The Beijing Daily Messenger reports a new government survey showing there are around 150,000 homeless children in China, and over 80% of them are from underdeveloped rural areas.

In less than two years, Beijing's Child Protection and Help Center has received nearly 1,500 street children, 70 percent of them live by begging for money and food on the street.

According to the paper, poverty and a breakdown in the family structure are the two major causes for the rising numbers of homeless children.

China opened its first pilot protection center for street children 10 years ago, and since then over 130 special aid institutions for urban street kids have been established.