'My little farm in the city'

Li Hongwen works for an IT company in Sanyuanqiao in the center of Beijing, but he lives in the suburban district of Shunyi. Every day the round trip between home and office takes at least three hours.

The daily journey means Li is perpetually tired and is usually inclined to fall into bed as soon as he gets home. However, he does two things instead. First, he greets and hugs his 6-month-old son, and then he goes to the balcony to check the progress of his carefully planted vegetables. He is currently cultivating more than 20 varieties.

Li's top-floor apartment features a large open balcony. He said he has always longed to be a farmer, but that's a forlorn hope in the middle of the city.