2026 Homecoming Stories

PortfolioAlert · 2026-02-23T13:01:20+00:00

This Spring Festival, I watched JiSiLu several times but didn't see the 2026 edition of "Hometown Stories." So I'll start the ball rolling and share a few thoughts. Located in a small village near a county seat in a third-tier city in central Henan, I spent two days at home during New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year this year. What I observed: 1. This year, fireworks and firecrackers are banned here, just like last year. But villagers feel this regulation has little practical meaning—after working hard all year, they still want to set off a few firecrackers, right? Moreover, most think that if no one enforces it strictly, what's the point? So most still set off firecrackers. Law enforcement sent vehicles to patrol each village, but it felt more like a formality. They used loudspeakers to promote safety and awareness, but didn't strictly enforce the ban. However, compared to last year, it’s clear that fewer fireworks are being set off, and firecrackers are much sparser—less than last year. Maybe everyone just isn't making as much money anymore. 2. There aren't many young people in the village, or rather, there are fewer than last year. I asked around; a brother in my family...

PortfolioAlert

2026-02-23 13:01:20

This Spring Festival, I went through JiSiLu several times but didn’t see the 2026 edition of “Hometown Stories.”
So I’ll start the conversation and share a few thoughts.

Located in a small village near a county seat in a third-tier city in central Henan, I spent two days at home during New Year’s Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year this year.
What I observed:

This year, fireworks and firecrackers are banned here, as they were last year. But the villagers feel this regulation has little practical meaning—after working hard all year, why not set off a few firecrackers? Plus, most think that law enforcement turns a blind eye, so they still set off firecrackers. Law enforcement vehicles patrol each village, but it feels more like a formality. They use loudspeakers for publicity rather than strict enforcement. However, compared to last year, there are noticeably fewer fireworks and firecrackers—less sparse than last year. Maybe everyone just isn’t making as much money anymore.
There are not many young people in the village, or rather, fewer than last year. I asked around; a cousin of mine worked in Jiangsu last year but is having trouble finding work this year, so he went to Saudi Arabia for work and hasn’t come back. Another cousin runs a business in the provincial capital but lost a lot of money and also hasn’t returned. The village feels noticeably quieter.
Among everyone I met this year, very few smoke, whether elderly or young. In previous years, I often encountered villagers who were drunk, but this year, that’s rare. Personally, I feel the consumer sector still has a long way to go.

That’s all for now.

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