Father laments the end of quiet lifestyle

Lin Beitian, 82, misses the tranquility of his once peaceful home in Zhuhai.[China Daily]

Lin Beitian admits he has never seen the attraction of the built-up areas of his native Zhuhai.

Although his four children all live in the heart of the city in Guangdong province, the 82-year-old insists he prefers the peace and quiet of his remote community 20 kilometers away in the rural suburbs.

"To an old man like me, (the city) is just too noisy," he said.

Yet, he knows the transformation that has happened over the last few decades across the rest of Zhuhai - one of five special economic zones (SEZs) established along the coast in the early 1980s - is already taking place in Yongxing village.

"Soon the village will be full of outsiders like other areas of the SEZ," said Lin. "Then the village will be wide open."

He admitted that his feelings about the changes in this small fishing community, where the first concrete road linking the area was completed in 1983, are bittersweet.

"About 400 hectares of oyster fields were buried in the earth when the road works started, which were part of the first efforts to open the village up," said Lin, who served as village chief until 1984. "Only about 32 hectares remain today."

When the SEZ plans were unveiled, there were few differences between the rural and urban parts of the city, he said, adding that, back then, the city was "covered with endless beaches".

As the vista has changed so too has people's attitudes toward the city, Lin acknowledged.

Before the SEZ was set up, villagers took every chance they could to move to Macao, with many lured by the tall, plush buildings, he said.

Once the changes began, though, everyone headed for Zhuhai after its tall towers became more visible on the horizon over the river.

About 30 households used to inhabit Yongxing village but now only 13 remain, explained Lin.

Although apprehensive, he also feels a sense of pride about the changes that have occurred around him.

"In the 1970s, I never thought that one day my village would have electricity and that my city would be one of China's thriving SEZs," added Lin. "No longer do the people here envy or desire the life in Macao."