ABSTRACT
Hei che refers to an unlicensed taxi, also known as a 'black taxi'. Hei che are common throughout China, from small towns to global metropolises such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. This chapter argues that rather than the stigmatized 'trouble-maker' or illegal operation, hei che can be understood as an informal urban street market where self-employed rural-urban migrant workers strive to make a living in the context of the Hukou System. It interrogates Shanghai's informal economy and informal urban street markets through an ethnography of hei che. It explains the economic and social significance of hei che for consumers. It considers how hei che provide a means of livelihood for less privileged people, such as nongming gong. The informality of the urban street market presents opportunities for agency for a population which has few such opportunities otherwise, especially without a Shanghai Hukou card.
