Architect sees warm future for wooden homes

The transformation of a wooden house Chen undertook for Yang Hui, a teacher in Guiliu village in Rongjiang county, was even more radical and was done free of charge.

The house's lighting, ventilation and heating system were all upgraded. Its first floor, formerly used for raising livestock, was turned into a living room, bedrooms and a kitchen, and its second and third floors have become a public space for teaching and guest rooms for visiting students.

"Nowadays, people no longer rely on the land to make a living in rural areas, so we need to find a way to adapt old wooden buildings to modern uses," Chen said.

Yang said she hopes her house will survive for another 100 years. "I'm going to retire in three years. I will use this place to hold activities to teach about traditional culture."

Chen sees no reason why the home shouldn't last that long, if not longer, and views wooden architecture as low-carbon, environmentally friendly and affordable.

By creating conditions that attract more young people to return, villages create new opportunities for themselves, a process to which Chen's work is certainly making a contribution.

Yao Yuxin and Zhao Yandi contributed to this story.