series became a symbol of the perceived ongoing real estate bubble in China.

Plot

Guo Haiping is the older sister who first attends college in Jiangzhou and decides to remain there after graduation. She and her husband Su Chun live in a very shabby shikumen in order to save money to buy a house. Haiping then convinces her mother to let Guo Haizao, her younger sister, come to Jiangzhou for college because of the metropolitan atmosphere which offers more opportunities. Four years have passed and they still don’t have enough money to afford the down payment for a house since the housing price has been skyrocketing. After Haizao graduates from college and she can’t find a job, Haiping lets her live with her and Su Chun in their already very cramped apartment. Haizao eventually finds a job and meets Xiao Bei, a warm-hearted white collar office worker, and they begin dating. Later she meets Song Si Ming, an influential government official, at a business dinner which she attends at the will of her boss, a real estate company owner and a loyal subordinate of Song. Song is in his mid-life and is attracted by Haizao’s beauty. He later makes multiple arrangements to try to win her heart, despite the fact that he is married with a daughter and Haizao already has a boyfriend. He often takes Haizao out on trips and gives money to Haizao to help her sister, Haiping, pay for the down payment of her house. With help from Song, Haiping finally buys a house that she likes. Haizao then begins having an affair with Song and attempts to hide this from Xiao Bei. Xiao Bei eventually discovers the affair, and, although he initially forgives Haizao, they finally break up. Out of desperation, Haizao returns to Song. Meanwhile, Song, as well as his superior, the mayor of Jiangzhou, has been involved in brokering real estate deals with local businessmen and taking large bribes. When he finds out he is under investigation and may be arrested and jailed, he gives Haizao (who is then pregnant with Song’s child) a large amount of money and left. Song’s wife later finds out about the missing money and goes to Haizao’s place to ask for the money back. Haizao refuses and Song’s wife becomes outraged and starts beating Haizao, which causes her to have a miscarriage. Haizao is then hospitalized and loses both the child and her uterus. Song hears about the news on the eve of being arrested for corruption, rushes to the hospital, but is being chased by police who think he’s making an attempt to flee. On the way to the hospital, Song dies in a car accident. Haizao learns about Song’s death and would not talk for three months due to depression and goes to the U.S. at the end. Haiping starts a Chinese language school and lives with her husband and daughter at their new house.

The series has so far consisted of 35 episodes, but the Chinese government only allowed 33 episodes to be aired. The series is seen as a running commentary on contemporary social issues in urban China, including the rising wealth gap, real estate prices, political corruption, the breakdown of traditional Chinese family values, foreigners' views of China and Chinese views of foreigners.