[...]Their name implies that security guards exist to provide security. I had expected to observe how they responded to dangerous situations and kept people safe, but the reality was quite different. As Chinese cities have gotten safer, what security guards are protecting most of all is property prices and the class status they imply.

When guards first began to appear in Chinese residential communities, security was indeed their purpose. From 1990 to 2010, due to the widening gap between rich and poor, the rise in population mobility, and a shortage of police officers, the crime rate in Chinese cities increased. Burglary was a frequent concern.

In subsequent years, crime in Chinese cities has dropped significantly. In 2016, China’s homicide rate was 0.62 per 100,000 people, one of the lowest in the world, while major violent crimes dropped by 43% between 2012 and 2016. The murder Liu responded to was the exception, not the rule.

But that doesn’t mean the middle class’s yearning for heavily guarded gates has diminished. In somewhat of a contradiction with dropping crime rates, the private security industry has continued to flourish. According to the China Security Association, as of July 2021, there were over 13,000 security service companies and more than 6.4 million security guards nationwide.

Instead, security guards are now the answer to different fears. The commercial mindset tied to real estate development is rooted in the deep anxieties of China’s middle class about losing their economic status and class identity. During the decades when housing prices in Chinese cities soared, a home became most families’ most important asset. As such, homeowners are extremely sensitive about any factors that might lead to a decline in property prices.