Parents in China are paying for children to attend labor camps, shocking many

Unusual camps designed to prepare children for life's hardships are gaining popularity in China. Parents are paying thousands of yuan to send their children to villages to perform agricultural labor.

According to the South China Morning Post, programs called "Life Trial Camps" are primarily organized in the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

Children who come here perform the daily chores of ordinary villagers:

digging potatoes;

tending to livestock;

engaging in physical labor;

and are unable to use their phones. Interestingly, the children are not paid for their work. On the contrary, their parents pay for it.

In some camps, a 10-day program costs 4,000 yuan, which is approximately 600 dollars. Programs lasting up to a month can cost over 10,000 yuan.

It is reported that strict discipline is enforced in the camps. There are reports that children who fail to complete tasks are punished by being given only potatoes instead of a meal. Videos circulating on social media show some children crying and begging to go home.