After the birds have flown

A new exhibition in Beijing examines the experience of China's millions of empty-nesters, and the sense of loss they feel when their children inevitably leave home.

On an old-fashioned desk, sits a lamp and a photo album. More photos cover the wall behind the desk, forming the shape of an inverted triangle - as if they have just flown out of the pages.

These photos document the formative years of scores of internet users' parents, and they also mark the start of an exhibition which calls on people to spare a thought for China's empty-nesters - the parents whose children have long since left home.

Held by the charitable Tomorrow Foundation and initiated by actor Huang Xiaoming at the Dachin Contemporary Art Center, the exhibition Forgotten One-way Line opened in Beijing on Nov 9, and will run until Dec 9.

Speaking about the title of the exhibition, Huang says: "From the time we are born onward, we witness our parents getting older. And the process can never be stopped or paused, since time is a one-way line. But this fact is often forgotten by many people."