(CFP)

There is an old Chinese saying: "When leaves fall from trees, they settle near the roots." Traditionally, it is believed that people should return to their hometown when they age. In modern times, however, many senior citizens in China move from their hometown to join their children and grandchildren.

As China modernizes, its people become more mobile. Many young people have moved from rural areas into cities and from small and medium-sized cities into larger ones.

"Young people in big cities are under heavy pressure. They are busy with work and family. They hope their parents can help with childcare," said Qi Xin, a research fellow with the Institute of Urban Studies at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

Having grandparents take care of kids can save money for young parents and give them more time to manage other things. Nannies in big cities such as Beijing can cost around $300-500 a month. Good nannies are as difficult to find as they are expensive. Many young parents are reluctant to hire nannies out of fear that they may mistreat babies.

Living with their children somewhere else is good for elder people because otherwise they may suffer from the loneliness of an empty nest, Qi added.

Family reunion is something to celebrate; yet for a significantly large proportion of seniors, adapting to a new lifestyle is challenging. A survey conducted by China Youth Daily in 2011 revealed that 71.5 percent of the respondents said that they were lonely because they had few friends.

Slightly more than one third said that they had difficulty communicating with locals because of their different dialects.

About half of elders migrating to cities left their spouses behind in their hometown because of insufficient living space in their children's homes.

Approximately 59.2 percent of elders reported tensions with their children due to differences in lifestyle.

In addition to interpersonal relations, seniors outside of their hometown face other inconveniences. About 61.6 percent of the people surveyed by China Youth Daily said that it is difficult for them to return to their hometown to claim insurance payments because their medical and pension benefits are non-transferable.

New homes

Teng and his wife, a couple in their early 60s, have a daughter they are proud of. Their daughter completed her graduate studies in Beijing and then began working at a research institute in the capital city. Now 37, she is a professor, earns a decent income and owns a reasonably large three-bedroom apartment.

Some years previously, she invited her parents to come to Beijing from their rural hometown in Shandong Province to enjoy a good life with her. However, her parents declined as they still had to take care of their crops and livestock at home.

Then about three years ago, after the daughter gave birth to a boy, the Teng couple decided to come to Beijing to take care of the baby.

While his wife is busy with baby-sitting, Teng has little to do and feels bored. As something of an introverted person, he seldom talks to neighbors. He often sits in the yard, smoking.

Teng enjoys watching his grandson growing up day by day, yet he said that other than that, he has little enjoyment in life. He particularly dislikes the smog and heavy traffic in Beijing. He misses the green fields and fresh air of his hometown.

Compared with Teng, 76-year-old Zhang is comfortable with her life in Beijing. Zhang came from Daqing City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. She came to Beijing five years ago, shortly before her daughter gave birth.

Now living with her daughter in Beijing's Haidian District, Zhang has been taking care of her granddaughter, as well as cooking and cleaning at home. She enjoys teaching her granddaughter how to sing and draw.