Like the leaves of a tree, falling to the ground to return to the root, Chinese people have strong attachments to their hometowns and would like to return there whenever they can.
After retirement, many return on a permanent basis to promote local development.
Bai Cheng, 63, redirected his energies to helping out his rural hometown 300 km away after retiring from his job in the provincial capital of Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, in 2013.
Retirement for some is an opportunity to put your feet up, but Bai initiated an afforestation project in his hometown and offered helped in seeking investors, applying for government financing and organizing planting.
The 1950s when Bai was born were a time of great poverty in many parts of China. "I had little food to fill my stomach and all I had to wear was worn clothes with patches," he recalled. Bai's home village remains poor,but he is determined to make a difference.
He and his villagers planted more than 30,000 trees, built an irrigation system and set up recreational areas among the trees.
He also helped set up a visitor center in the village to tell about local history.
Bai is just part of a movement that advocates retirees repaying their homelands.
Yang Shenghai, 73, collected 50,000 yuan (7,700 U.S. dollars) from his friends in Lanzhou to renovate the primary school in his hometown. He left the village when he joined the army at 18, and later worked at the industry and commerce bureau in Lanzhou City before returning to his hometown in Yongdeng County.
He bought clothes for poor children, and donated 1,200 yuan to build a basketball court when he found young people had nothing to do in their leisure time but gamble.
Planting a small amount of corn in his backyard, Yang was delighted to feel like a farmer again. "It felt good to have grain harvested by myself," he said.
However, there are misgivings that retired officials may use their influence to seek public resources for their hometowns.
"A national guideline should be made to encourage repaying acts and also regulate such activities to avoid abuses of power," said Xu Dahong, director with the civilization office of Yongdeng County.
Despite the profound affection to his hometown, Bai did not move back permanently. He sold his parents' house long ago.
Under the current regulations, urban-registered people are not allowed to buy rural property, which makes it difficult for Bai to resettle in his village.
Zhang Jianjun with the Party school of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China advised the government to welcome retirees like Bai Cheng return to their hometowns, such as allowing them to buy property and lease farmland.
"Only by being granted with the same rights as local people can the retirees really feel at home," Zhang said.
