Passing the light on

A son returns home and joins his father to give an old village a vibrant future together

More than a decade ago, Huang Zhiyong returned to Shiting village in Yixian county, Anhui province, and transformed a crumbling Huizhou-style mansion into a boutique homestay. Today, his son, Huang Xianhao, has followed in his footsteps, returning home to establish a workshop dedicated to Shiting's traditional lantern-making craft.

Together, father and son have helped breathe new life into the once-quiet village, drawing young people back and giving its cultural heritage a renewed future.