Octogenarian relives memories through decades of diaries

Every time his family members reunite in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, retired teacher Fan Wenzhi tells them stories about his past.

However, the 84-year-old has age-related memory loss and has to refer to his plethora of diaries - since 1953, Fan has written a total of nearly 4 million words in 60 diaries.

"In my diaries, I write about daily life as well as commenting on social, political and economic issues," he said. "No matter how late I sleep, I always write a diary entry before going to bed."