By CGTN's Shi Yan and Xu Yanqiu

When we’re young, we may choose to leave home in search of adventure, experience and knowledge. But as the following stories show, decades of absence can leave people yearning to return to their roots. 

The Bird’s Nest and Water Cube are well-known tourist spots in Beijing. They were the two main venues for the 2008 Olympic Games. Anyone interested in knowing what the area where they are located used to be like, can visit the Wali Museum. It was founded by Yang Delu, who witnessed the demolition of his village to make way for the two iconic structures. Yang hopes that his museum will keep alive the memory of Wali’s culture and traditions.

Born in Putian, Fujian Province, Lin Niansheng went to Taiwan at the age of five. Sixty years later, after he retired as a university lecturer on the island, a strong sense of nostalgia for his home town brought him back to Putian. There, he dedicates his time to teaching the children of poor families.

Cheng Ping is a Beijing resident. But growing up in the big city, she felt like a fish out of water. Her father had left his home in Inner Mongolia as a young man to join the army. But in his 70s, he felt a strong desire to return to his home town, saying that it was the only place he would ever rest in peace. In Xinlitun, where her father was born, Cheng Ping herself feels a sense of belonging.

Rediscovering China is a feature programme broadcast every weekend on CGTN. Each 30-minute edition offers a unique insight, through the eyes of our team of international journalists, into an aspect of life in China today. With its unrivalled access to the country's people and places, Rediscovering China brings you in-depth reports on the major issues facing China at a time of rapid change.