Words turn small town lifestyle into a big story

He has tried to embed his hometown into his writing.

Lin was born and raised in Yanhong town of Shantou city with a population of around 50,000.

This had both worlds, the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, vying for attention. There, at the south of the Lianhua Peak, are the farmlands and factory buildings. Further south, across a national highway to Fujian province, is a residential area that has some countryside features, but still has urban elements.

The streets are neat and orderly, with rows of dwellings that share a wall with their neighbors.

Elderly people still live in cottages, with roof tiles and earthen walls, that are passed down from previous generations. Some of the cottages date back more than a century.

Lin spent some of his childhood in such a dwelling with his grandparents. Inside the front door was a patio, a well and bonsai. The patio would catch the sun and they could wash food and clothes by the well.

In Lin's description, every family in the town has a gongfu cha (a local tea ritual) set in their living room for daily use and, importantly, to host guests. He has also seen a vendor selling snacks on the street from his cart for more than two decades. He has witnessed the man's thick black hair gradually turn gray.

While the traditional lifestyle still flourishes, a clash with the modern is, perhaps, inevitable. Late night snacks, fast food and express delivery that were first popular in the big cities have spread to the town.