Chengguan, this word may not be so pleasing in the hearts of many people. But did you know that from ancient times to the present, people who maintain market order have always been there.
Their work is actually very critical, but in the process of implementation, there are occasional problems. Why is this so? Who are they?
From the ancient "supervising the market" to the modern urban management, the role of maintaining market order and the urban environment has always existed. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were officials in charge of the hygiene and order of the market.
In the Tang and Song dynasties, the power of this position was greatly expanded, and in addition to market management, it also involved many aspects such as public security and taxation. But today we are going to talk about modern urban management.
These personnel are usually the urban management administrative law enforcement team set up by the local government, referred to as "chengguan". Their mission is to ensure that the city's streets are unobstructed and the city's appearance is clean.
You can often see them dealing with small vendors who are squatting on roads, or demolishing illegal buildings. Doesn't that sound necessary? Indeed, without them, our cities would be in shambles.
The problem, however, is that the manner and attitude in implementation are often unacceptable. Some chengguan have been too rough in enforcing the law, and have even abused their powers. Such behavior naturally aroused strong public disgust.
For example, sometimes, a small vendor may be treated harshly by the chengguan because he occupies a little bit of the road. In this case, even if the original intention of the chengguan is to maintain order, the improper method has greatly reduced the image of the entire profession.
In many cases, the members of the chengguan team are not from professional backgrounds, and some of them may choose this path simply because they can't find other jobs. This means that they may not have received sufficient professional training before starting their jobs.
In this case, when faced with a complex on-the-ground situation, they may instinctively choose the most straightforward and simple solution – the same kind of brutal behavior that we see.
As time passed, public dissatisfaction with chengguan accumulated. Some of their misconduct in law enforcement, such as excessive use of force and even violent law enforcement, has made people have a worse and worse impression of this group.
Faced with this situation, some local governments have begun to experiment with reforms. They try to enhance the professional identity and sense of responsibility of the chengguan by improving the treatment and working conditions of the chengguan.
Attempts are also being made to reduce conflicts with chengguan by setting up special hawker areas to provide legal business space for small traders. This change is necessary.
Because, in any case, the orderly operation of the city is inseparable from the efforts of these city managers. It is only when they are able to carry out their duties in a more civilized and reasonable way that it is possible for the public's perception of them to slowly change.
The transformation of chengguan is full of challenges, but it is also a necessary path for urban development. At the same time, public understanding and support are key to the success of this reform.