Change brings problems. Bella lives with her parents in a brand new apartment
in Shanghai. Her real name is Zhou Jiaying – ‘Bella’ is the name that she has
been given by her English teacher. Her parents are representative of a confused
generation in a confused time. In modern Chinese society different ideologies
are fighting against each other. Enormous material benefits have been brought
by China’s economic boom, but the debate is not about these; it’s about family
life and values. Old values – the respect of family and the older generations – are
being replaced by new ones which place money as the critical measurement of
one’s position in society. But at the same time these new values are also being
questioned. Have our lives been made richer by all our new possessions? Is
Chinese culture being supplanted? As in all changing societies people are trying
to find the right balance between the ‘new’ and ‘old