A town in northeast China has shrunk by a third since 2010. Here's one family's story
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Families in the U.S. and around the world are having fewer children as people make profoundly different decisions about their lives. NPR's series Population Shift: How Smaller Families Are Changing the World explores the causes and implications of this trend.
YIMIANPO, China — Small town life suits Lin Xin.
Her yard in the town of Yimianpo, in northeastern China, is one big, sun-soaked garden where the family grows cabbages, carrots, peanuts, and a cornucopia of other fruits and vegetables. Kittens ambush one another from behind shrubs.
"This place is well-suited to retirees," she said. "Living in the countryside is truly nice, and comfortable."
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The thing is, Lin is not a retiree. At 48, she's not even old.
She and her husband moved to Beijing 20 years ago to chase their dreams and try to cash in on China's booming economy. But the plan was cut short; they moved back to Yimianpo a few years ago to take care of their aging and ailing parents.
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