Stark divisions between the rich and poor have reappeared in China's big cities.

Beggars outside a temple in Beijing

Not far from him, Zhang Tianhuo, 76, crouches on the stairs at the subway stop and shakes his empty noodle bowl.

A short walk away, three mothers watch without shame as their tiny children flock to patrons outside a coffee shop, shaking empty cups.

"I have no choice,"mother Zhang Yali explained about why she allows her 4-year-old son to beg.

"The money we get lets us survive and eat."

China has begun paying the price of modernisation.

For many years, beggars were rarely seen in the showcase cities of China.

The growing number of beggars is also an unanticipated result of a major civil rights victory last year-a curb on police arrest powers. But in the last six months, the number of beggars has exploded.

Part of the problem stems from the large number of migrants coming from rural areas to the city in search of work. Many end up begging on the streets.

In recent months, many cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, have begun considering or have approved new laws against begging.

Under the new regulations, arrest or forced deportation of beggars is illegal.

Those who cannot afford a ticket home must be given a certificate to cover the cost of the trip by train or bus.

The police are also obliged to help anyone who is homeless or disabled and any wandering children and elderly people.

They must send them to welfare centres, where they are entitled to free food and shelter for limited periods.

In March, People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, called for national regulations, signalling that legislation could be coming.

But such measures have prompted a debate in the Chinese press as intellectuals push for greater rights for individuals.

Many argue that modern China should have a society where people have the right to beg.

There have been reports in the Chinese media of organised begging rings, including some that exploit children.

But many beggars are simply rural people like Zhang, the man begging for money with the noodle bowl.

Source -The People's Daily