Wang Yan recently quit her first job, where she worked as a Web designer in a private company in Zhongguancun in Beijing.

Several "ants", or struggling college graduates, on their way to work. [Courtesy of Lian Si]

Walking along the muddy street in Tangjialing, a village outside the North Fifth Ring Road where many college graduates live, the 23-year-old looks distinctly unhappy. Her steps seem heavier in the freezing morning.

For many recent university graduates, Beijing's winter seems even more frigid this year, with its grey skies and howling wind possible portents of a bleak future.

Wang quit her job because her boss suddenly stopped the program her team was working on. She believed she and her colleagues would eventually be sent back home. She could not really see a future working there.

"It is not easy to find a job in Beijing nowadays," Wang said.

"But I still believe that I will find something soon with a wage no less than 2,000 yuan per month. And it would be even better if they will sign a contract with me."

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Wang is from Langfang in Hebei province. She moved to Tangjialing right after graduation from college in Hebei this June. She is one of more than 50,000 people from outside of Beijing living in the village.

In their 20s, they have come to Beijing to pursue their dreams. They are called "ant tribe" by Lian Si, who has written a book with the same name based on his interviews of these people.

Wang came to settle down in Beijing because she thought it's hard to find a job as a Web designer back home. She believed the capital city, which is the biggest and nearest city to her hometown, offers more opportunities.

Wang is staying with her friend Song Rui in a cramped and dreary 9-sq-m room. The heater is on, but doesn't seem to provide enough relief from the biting cold. Wang and Song stay huddled in bed to fight the cold that seeps in from the only window in the room.

Song came to Beijing in August to stay with Wang after she tried a couple of jobs in Hebei. She began working for the same company as Wang - but is now planning to return home after a four-month struggle.

"I thought there would be more opportunities and I could learn things in Beijing," Song said.

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