Voluntary sector seeks greater efficiency and more expertise

The number of skilled volunteers has soared in the past decade, but growth remains slow. Li Lei reports from Gu'an, Hebei.

Editor's note: This is the penultimate story in a series reflecting China's achievements in a range of fields, including science, law enforcement, education and transportation, resulting from 40 years of the reform and opening-up policy. The final story will be published on Thursday.

On the morning of Oct 17, retired reporter Wang Zhiyong set out from Gu'an, a small town in Hebei province, to visit a nearby nursing home. It was the Chongyang Festival, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, when China's senior population is feted.