"Preparing for College Entrance Exams..." Chinese Teen Student Setting Up Home Under Department Store Stairs

A Teen Secretly Living on a Shopping Mall Staircase
"Needed a Quiet Place to Study"

A teenage student in China was caught after secretly living in a tent set up under the stairs of a department store for six months.

According to the South China Morning Post and others, a video showing the unusual residence of a boy in Shanghai recently went viral online. In the video, the boy is seen living like in a residence by placing a desk, chair, tent, coffee pot, and other items in the blind spot under the department store stairs. It is also reported that he used an inverter to generate electricity needed for charging a computer and mobile phone.

A space where a boy lived under the stairs of a shopping mall. [Image source=Ex]

Previously, the boy had already been discovered by the department store security guards. However, the security guards reportedly turned a blind eye after the boy said he needed a quiet place to prepare for university entrance exams.

In fact, the Chinese version of the college entrance exam, called the "Gaokao," is one of the most notorious university admission tests. It is held annually on June 7, and this year, a record 12.91 million examinees took the test. The acceptance rate is not high either. This year, less than 40% of Gaokao examinees were admitted to four-year universities, and only 4.6% entered prestigious universities.

The boy initially promised the security guards that he would stay only until the exam was over. However, he remained even after the Gaokao and was eventually arrested by authorities.

Meanwhile, this is not the first case of someone secretly living inside a department store and being caught.

In March, it was revealed that seven artists, including Michael Townsend, had lived in a department store in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, from 2003 to 2007, attracting attention. It is reported that they even invited guests to this place at the time. However, they were eventually caught when a mall security guard accidentally discovered their hideout.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.