Reuters
Yang Guang's rise from a village farmer to an Audi-driving businessman with two properties hinged largely on one of the most coveted documents in China: an urban hukou, or residency permit. The 45-year-old who lives in the central city of Zhengzhou likens the permit - which typically ties a person's access to health, education, loans and other services to their birthplace - to a "cattle ear-tag the state clipped us with". When Zhengzhou in the early 2000s temporarily allowed those who bought an apartment to also qualify for a city hukou, Yang seized the opportunity, allowing him to register a business and open stores across Henan province's capital, transforming his fortunes.