BEIJING - Despite rising housing prices, Han Jianhua, an assistant director of a furniture company in East China's Fuzhou City, is confident of being able to buy a home in the near future.

"A bicycle was all I owned when I started working five years ago. Now I drive my own car to work. My next plan is to buy an apartment and settle in the city," he said.

Han's monthly pay was about 3,000 yuan ($440) when he started as an ordinary employee. Thanks to multiple promotions, his income has doubled.