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View all search resultsTapping the world's largest population
When Shen Bolunâs ex-girlfriend Wu Xia gave birth to their baby girl in June, a fine of 43,910 yuan (US$7,070) was awaiting them, together with the new-found responsibilities of parenting
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W
hen Shen Bolun's ex-girlfriend Wu Xia gave birth to their baby girl in June, a fine of 43,910 yuan (US$7,070) was awaiting them, together with the new-found responsibilities of parenting.
The penalty was imposed by the government for children born out of wedlock as part of the population control policy in China.
The sum, known as a 'social fostering fee', was a burden to the former couple, and an idea came to their mind ' create crowdfunding to raise money from the public.
Crowdfunding websites are gaining momentum in China.
They provide a platform to match initiators of creative projects and supporters.
The initiators pitch their ideas and receive backing in terms of monetary contribution (and morale booster, knowing there are people interested in their campaigns) to turn their dreams into reality, while the investors receive rewards as promised by the creators.
Shen and Wu's campaign, howÂever, was taken down from Dreamore 16 hours after it was published.
The 9,581 yuan pledged, which was 22 per cent of their goal, was returned to the 312 supporters.
'When we were seeking crowdfunding platforms to launch our campaign, many declined politely to work with us because the issue dealt with political policy and was deemed too sensitive. They were worried about the public backlash that might ensue,' Shen, 25, wrote on his WeChat official account.
Even though their attempt received a setback, they have utilised the crowdfunding platform to their advantage, raising awareness and mobilising public opinion on the punishment inflicted on 'unplanÂÂned births'.
If the fine is not paid, the baby cannot get a hukou (household registration).
Shen said they felt it was unreasonable to bind the rights of childbearing and marriage together.
'We would have started this fundraiser regardless of our financial ability. This is not about money, but attitude.'
The crowdfunding campaigns on the Chinese platforms, usually running on an all-or-nothing format, cover big and small projects on art, technology, music, gaming, etc.
Unless the goals are met before the deadline, the creators will not get the contribution pledged.
Kaistart, a project to fund a traditional Liaonan shadow puppetry tour performance, has raised 195 per cent of its goal ahead of its August 15 deadline.
Music-related projects, incluÂding gigs and albums, can be found on Musikid. E-commerce giants Alibaba and JD also have their own crowdfunding services.
Other forms of crowdfunding, inÂcluding real estate crowdfunding, equity crowdfunding, donation-based crowdfunding and crowdlending, each have a place in the market.
A 2013 World Bank report estimated that crowdfunding in China could reach $50 billion by 2025, but noted that user behaÂviour and weak intellectual property protection could be a hindrance to the industry.
Chinese users, it said, were more inclined to invest in campaigns that promise tangible products, instead of supporting entrepreneurial and inventions.
It added that innovative ideas, especially tech-related ones, pale in comparison with their United States counterparts when it comes to quality and quantity.
Independent filmmaker Sam Voutas recently launched separate crowdfunding projects on either side of the Great Firewall of China (the country's extensive website-blocking system) to reach out to audiences from the east and west.
The campaigns on Brooklyn-based Kickstarter and Beijing-based Zhongchou have successfully reached ' and exceeded ' their combined goals of about 372,800 yuan to fund the production of King of Peking.
'A crowdfunding campaign is very much like a political campaign. You need to convince people that you're worth it,' Voutas, an AustraÂlian who grew up in Beijing, said.
'If neither of the campaigns succeeds, then we'd know there wasn't a built-in audience for the movie.'
Set in 1998, King of Peking centres on movie piracy and fatherhood.
The absence of cinemas back in those days gave birth to the occupation of film projectionists, who traÂvelled within the country to screen movies for the people.
The introduction of DVD then forces one projectionist to launch a pirated movie business from home so that he can keep custody of his son.
Voutas, who had earlier written and directed a Beijing-set sex shop comedy, Red Light Revolution, agreed that crowdfunding was a great way to create publicity.
'You end up reaching out to every one you know, so that in the end a lot of people have heard of the movie.'
Besides high-definition downloads of their movies, the fun rewards promised by the team included a 20-minute Skype call on film education or filming in China, a hotpot dinner, a signed copy of the shooting script and an opportunity to participate in the casting.
They used WeChat to spread word about their campaign in China.
Voutas believed the supporters comprised both film enthusiasts and Beijing enthusiasts, who are cuÂÂrious to peek behind the scenes or who will 'simply like to support a draÂmedy about ordinary Beijingers'.
'The great thing about a crowdfunding campaign is that you really do get to know your backers. You write to every one, you comÂÂmunicate on a one-to-one level.'
Now that their cameras are ready to roll, the team is focused on maÂking a film that their supporters will be happy and excited to see.
'We absolutely have an obligation to them. They are the reason we are making the film!' Voutas said.
'Many of our backers have lived or spent time in Beijing, and want to revisit the city via our film, which is why the film's look and art will be paramount to us. Hopefully, this hits a nostalgic chord for many of our backers.'
The team will screen the film overseas when it is ready and Voutas said he'd very much like to bring it to Malaysia too.
Shen, meanwhile, has now taken to his WeChat official account to run his own crowdfunding.
The rewards he offers are sharing the hukou registration process and keeping the backers updated on his baby's growth and development within six months upon completion of the campaign.
He said he had raised about a quarter of the sum since posting the appeal a month ago.
'We didn't assume that we must gather all of 44,000 yuan through crowdfunding. We'll take whatever that is pledged.'
(6.21 yuan = US$1) (*)
